A Caffeine-Inspired Tour of Kingston
I’m telling this story out of order. I was so excited about my new perfectly engineered caffettiera from Oderin’s, I forgot the before and after parts.
It was cold, as Kingston is in winter. How cold? Ice sculptures and outdoor rink cold. 
If the above photo doesn’t make you want to sit down in front of a crackling fire with a hot toddy then you’re either from Thunder Bay or having a hot flash. Toss in a grey sky and a strong north wind and within six seconds you’re nipping into the first cafe you can find.
Fortunately, The Sleepless Goat, was nearby. This worker’s co-operative serves vegetarian food and fair trade coffee. You’d think such socially conscious proprietors would put warning signs on their java. My latte was so large I nearly drowned. If the Death-by-Caffeine calculator is right, I’d be done in by C8H10N4O2 before the H2O filled my lungs. (Thanks to Google, I now know the chemical composition for caffeine — C8H10N4O2. Kinda rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?)
This is a photo of my brush with death. I’m not ready to shuffle off this mortal coil just yet, but there are worse ways to go.
Several flower shops and an enlightening visit to Oderin’s later, we headed to Cooke’s Fine Foods and Coffee to purchase the beans I need to fuel my newly purchased percolator. While I’ve nothing against Starbucks — except their blatant lack of respect for the possessive case and overpriced goodies — Cooke’s has several advantages. Here’s the Top Ten.
Number One: They roast their own beans.
Number Two: They understand and use the possessive case correctly.
Number Three: They sell as much chocolate as beans.
Number Four: They sell little jars of gourmet pepper (including long-pod), not aspartame-laced mints.
Number Five: They have funky lamps.
Number Six: They have original tin ceilings.
Number Seven: They have cheese. Fancy cheeses like Cambleton Single Malt, Drumlock Guernsey and a White Stilton with Mango and Ginger. And they let you taste as many as you like, even though the people behind you in line are shooting you dirty looks and heaving “hurry up” sighs.
Number Eight: They sell imported gourmet olive oil.
Number Nine: They sell fancy imported Mozart Kugel chocolates. (It’s perfectly fair to count chocolate twice.)
Number Ten: Their most expensive coffee is $10.95 / pound– almost a third less expensive than Starbucks.
The best part? They’ll deliver coffee right to your door. Wish the Bialetti people provided that kind of service.