Light and Sweet

It’s part of most of our lives and daily routines. Our country has a love affair with coffee and although we all know should probably cut back on our caffeine intake, there is something more important about our java addiction that we should all be aware of (tea drinkers should pay attention, too…).

Consider the effect that drinking your daily coffee, tea or latte out of disposable containers has on our environment. It is estimated that each caffeine junkie produces 22.75 pounds of waste each year. That’s just in coffee cups. If I do the math correctly that is around 25 billion paper or non-biodegradable Styrofoam cups that will most likely end up in landfills, untouched for years to come.

I am guilty. The world seems like a better place when I’m drinking a hot cup of “light and sweet” Dunkin Donuts coffee. The creaminess and sweetness is just right and it seems to make my troubles melt away. Although the happy looking, white Styrofoam cup with the bright orange and pink logo seems great for an instant fix, I can’t live with the guilt of adding to the problem.

I heard that companies like Starbucks are taking initiatives for the environment (and the wallet) by offering patrons a small discount if they provide their own reusable tumblers. I decided to hit the streets of Chester County to see for myself. Here are my findings. I started with my favorite.

Dunkin Donuts
Locations available at www.dunkindonuts.com

The Dunkin Donuts employees on Market Street in West Chester are very sweet and they didn’t blink an eye when I handed them my silver tumbler. They sell reusable containers for both iced and hot coffee, and encourage customers to use them by offering a size increase for the price of the smaller portion. In other words—you pay for a 20 oz but you get a 25 oz. and so on. Plus, the day you buy a container you get your drink for free. But you have to ask!

Wa Wa
Locations available at www.wawa.com

WaWa and their recent campaign encouraging their customers to “Get Caught with the New WaWa Cup” has not been very helpful to cut down on waste. Although their marketing department would love for you to use a disposable cup each time you fill up on coffee, they do offer a discount for using a personal tumbler. They take about 10 cents off each cup and welcome their customers to do so. They have an amazing selection of coffees to choose from…enjoy!

Fennario Coffee & Tobacco
111 N Church St, West Chester, PA 19380

This local spot is home to a young eclectic group of clientele, which may explain why they have the most wallet-friendly deal for using your own container for coffee. They offer $0.25 off all sizes when you do not use disposable cups. They proudly state that they also offer organic, fair-trade coffee and they recycle. Stop in to check out their great selections of environmentally friendly options.

Starbucks
Locations available at www.starbucks.com

As I had heard, Starbucks has what they call “The Commuter Mug Discount.” Customers who use their own mugs receive a $0.10 discount. In 2003, customers used commuter mugs more than 13.5 million times, keeping an estimated 586,800 pounds of paper from landfills.

While I hit the streets to do the previous research with my coffee cup, I found myself spreading the word about this rarely thought about problem. And although there have been a few times where I’ve been stuck without a reusable cup and unwilling to buy another coffee mug, I’ve done my best to be prepared. I’ve made sure that I have one in my purse, at work and in my car. So do the same…with so many choices of tumblers and coffee mugs available I should hope that Chester County coffee drinkers and providers will soon become accustomed to refilling the cups instead of tossing them out!

Reality Check: Do the math yourself by visiting http://dzignism.com/projects/coffee.waste/. Use the coffee cup calculator to see how your personal coffee habits contribute to the waste problem.

Let Go My Nacho

I have to come clean. I have an addiction… to nachos. I’ve been indulging (this is horrible) almost everyday. And not just chips and salsa. I mean fully loaded with cheese, sour cream, salsa, guacamole... the works.

Usually, my willpower is intact for other things (excluding ice cream) but my self-control goes down the drain when someone mentions N-A-C-H-O-S.

In an effort to help with my spending and waistline I’ve tried buying healthier versions of ingredients to make my addiction at home. I’ve been able to recreate them with baked chips, low fat cheese, plain yogurt in place of sour cream (better than it sounds), fresh veggies and homemade salsa. But here are the downfalls. 1- Baked chips do not microwave well. (My apartment almost caught on fire from the sparks created after two seconds on medium heat) and 2- With all the ingredients in my home, I could easily make more…lots more.

Let’s face it, there is something almost magical about a plate of prepared-by-someone-else-nachos placed before you. Piled high, each chip is its own masterpiece and blend of flavors. Yumma.

The world agrees. I recently found a website dedicated to the famous snack called nachosrule.com. International nacho fans rate, photograph and even write poetry about their favorite appetizer. I found the following Nacho Haiku to be the highlight of the site:

Cheese flows over corn
Nachos hold all the answers
My life is complete

I couldn’t have summed it up better myself. And the fact that nachos show up on almost every menu in the country (believe me I know) shows that perhaps they do hold all the answers.

So nachos… I ask you… where should I go to get the best nachos in West Chester? Check them out for yourself...

#1: Iron Hill Brewery. They are classic American nachos but with high quality ingredients and end up being the most expensive nachos that I enjoy because I add on extras. But that’s not stopping me, or other Iron Hill fans. Menu reads: House Nachos- Diced tomatoes, black beans, green onion, jalapenos, sour cream, Monterey jack and cheddar cheese. For $2.00 extra you can add Fajita spiced chicken, ground beef or guacamole (which is delish!) Large portion is $9.95, small is $6.95

Locations and full menu available at www.ironhillbrewery.com

#2: Kildare’s Irish Pub. Although it doesn’t seem logical to include an Irish Pub in a nacho review, I’m including them because they are different. The Irish flare of this restaurant has taken a fun spin on the typical corn chip and replaced it with potato chips. Menu Reads: Kildare’s Nachos- A Mountain of Thick Potato Crisps Topped With Melted Cheese, Salsa, Guacamole and Sour Cream $7.95

Locations and full menu available at www.kildarespub.com

#3: Coyote Crossing: This is a great stop for authentic nachos with homemade chips and real south of the border toppings. They are delicious if you are open to a more authentic version of nachos. One thing that you cannot go wrong on is the atmosphere. The West Chester rooftop is without a doubt the best outside seating in town. Sip a margarita with these nachos and you have an instant vacation. Menu reads: Nachos for Two - House Made Tortilla Chips, Queso Oxaca, Queso Chihuahua, Queso Cotija, Black Bean Puree, Guacamole, Sour Cream, Pico de Gallo, Queso Fresco and Cilantro $10.00.

Full menu available at www.coyotecrossing.com

Locations:
West Chester, 102 East Market Street 19382 (610) 429-8900
Conshohocken 800 Spring Mill Avenue 19428-2314 (610) 825-3000

#4: Senora's Authentic Mexican. Perhaps the most authentic Mexican food in the area and the best deal for the amount. They don’t’ charge extra for toppings (except for guacamole) Experience their Cabo nachos. Menu reads: A mouth watering blend of handmade tortilla chips covered with whole black beans and your choice of shredded chicken breast, tender shredded sirloin steak, carnitas-seasoned roast pork or chorizo-spicy Mexican sausage. Smothered in a blend of Monterey jack and cheddar cheese and garnished with tomatoes, mild green chilies and scallions. Accompanied with your choice of homemade salsa or sour cream. Also prepared vegetarian style. Small $5.99 Large $8.49

Location:

505 E Gay St. West Chester, PA 19380 (610) 344-4950

The Scoop-Off: I-Scream 2006

I remember the frustration a year ago of not being able to find a decent ice cream cone anywhere in downtown West Chester. Today is a different frustration altogether. Now there are so many places to choose from I don’t know how to pick.

In almost every block of Gay Street you have the option to buy a cone, scoop, cup or shake. The possibilities are endless and the choices are truly overwhelming for a food lover like myself. So, in order to help Chester County residents make a decision on where to go for a cold treat I had to come up with a plan.

On a sunny Tuesday afternoon I distributed scorecards, t-shirts and balloons to various friends, neighbors and coworkers to rate four downtown ice-cream spots. The scorecards covered everything from willingness to give samples to hours, atmosphere and service. Each location was wonderful in its own way, but one truly outshone them all. Here are our findings from what we have named “I-Scream 2006.”

Our first stop was Kaptain K’s on Gay Street where Larry, the owner and manager, was kind enough to stay open past his closing time (even on his 25th wedding anniversary.) This is a perfect spot for a quick soft serve or scooped cone while on a leisurely walk. All the ice cream comes from a Pennsylvania dairy and is creamy and delicious. I ordered the mint chocolate chip, which was refreshing and smooth with the perfect ratio of chips-to-ice cream in each bite. Hours for this simple stop are limited, but it’s worth it to stop and say hello to Larry. Scoop, I mean scope, out some of the crazy flavors available on their Web site at www.kscoop.com, where you can also print out coupons. Their flavors change often, so visit often.

Our next stop was Sprazzo, which translates from Italian into “bursting with pleasure,” which I think I actually did! Also located on Gay Street, Sprazzo offers Italian-style ice cream, desserts and coffee. The selection is overwhelmingly fantastic and the youthful staff is happy to help you make your choice. Their homemade treats range from gelato to ice cream and sorbetto and they are happy to give samples. The gelato is supposedly lower in fat, but it’s so delicious you would never guess it. The mud pie sundae I ordered was so heavenly I almost cried. With upstairs and downstairs indoor seating and outdoor café tables it’s a perfect spot to sit and enjoy your frozen treat with a date, friends or family. Visit www.sprazzocafe.com to view a schedule of their upstairs entertainment, including psychic readings or to view their menu. (You can also bring your laptop along and take advantage of their wireless Internet.) The coffee and gourmet hot cocoa are just as amazing as their ice cream for enjoyment in the cold months.

With half-full tummies we moved onto our third stop, Ricky’s Candy, Cones and Chaos. Although chaos may be too extreme of a word… it is definitely an experience at Ricky’s. Senses are stimulated as soon as you walk in the door when candy themed songs play whimsically in your ear and a wide array of candies tempts you with bold and exciting colors. This is the ultimate children’s fantasy ice-cream experience, which nauseated some of my twenty-something friends. Parents beware that with so many accessible treats the final bill may be higher than expected, but the kids would argue it’s worth it. Although temptations abound, so do the choices of custom ice cream combinations. Choose from a variety of base flavors, which you can then combine with your personal picks of candies, fruit, sauces, cookies and other treats. The possibilities are endless, and the smiling staff will gladly give you samples of each base flavor. Choose from such bases as vanilla or chocolate cake batter and cheesecake. Yum! Check out the Web site at http://www.candyconesandchaos.com.

Our last stop for I-scream 2006 was at West Chester Scoop. As soon as you walk in you feel like you’ve stepped into an old-fashioned ice-cream parlor. With past and present photographs of West Chester, sundaes named after local authorities and Hershey’s brand ice cream you know you are in good ole PA. If you are looking for more than ice cream you can have your fill of chocolates and create a custom gift box of chocolates. The friendly, outgoing staff made me an old-fashioned banana split with all the fixins. They make their own waffle cones, which I hear are delicious. Check out the Web site for coupons, events and products at www.westchesterscoop.com.

By the end of the outing we were all about to burst, but it was well worth it. An ice-cream crawl is a great idea for a group on a hot day and an ice-cream hangover is much preferable! Our group proved that, yes, there was a winner of the scoop-off, and…drum roll please… the winner is: Sprazzo. They prevailed in most categories, but it was a close call. All the shops are worth a visit to decide for yourself.

Kaptain K’s
Ice Cream, Water Ice and More
132 East Gay Street
West Chester, PA 19380
610-696-0850

Ricky's Candy, Cones and Chaos
114 West Gay St
West Chester PA 19380
610-701-7014

Sprazzo
27 N. High Street
West Chester, PA 19380
610-344-7435

West Chester Scoop
22 N. Darlington St.
West Chester, PA 19380
610-696-0464