I think everyone has a bit of state pride regardless of where they're from. Iowans are known for having strong state pride whether it be about the State Fair, our beautiful farms, or friendly people. I'm one of those. I love my city and state for those reasons and many more. Living in central Iowa for 8+ years now, I've seen Des Moines grow and develop, met many great people, and I have no desire to move.
As much as I love where I am, I always want to visit other places! I'm so glad I have friends in different cities so I can come enjoy what they love.
My best friend, Tonya, and I have these great friends up in the twin cities. Travis and Bekah. They're both Minnesota natives and love their state (Bekah more so than Travis;) Travis lived in Ankeny for a few years in college and after. I think we gave him a good taste of Iowa 'cause he'd be okay with coming back. They made the effort to visit Tonya and I in Des Moines so we wanted to return the effort and take a weekend up to the cities. They were wonderful tour guides!
Coffee shops are probably my favorite finds when traveling. I don't care how cool your Caribou or Starbucks looks, I'm not interested. I want the local stuff! Bekah is of the same mindset. We're like foodie/coffee soulmates. Creepy sounding with elements of truth. She directed us to Nina's but wasn't able to join because of work. Travis told us it was the location of his and Bekah's first date! Perfect spot for a date. Well, that is until we saw a picture telling the history behind the name.
Nina (Nine-ah) Clifford owned a brothel in the early 1900s on Washington St. maybe 1/2 a mile from Nina's cafe. There is a road named after her a few blocks from the coffee shop as well. While there isn't a lot of written history about the brothel, it sure makes for an interesting background!
Travis, you can at least feel better that the building itself wasn't a brothel:)
The building was a hotel and now is home to many businesses and some condominiums. It's a gorgeous place! I was so surprised to find these beautiful floors and walls at the basement level. The date on the building is 1887. I love old buildings and St. Paul was full of them!
As for the coffee, I had a latte which is my go-to drink at about any coffee shop. Theirs did not disappoint but I did find a better one at our second coffee stop!
I'm sad that I don't have any other pictures of the place for you but welcome to Quixotic Coffee! This place is topping out as number one for my favorite coffee places! Bekah saved us from making a mindless trip to Starbucks and told us to go here. We were very close and just didn't see it. The outside doesn't say anything about coffee so it never caught our eye.
Why do I love this place? Oh so many reasons!
1. Clean, easy to read menu
2. Polite, informative baristas
3. Cold-brew coffee on tap! (I was really excited about this)
4. Kombucha on tap!
5. Creamy, crema topped lattes
6. Tonya's new favorite drink - Taylor Swift latte (latte with lavender lemon syrup)
I follow many different coffee houses on Instagram and only one of them is in Des Moines. I see trendy new ways of serving coffee and almost none of them are practiced here which makes me sad. I've seen people offer cold brew and kombucha on tap but this was the first time I got to try it! The coffee is from Blackeye Coffee Roasters. It's lighter than you would experience from corporate coffee places. Most craft coffee spots know that the medium-light roasts allow you to taste the true flavor of the bean so that's what they serve. Which also means more caffeine!
The prices are a little higher but you're getting a better quality product.
I think my second or third dream job is to just travel and be a food/drink critic. Until then, I'll share my favorite spots with you.
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| Travis, myself, and Tonya |
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