The Great Debate...

Here in Los Angeles, one must pick a side, and stand firm, because there really is no in between.

Coffee Bean vs. Starbucks.

I know this because I have seen perfectly happy couples on Saturday mornings, divided. I have seen the boyfriend with a coffee bean ice blended in hand (for the lady) ordering a venti drip from Stabucks for himself, only to meet back up in some weird middle ground, a type of parallel universe, if you will. (Oh, you wont? Ok, maybe that was a little dramatic) Luckily I don't have to worry about this, as my dearly beloved hates coffee (blasphemis, i know).



I used to love Coffee Bean, but I have switched horses mid-race and I now pledge my allegiance to the United Starbucks of America (not that much of a stretch, I mean, with one on just about every corner, it is practically an institution).


In my younger days, I used to be a Coffee Bean no sugar added vanilla latte 1/2 powder kind of girl. (I swear coffee lingo is a strange sub-culture type phenomenon - but if you know coffee bean, you know what I'm talking about.) Now, I am a 1/2 caf vanilla latte - iced if its hot, warm if its cold. I recently added the 1/2 caf - mostly because the caffeine was making me jittery, and partly because my order wasn't complex enough, and I wanted the barrista to know, i meant business. What I wont ever be is the woman, on her cell phone, ordering a 1/2 cafe, no foam, 2 pump, 1 splenda, extra hot latte with a sprinkle of cinnamon. I mean...

The sick part is that I have a fabulous coffee maker, that grinds beans and brews great coffee, but as my father in law would say, it is the ritual of going to the Starbucks that draws you in. I like taking a walk, and seeing the bustling coffee shop, filled with people all going in different directions that day, but meeting up for a few minutes before they start their day. Its pretty cool actually.

Here is the evidence (please notice the 1/2 marked of in the decaf box - i am so complex...)