The Magic Bean: Searching for the Best Coffee at Duke Pt. 1

Landon Pigg once fell in love at a coffee shop. So did I. It was an early Tuesday morning when I stumbled into Smith Warehouse. Bay 6 was completely empty, and I had an hour to kill before class. As I made myself comfortable on the soft couches, two vending machines towered over me. I hadn’t eaten breakfast, but nothing inside the glass cages looked appetizing. I’d about eaten my weight in Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts in just my first semester back, and I craved something different, something substantial. I stood up and began to explore.

After walking past a number of offices, I finally struck gold--a cafe. The fresh chocolate and blueberry muffins stared at me from behind the counter, and it wasn’t until the barista called me over that I realized that I’d fallen into line. The cash register came to life as she typed in my order–one beautiful slice of mouthwatering marble cake. Just as I prepared to swipe my good ol’ food points card, she asked what I would like to drink. The list of lattes, espressos and cappuccinos were about as foreign to my eyes as calculus algorithms.

Born and bred in Miami, I wasn’t what you might call a Starbucks regular. On the contrary, the smoldering sun usually led me to the Smoothie King chain down the block. Having never explored the caffeinated world, the vanilla and caramel choices on the cafe’s chalkboard menu completely blew my mind. Uhhh..I’ll have a vanilla latte please. Yeah, that sounded about right. I could totally pass for an expert. What kind of milk? Stumped again. I hadn’t had dairy in about 6 months, so I went for the creamless choice: skim. The barista, with bouncing brown ringlets, smiled and got to work. The machines behind her exhaled large, steam nebulas, and, within a matter of minutes, she was handing me a scorching latte. I walked back to the couch and sat down to taste the $4.99 beverage. Better be good.

I wish I could tell you that I stayed true to my anti-caffeinated lifestyle after that day, but I can’t. The magical bean made a convert out of me–and all it took was a shot of espresso, steamed milk and vanilla syrup. The warm liquid happily landed in my empty tummy, and I’d never been happier to start my morning. Naturally, I wanted to explore my options before committing to one venue. I needed to play the field a little before declaring Smith Cafe king of the all-too-powerful bean. So I did. I ventured into a new and exciting world, eager for the satisfaction my rusty taste buds would surely experience.

First stop on my itinerary: Au Bon Pain. Now, usually I’m a very compulsive person. Tempted to once again order a vanilla latte, I stopped my eager lips and patiently scanned the menu. Cappuccino. Why not? After one sip, my disappointment was inevitable. The 33% foam-based drink just didn’t sit well with my stomach. It wasn’t until after that visit that I learned of the different types of cappuccinos one can order: wet, dry, chiaro and scuro (each containing custom amounts of espresso, foam and steamed milk). Note to self: read up on the ins and outs of caffeinated beverages before confidently placing an order.

While I have nothing against the ABP workers (who always make me smile on my morning oatmeal runs), I missed the Smith Warehouse barista. Growing up, my parents always believed that the key to their mouth-watering home cooked meals was their blood, sweat and tears. Not literally (because that would not in the slightest way be appetizing), but figuratively. The amount of love you put into something is the amount of love others will get out of it. Sadly, the cappuccino was done a little too quickly to adequately add in that extra oomph. In defense of ABP though, the BC-based chain does deal with far more traffic and clientele than, say, my Bay 6 secret, so I can understand why speed plays a crucial role in serving busy college students.

Anyway, I digress. Moving on to the next stop on my on-the-run (for coffee) tour, I decided to give Bella Union a try. Might as well see what all the hype was about. The worker, presumably accustomed to my measly purchase of 5 gum, was surprised to find my averted eyes gazing up at the beverage menu. I decided to go with a friend’s suggestion. I’ll have a white mocha frappe, please...oh, and can you mix the mocha with vanilla powder? The man happily obliged and got cracking on what would become heaven to my taste buds. I couldn’t remember finishing a drink so fast in my life. That was it. I’d found it: the perfect drink for my cold, sweet, caffeine craving. It was bliss in a cup, and, coupled with Bella’s signature Antarctica-sized chocolate chip cookie, made for an unforgettable meal (yes, a cookie totally constitutes as a meal).

So, there you have it, my tale of 3 venues. Still a novice, I have yet to hit the Law School’s Cafe de Novo, French Science-based Dolce Vita, Saladelia, or the very popular Joe Van Gogh. Though Bella Union undoubtedly blew my mind, I can never forget my hidden gem at Smith Warehouse. There’s something about that first vanilla latte that will always hold a special place in my heart (and tummy). Now don’t get me wrong, I plan on breaking the habit and becoming a lean, mean, anti-caffeine studying machine again one day...but for now, I shall sip on my cafe Americano, indulge in its sensational warmth and get through my sleep-deprived all-nighter. Coffee isn’t as bad as I’d always thought it to be. I guess I was just a bit late (or should I say latte) on the uptake. Cheers.