Trader Joe’s Smooth and Mellow Blend, reviewed

When I hear a name like “smooth and mellow” my first thought is that a coffee will be boring and flat. This is largely because so many brands of caffeinated drinks – including coffee – try to make their blends sound energizing with words like “buzz,” “jump,” etc., as well as with words about the strength/darkness of the roast. Fortunately, Trader Joe’s Smooth and Mellow Blend succeeds in being a good blend of medium-roasted beans that is neither boring, nor flat. The thing that is really nice about this coffee is that it is smooth and mellow – medium to low acidity with a smooth finish. It has notes of cinnamon and (strange as it may sound) toast, as well as a mild hint at a nutty flavor. It is not the most dynamic coffee I’ve ever tasted, but it is very drinkable and is the kind of blend that pretty much everyone can enjoy.

Starbucks revamps pastry menu

You might have noticed a change in the pastry case at your local Starbucks over the past few weeks. In an effort to cut costs while increasing overall quality, Starbucks has completely changed the way that they do their pastries. Previously, Starbucks used a variety of regional bakeries to stock their stores. This meant that you could find different types of pastries in different areas, according to what was popular there, and that the ingredients that went into the items varied widely.

Starting today, Starbucks is using fewer bakeries, each of which will produce and ship more items. This consolidation also allowed Starbucks to tinker with its recipes and refocus on slightly healthier options with all natural ingredients. They cut out corn syrup from their Marshmallow Dream Bars, eliminated the artificial flavorings from berry muffins and real egg whites are making an appearance in a heart-healthy breakfast sandwich. Starbucks says that its new options have “15 percent fewer calories, 5 percent less fat and 8 percent less saturated fat” than previous items.

Time Out Chicago has done a taste test of the newest items on the menu, if you want to see how they stack up. Not all of these items may be available in your region, but some are nationwide.

Zagat ranks Starbucks as no. 1 coffee

The newest Zagat ratings are out, and Starbucks ended up with the Number 1 Best Coffee ranking in the Fast Food and Quick Refreshment category and the No. 1 Most Popular Quick Refreshment Chain overall. Its competitors included Dunkin’ Donuts, McDonald’s, Peet’s Coffee & Tea and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, just to name a few of the 28 establishments that also fill that category.

Zagat’s ratings are not done by food professionals, but are compiled from user-submitted reviews of the restaurants and eateries that they regularly (or irregularly, if they’re bad) visit. This makes the Zagat reviews significant because they offer companies some insight into how the consumers are enjoying their products.

Fresh Raspberry Latte

It’s easy to put fresh fruit into cold, blended coffee drinks. Bananas and other fruits simply blend up into the drink as they would in a milkshake. It’s harder to get fruit flavors into hot drinks, however, as pureed fruit doesn’t combined well with hot coffee. Generally, you have to use pre-made, sugar-based syrups to get the effect.

This raspberry latte uses fresh raspberries, incorporating them into the drink in the same manner that they are incorporated into some cocktails. The raspberries are muddled (mashed) with some sugar at the bottom of a coffee cup to release their juices. A shot of hot espresso – or some hot coffee – is poured in on top of the raspberries, dissolving the sugar, and topped with steamed milk. I finished mine with whipped cream and fresh raspberries.

The drink was delicious, and the fruitiness was subtle, unlike the fruitiness of drinks made with thick, fruit syrups. The raspberry went pretty well with the coffee and made the drink taste very fresh and perfect for spring.

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No new summer drinks from Starbucks?

Starbucks rolled out new menu boards and signs (which are very nice, by the way) to launch their summer promotions this week, but unlike last summer and the summer before, the “new” menu doesn’t include any new drinks. Probably due to cost cutting somewhere down the line, Starbucks has opted to promote Caramel Frappuccinos and Iced Coffee as their two big summer beverages this year. Both these drinks are good – and you can get the iced coffee sweetened or with mild added to it if you’re not the black coffee drinking type – but it’s a bit of a let down for some customers who look forward to trying something new. They have to wait until the next promo period comes around to see if any new drinks make the cut then.

If you want a new Starbucks drink right now, consider heading over to a Barnes and Noble Cafe Starbucks instead. The one I checked out this week was offering Mocha Mint Chip Frappuccinos (which have been available at the regular ‘bucks before) and Mocha Toffee Chip Frappuccinos.