Pittsburgh's Best Raspberry Mocha - Option #4: Kiva Han (Craig St.)
I had 45 minutes to kill before picking Ann up from work today, so I figured I'd take a flyer on a cafe I dig but whose wireless internet is always unpredictable: the Kiva Han on Craig St.
Sure enough, the wireless was buggy. They've opened the connection up so you don't need to be a Telerama customer to use the service, but you do need a WEP password. This they keep tucked away safely behind the counter, presumably so the students in nearby restaurants (or, god forbid, the Starbucks across the street) don't leech their connection.
Of course, when it's not working, there's nothing to leech...
The Drink: A standard raspberry mocha, to go. No options given by the barista for whipped cream, etc., so I got what I was given.
The Price: $3.28 for a small.
The Verdict: This mocha was heavy on the foam, which was different from the others I've had this week. I dug that; it was a change of pace that made up for the lack of whipped cream. It was also light on the raspberry -- as in, I didn't detect it. As a straight mocha, it was creamy and mellow. As a raspberry mocha, it comes up short.
Cafe Observations: Everything in the way of food looks great here. I'm a fan of their penne with walnuts, but I didn't have time to sample anything this time around. The image of what may have been a blackberry pastry remains burned deliciously in my mind...
What makes people choose Kiva Han vs. Starbucks? I look across the street and see dozens of perfectly content coffee drinkers in each locale. What makes them (the Starbuckers) different from us (The Kiva Haners)? Are we that dedicated to independent coffee shops? Do we want a meal with our coffee? Are the prices that different? Or, does it come down to two intangibles: safety of recognizable brand name and location (that is: which side of the street are you on)?...
Perhaps a poll should be conducted...
Sure enough, the wireless was buggy. They've opened the connection up so you don't need to be a Telerama customer to use the service, but you do need a WEP password. This they keep tucked away safely behind the counter, presumably so the students in nearby restaurants (or, god forbid, the Starbucks across the street) don't leech their connection.
Of course, when it's not working, there's nothing to leech...
The Drink: A standard raspberry mocha, to go. No options given by the barista for whipped cream, etc., so I got what I was given.
The Price: $3.28 for a small.
The Verdict: This mocha was heavy on the foam, which was different from the others I've had this week. I dug that; it was a change of pace that made up for the lack of whipped cream. It was also light on the raspberry -- as in, I didn't detect it. As a straight mocha, it was creamy and mellow. As a raspberry mocha, it comes up short.
Cafe Observations: Everything in the way of food looks great here. I'm a fan of their penne with walnuts, but I didn't have time to sample anything this time around. The image of what may have been a blackberry pastry remains burned deliciously in my mind...
What makes people choose Kiva Han vs. Starbucks? I look across the street and see dozens of perfectly content coffee drinkers in each locale. What makes them (the Starbuckers) different from us (The Kiva Haners)? Are we that dedicated to independent coffee shops? Do we want a meal with our coffee? Are the prices that different? Or, does it come down to two intangibles: safety of recognizable brand name and location (that is: which side of the street are you on)?...
Perhaps a poll should be conducted...
posted by Justin Kownacki at
7:05 PM
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