A New Homey Place in Town

The Stoneyard Breakfast Company is a new place in Brockport, New York, with a unique history and new atmosphere. Stoneyard Breakfast Company used to be one of the biggest bars in town and was named Rocco's.

Rocco's shut down at the end of 2015 due to alleged underaged drinking according to Executive Editor, Kiara Alfonseca from The Stylus.

"A proceeding investigating the complaints, made by Brockport Chief of Police Daniel Varrenti, was held Dec. 23 by the New York State Liquor Authority. Following the hearing, Rocco’s liquor license was removed," Alfonseca said.

Rocco's was a place where students from the College at Brockport would go on the weekends, and students say it was often overcrowded and not very safe. The Stylus also reported that Rocco's was known for various incidents "including a murder, and multiple cases of disorderly conduct and fights."

Now, the Stoneyard Breakfast Company, sold to and remodeled by the successful owners of the Stoneyard Brewing Co., has a completely new vibe.

A former patron of Rocco's explains how she thinks the place has changed and improved. She has asked to stay anonymous for undetermined reasons.

"The restaurant was such a transformation from Rocco’s. Instead of a table top for people to dance on in the middle of the floor, classic wooden tables created an inviting atmosphere that made eating there feel like you were at home," the patron said. "The owners of Stoneyard Breakfast Co. did an amazing job at taking just your average dive bar, and turning it into an unique and extravagant place to our already incredible town."

In my opinion one of the best additions to this new restaurant is the wall of mugs that you choose from to make your coffee. Every mug is different, giving you the option to pick one that speaks to you best, just like choosing your favorite mug from your cupboard at home.

The restaurant was decked out in holiday cheer with Christmas lights and a Christmas tree in the middle of the restaurant. It felt like home and the food was delicious too. Most of the food came out in a skillet giving it a rustic feel, and my whole table, including my friend Kayla Green, enjoyed their meals. 

"I thought the food was amazing and the menu was unique, not your typical breakfast foods. The price was average and I thought it was worth it overall. I would go back again because there's a lot more I want to try," Green said.

I would have to agree with Green and I believe it's another hidden treasure in Brockport, NY. Stoneyard Breakfast Company will definitely see us again, and I hope they see you there too.

Hot Skillet Cinnabon 

A weekend of "firsts."

Trying new things for the first time is a risk, but usually the outcome is beneficial to you.

This weekend I went to SPoT Coffee in Buffalo, NY, and I tried a Macchiato for the first time. I was picturing your average Caramel Macchiato, however, I received a tiny ceramic cup which looked like something you might play with at a tea party.

Photo Credit to Aubrey K. from Yelp.com

I figured I would try it even though it looked strange, and it was nothing like I expected. It was just 2 shots of espresso and foamed milk on top. Not the sweet creamy caramel-y latte tasting drink I am used to.

However, now I understand the espresso drinks a bit more and will always clarify before purchasing.

Someone else who had a first experience this weekend was my friend, Katie Watts. Watts had SPoT coffee for the first time and was there to laugh with me and share the experience I had with the Macchiato.

Watts came home with me for Thanksgiving break because she is from the United Kingdom, studying abroad at The College at Brockport for a year.

Watts had the opportunity to experience the true life of an American family.

"I went to Niagara Falls for the first time, I went to Buffalo for the first time... I had my first Friends-Giving, I had my first Thanksgiving,  I feel like I had a proper first taste at what it's like to live as an American and live in an American family which was really fun," Watts said.

Some of the other places she was able to go to for the first time were Marshall's, Hobby Lobby, P.F. Chang's, The Elmwood Village, Delaware Park, and one of Downtown Buffalo's newest restaurant additions, The 716.

"I got to experience proper chicken wings in Buffalo so that was really fun and really tasty," Watts said.

A lot of the food in America is really different and Watts says she has enjoyed tasting so many new things. Besides true Buffalo chicken wings, Watts had cornbread, banana cream pie, a Tim Horton's iced capp, monkey bread, and of course a Thanksgiving dinner, all for the very first time.

Watts said the Thanksgiving dinner was similar to a British Sunday Roast, and that there were many similarities in her experiences as well.

Watts is glad to have had the opportunity to experience life in America, and she can't wait to tell her family back home all about it as well. She even already began to share by FaceTiming her family and friends while at Niagara Falls, so that they could experience the moment with her.

Katie and I agreed that the most fun moments of the weekend were the unplanned adventures we encountered, as the spontaneity led to even more firsts.

"I feel like this week has been the best week I've had since being in America and like its been so much fun and I've never been made to feel so welcome in one of my friends houses here before," Watts said.

This weekend has reminded me that there is always room for firsts. I was born and raised in Buffalo, but I was able find new adventures in the same places I had already been, just with new people.

An Escape from Discrimination

Christopher Rendon is a student at the College at Brockport who loves to go to coffee shops.

Rendon took the time to explain to me why he feels as though coffee shops offer a non-discriminatory atmosphere as opposed to other places, such as McDonalds.

In his opinion, the people are what make the difference. He explained to me how workers in coffee shops are attentive and caring, as opposed some unkind people he has met in other places.

Rendon has been discriminated against for being Mexican, but he has never felt judged for the color of his skin in coffee shops.

Rendon told me his favorite coffee shop is one at home, Caffé Bene, and how he was able to relate it to a place in Brockport, Java Junction. He explains how these places have comfortable furniture, and they feel like home, so they create an environment which he enjoys spending his time in.

Finding new beans.

As I visit New York City for the fifth time, I am still amazed by the hundreds of unique people who surround me.

From the Halal street vendors to the hyperactive New York Stock Exchange Workers to the Billionaire CEO’s, I got to see it all. New York brings a different experience every time you go, especially when you start to get away from the typical tourist type of places.

Even though Time Square is one of these tourist places, the one thing I love to see is the different street performers. Now I’m not talking about the people who dress up like Disney characters. I mean the ones who are performing for the love of their talent, or because their homeless and have to perform in order to get dinner to their mouth.

Among my favorites this trip around was the man painted silver, a saxophone player, and the guy who did a side flip over seven people.

The people there all have a story, and not the type of story you hear every day.

Just as there are a lot of different people, there are a lot of different places to go. Of course there’s the chains like H&M and T.G.I. Friday’s, but there’s also a lot of unique places hidden in the nooks and crannies if you zoom into the map on your phone far enough.

That being said, of course you can find a Starbucks on every corner, but there’s hundreds of other coffee places that you have probably never tried before, and they are probably right next door.

When me and my friends arrived at the city last time around, we came out from the subway station by Central Park, ready for breakfast.

I voice commanded Siri, “Coffee near my location.” Of course, several popped up.

I could have chose the closest Starbucks to my location, but we ended up walking a block over to a place called Paris Baguette. Now although this is also a chain,we had never tried it before (since it’s only a chain near the coast in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania).

We never made a better decision in our life. No lie, I got the best frappe and cheese danish I’ve ever had. But I never would’ve had it if I didn’t step back and say, let’s look for something new, something that’s not Starbucks.

Now don’t get me wrong, I do love Starbucks. If it wasn’t so overpriced and a little more accessible to my location, I’m sure I would have it on the daily. I am a gold member after all.

Just because Starbucks is a chain, doesn’t mean you can’t have a unique experience while you’re there. After all, it is what you make of it and how you interact with the people while there.

Something which I saw in New York when I was grabbing my Starbucks for the 8 hour bus ride home, was an effort to de-chain the place.

By this I mean the Starbucks I went to was trying to do something which the other places weren’t, or at least which I had never seen before. They were hosting tasting of coffees from around the world.

I thought this was a nice twist on Starbucks because educates people on the different coffee’s representing all the different cultures which New York is home to.

Not enough people care to know the difference between the coffee’s of different regions, so it’s nice to see that extra step to connect with people and let them taste the difference between each culture. The sign they had out also educates people on the differences between the coffees so even if they can’t come to the tasting, they can learn about the history and background behind the beans.

This is a small step of knocking down the typical chain atmosphere of Starbucks, and it goes to show that every place no matter what can offer a new and interesting experience.

That being said, I encourage you to go out there and try something new. Email me your findings at coffeemaniacglobal@gmail.com

Medium Latte

Jitters Cafe in North Chili, New York, was bustling this Sunday morning with many customers, from young to old. However, the youngest person in the shop was Clara, at only 6 months old.

Clara is the daughter to Meghan Schubmehl of Irondequoit, who was at Jitters because she needed some caffeine to make up for the loss of sleep from the night before.

Schubmehl explained to me how she began her journey as a mother with her daughter Clara, and she could not be loving it more.

“I have a full time job so it’s hard to be working mom, but being a mom is a lot more fun than I ever knew it would be,” Schubmehl said.

Schubmehl is an attorney and explained how since she became a mother she has to cram 8-9 hours of work into a 6-7 hour work day in order to care for Clara.

Besides being a mother and an attorney, Schubmehl said she would like to be defined as a person who is kind, funny, and does the right thing.

“I want to be a good role model for, not just Clara, but for especially younger women and children,” Schubmehl said.

Schubmehl said other than having Clara, the most significant turning point in her life was when she met her husband ten years ago. They met just before Schubmehl left for New York City to go to law school, and once she finished school she moved back to Rochester to be with him.

Schubmehl says “it was a fork in the road,” but now they are married and have the newest addition to their family, baby Clara, marking the beginning of their newest journey.

Jamaican Iced Coffee

“Everybody’s got an interesting story if you go deep enough,” said Barista Tyra Sorrells, who works at Grinds 122 Cafe in Brockport, New York.

Grinds is not just another Starbucks or Tim Hortons where everyone is running in and out to get their daily caffeine fix. It is a place with a sense of community and a warm environment.

“It’s a great place to bring in a different mix of people from all over, coffee does that, it's just something that most of the world has in common,” Sorrells said.

Grinds has a wide variety of customers who come through including its usual customers, travellers, bike riders, college students, and families of loved ones who are in the hospital down the road.

“You get people who are struggling with an illness or a death… and they’re ordering food for their whole family and taking coffee to everybody so you get into learning about them and their family and where they’re from,” Sorrells said.

He explained that when this happens, they will often stick a handful of cookies or brownies in the bag to give them some comfort food, a small gesture which could help them cope through a very difficult time.

“Food is comforting, coffee is comforting, so it’s nice to be able to give that,” Sorrells said.

Sorrells opens the shop almost every day and so he gets to know people, especially the regulars, really well.

“Coffee creates that kind of environment where you sit and talk, naturally it starts a conversation and so you get to meet people all day long,” Sorrells said. “Here, you’re going to come in, I’m probably going to know your name, and I’m probably going to have your drink started before you come in the door.”

With Grinds’ inviting atmosphere and cozy decor, I have a feeling that it is easy to become a regular and a familiar face among the Grinds staff.

Tyra Sorrells reminds us that coffee is more than just a drink, it attracts people of all ages and starts conversations which you may never had gotten the opportunity to have, especially at a place like Grinds.

Panamanian Coffee today, but prefers Guatemalan

When you see James Knight, you may walk past him playing his penny whistle flute and wonder about his story. 

Just by looking at Knight, you would never guess that he was hit by a car at the age of three, and is lucky to be alive. You would never guess he met the love of his life while working as a Health Inspector for the Orleans County Health Department. You would never guess he is a retired rural letter carrier and is enjoying retirement through music and his family. 

Knight went to Cornell University, but dropped out to serve in the Vietnam War. After the war, he was then a Health Inspector for Monroe County and eventually went back to college at SUNY Brockport for Community Health with a minor in Fine Arts. 

He planned to get a degree to become a health educator but he realized that was not his calling. As the Graphics Editor for the Stylus, Knight realized that art and music was his true passion. 

Knight is a resident of Spencerport, NY who enjoys going down the road to Brockport to grab coffee from Java Junction and jam every Sunday between one and three with other musicians at A Different Path Gallery on Market Street. 

A Different Path Gallery 

He mainly plays the penny whistle flute, which is typically used play Celtic music, but Knight likes to play blues and rock & roll with it too. He also plays the saxophone and the keyboard, but likes how durable and transportable the penny whistle flute is. 

Knight uses his passion for music to entertain people passing by, volunteer at the biker nursing home, and give lessons to kids. 

"I ride a motorcycle, and to this day I'm 69 years old and knock on wood I'm not taking any meds," Knight said. "My life is very good, I'm happy, I camp out in the summers, I go down to Chautauqua County and I stay at a campsite called Brushwood Folklore Center."

After talking to Knight, you can tell he is a very happy person who is enjoying life, taking what he loves and sharing with everyone around him. 

Java Junction

Welcome to Coffeehouse Culture, where we spill the beans about the face behind the mug.

Hello everyone! And welcome to my blog, Coffeehouse Culture.

You may be thinking to yourself, what does coffeehouse culture mean? What beans are being spilled?

Well, if you have ever been to a coffee shop, cafe, diner, etc., I'm sure you have noticed all the unique and interesting people. My goal is to talk to these people, hear their story, share it with you, and "spill the beans" about their life.

I hope to find people whom I never thought I'd talk to or encounter in my life, and learn something new. I hope that by sharing people's stories we will all be able to be more aware about others cultures which we are not familiar with, and realize what we can learn from them.

"Why coffee?" you may ask. First off, coffee itself is so rich and full of culture. It has roots in Ethiopia, then moved east to Arabia and spread throughout the Middle East, then to Europe and lastly to the Americas.

Each region has its own sort of coffee. Kona coffee from Hawaii, Mexican coffee, Arabica coffee from the Caribbean, Robusta coffee from West Africa, Yemeni coffee from Yemen, Indonesian coffee, Vietnamese coffee, and the list goes on.

You can also go into roasts: light roasts, medium roasts (American and Breakfast blends), dark roasts (European, Espresso, Viennese, Italian, French), and all the roasts in between.

I could also go into the different ways to brew coffee, and the difference between espresso and regular coffee. However, I do not want to bore you to death.

I think you get the point that all coffee is different and unique. Much like people, coffee has its own story: its origin, how it got to where it is, how it became its final product, and the meaning it has carried with it on the way to where it ended up.

Every person has roots around the world, their own interesting culture and traditions. I am determined to get to the root of people's lives, to spread awareness on how important each individual is, and prove that we can learn from every person we walk past.
Coffee shops draw in a diverse set of people and is a perfect atmosphere to strike up a conversation with someone you have never met before, so that's why I chose coffee. 

I am so excited to see what I find on this journey, from coffee to culture, and I hope you are excited to follow me as I go.