Friday, April 20, 2012

Local Flavor, Lakeland Edition: Black & Brew Coffee House & Bistro







Expos are great but grueling.  So much terrain to cover; so much stuff to look at.  The Sun-n-Fun 2012 Fly-in &  Expo was no exception.  In fact, it was even more intense because I volunteered for the radio station - second year in a row! - doing sponsor promos before I arrived and interviewing exhibitors on site.  In situations like this, coffee is a must.  This year, my husband and private pilot, Mike, and I had the pleasure of trying Flying High Coffee on the grounds (ha! no pun intended!).  The coffee was fantastic, and the fact that they give a portion of their proceeds to aviation programs enriched the experience.

However, I need caffeine before I get to an event, not just during, ideally coupled with a bit of sweet. Hence our trip to Black & Brew Coffee House & Bistro in lovely downtown Lakeland.  What a treat...for all the senses!  The coffee house & bistro is situated on the outskirts of a charming plaza in the center of town.  The plaza is green (at least in early spring) and delightfully accented with park benches and outdoor-themed artwork.  The bright yellow sculpture of a bicycling lady was just one charming example. The coffee house offers a small dining and chatting area en plein air, and the inside features cafe tables that seat two comfortably, four if you don't mind being cozy.

The self-serve counter was staffed by pleasant baristas.  My husband scored a free cup of coffee by checking in on Foursquare.  After his first sip, he proclaimed it "pretty good", which, for him, is high praise. I decided to get my caffeine fix from a bracing cup of Earl Grey, bagged, not leafy.  Between us, we ordered a blueberry scone and a pair of white chocolate macadamia nut cookies.  Yowsa!  The cookies were creamy and flavorful, and I instantly wanted more.  Thankfully, we were already en route to the fly-in by the time I realized this, saving my waistline and my wallet.  The scone was buttery and crumbly with just the right amount of blueberries and a sprinkling of crunchy sugar crystals on the top. 

Our visit to Black & Brew took only a few minutes, and I regretted that. I would have loved to have returned and sampled their lunch options while sitting outside gazing out at the plaza. {Sigh}  Since we go to Sun-n-Fun every year, I will make sure I do just that in 2013.

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