Boulder Coffee Shops blog

Once again the popularity contests come out and distort reality. And we love reality. We don’t love gimmicked phone-tree (email tree?) influenced “popularity” polls. So we shouldn’t be surprised that the Best of Boulder 2008 has — who else? — Vic’s as the best coffee shop in Boulder. Ug.

Vic’s, people? Can you possibly be serious? The only thing this proves is that Vic’s is the best at getting their friends, neighbors and relatives to vote. What does it take, an email address? Yeah, I’ve got five, and my uncle in Michigan has ten. Yeah, we just won best coffee shop blog.

The real deal with Vic’s is that they serve some of the worst coffee in Boulder (it is Allegro, also served by numerous other shops) and the flagship shop is dark, crowded and otherwise laid out in almost unworkable way. The socialite crowd needed a nearby see-and-be-seen hang and Vic’s was all the neighborhood has to offer, so it became so by default. It decidedly did not become so because it is a good coffee shop. So Vic’s won “best coffee shop.” It ain’t the coffee, it ain’t because it’s the best shop, it’s because somehow the 30-somethings single ants collect there looking for honey.

Other mentions in the article: The Laughing Goat as the staff pick (good pick), Amante as the runner up (another bad pick) and Trident as the honorable mention (another head-scratcher).

Here’s what the BoB article writes about Vic’s:

Walk into most coffee shops now, and the feeling is sterile and depressing, the lack of human-to-human communication an increasingly evident concern. Table after table is filled with straight-faced types basking in the radiation glow of their laptops, unaware of the world beyond their screens. What happened? Coffee shops are supposed to be about community, not a free wi-fi excuse to live in a bubble.

Totally true, totally agreed. But,

Fortunately, Boulder may be one of the last places where a handful of establishments can be as animated as the caffeine-saturated beverages. Vic’s coffee shop ranks among these, a real coffee shop for Republic residents to convene and debate. Their strong roasts lure in the true bean lovers, and their non-corporate atmosphere makes for a relaxed locals forum. For these reasons we share the love of our readers’ pick, but another kid on the block also has our attention.

Sorry, no. Vic’s might be “a real coffee shop for Republic residents to convene and debate” (although Folsom St., Trident, Laughing Goat or Logan’s would be better choices). But “strong roasts lure in the true bean lovers” is just laughable and “their non-corporate atmosphere makes for a relaxed locals forum” has to be the most ironic statement of this article. Vic’s is easily the most corporate of all the local indi shops, with consistent, highly-detailed and managed branding. It’s not bad work, in fact it’s actually very good work (done by local demi-heros Vermilion) but it is branded nonetheless. The downtown shop (which, coincidently?, recently shut its doors) was as about as sterile as it gets. Walk in blindfolded and you’d swear you were in any one of the thousands of cookie-cutter Starbucks across the US. Compare with any number of the other shops that are truly “non-corporate” and take their indi non-corporate feel very seriously.

The rest of the article actually gets it right:

It’s been nearly three years since our beloved Penny Lane was laid to rest. Though many still shed the occasional tear, we can all take solace in The Laughing Goat’s ability to heal our hearts by filling the void left by Penny’s disappearance. The Laughing Goat isn’t just about having great coffee; it’s about being a great coffee house. Freethinkers unite, spouting off creative solutions under jittery espresso influence. Poets slam, students study and the singer/songwriters showcase their hearts inside these doors. Exhibits by local photographers and artists hang from the walls. The Laughing Goat also plays host to C.R.A.B. (Constantly Risking Absurdity, Baby!), a monthly free-form performance platform for Boulder’s creative to rehearse their latest works.

In other words, this is a place where community takes precedence. Coffee is great, but it’s even better if you have others to share it with.

We have no quibble with this, but we have strong quibble with Vic’s getting voted Best of Boulder. Wake up, unwashed masses, and go find any of the 40 other shops in Boulder worth your hard pennies. The fact that you voted the other high-gloss as-corporate-as-you-can- get-without-actually-being-corporate shop (Amante) as your #2 says more about your poor sense of place than of your knowledge of coffee. If you want Disney, move to LA. If you want Boulder, drink at Saxy’s, Sidney’s, Trident, the Goat, The Cup, Espressoria, Joe’s, Ozo, etc.