CFS (Kirkman)
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At the Mall at Millenia’s Best Buy forty minutes before it opened (a story for another time) with nothing to do. This spot down the road was ideal. My father, this morning’s partner in crime, loves the Winter Park location of this chain. Even before finding the strip mall of Kirkman Shoppes, we knew what we had an idea of what we were getting ourselves into. This time though, rather than the quiet Hannibal Square, this “Coffee for the Soul”—a phrase printed on its outside awning and announced on the interior’s longest wall—is among a capitalist cacophony of Pinch-a-Penny, AT&T, H&R Block, Chick-fil-A, and others. Nevertheless, this Colombian current offers a lot of play (after ordering, my father picked up the 100 Flowers ADULT COLORING BOOK on the table in the seating nook almost immediately), sans the often-found disarray. There are flowers painted on the counter’s backdrop, fake vines woven into a partition trellis (CAUTION: it’s on wheels. Don’t lean back like my father did.), and the most epic wall painting of a coffee plant emerging gloriously from a portafilter, but it doesn’t lean too heavily on some cliched plant decor, admittedly an ironic breath of fresh air. With some layout feature’s requiring modification—ignoring the bad cover of Passenger’s “Let Her Go”—this cafe admirably fits the seaside Colombian vibe into an unlikely place. On a wood-planked backdrop are the native masks and Botero mini-canvasses I’ve come to associate with the chain. However, here these elements emphasize a statement: “There’s coffee and then there’s Colombian coffee.” Herein lies the differentiation, perfectly noticed by my father as well. “No now clock,” he remarked, referring to the handless clock at the flagship in Winter Park. Now, later, past, present, it doesn’t matter. Sailing through the day, landing at the CFS means coffee time.
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Drink: Iced Latte
It is rare that you will catch me ordering a latte—let alone an iced latte—but the day I ended up in this CFS location felt a little different. I’ve been to the location in Winter Park so many times and have tried almost everything on the menu. This cafe staple, however, has always alluded me. Another important thing about CFS: the coffee flavor is much too tame for me. This mild flavor is why my father always enjoys his drinks here and why I always land a bit dissatisfied. The iced latte situation was no different. Despite having two espresso shots, the iced latte tasted like tinged milk. Mind you, it might be that the milk quality overpowers the espresso quality. But, I know nothing about dairy, so I won’t pretend to assert any knowledge here. Because the espresso flavor is so drowned out, I don’t consider this a good iced latte. It does get better as you go along, and it is drinkable. I’d personally (if you enjoy a prominent coffee taste) avoid this drink and go for something without/with less dairy or a special like the forever-fun rainbow latte.
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Food: Vegan Breakfast Sandwich
When it came out, which took an oddly long time, it was beautifully plated. Cut along a diagonal and sprinkled with parsley, you could easily admire the layers of house-made lentil burger, spinach, onions, tomatoes, carrots and avocado. While visually appealing, it was an oddly plain sandwich. It is CFS, so not to worry: Cholula is one of their condiment cart staples. Concluding the flavor conversation, for listing “toasted multigrain bread,” I expected something a little heartier. If it was multigrain, it only just barely qualified. Where it lands? I’d go ahead and try something else. The yucca waffles looked bomb...