Juan Valdez Café (Winter Park)
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From the condiment cart, the patron saint Juan Valdez presides over the room’s happenings as he does in over 500 cafes around the world. While maybe not from this specific location in every cafe, this cafetero is always somehow present. I’ll be honest, this place is a little more special to me than most. When the notice went up that this chain was going to be added to Lakeside and Lakeside Crossing, I lived within a stone’s throw of the place. It finally opened...after I sold that apartment. But enough about my oddly parental feelings. It’s one of those places that creates its own character without feeling forced. A bright, tangerine wall—with one extra dimension to fit some shelving and five screens with menus and marketing—draws you to the counter while below heavily contrasting black-and-white arte porcelain tiles spill out and achieves much the same. Typical messaging and imagery occupy what little wall space there is, but the key message, “The coffee from the Columbian coffee growers,” is on the orange, popping off the vibrant color with a few more gains from the tiling and counter beneath it. It’s a cafe that lands along the same plane as its many counterparts. However, thank cafetero for the counter’s tropical drama.
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Drink: Small Iced Soy Mocha
My mom got the whole milk, decaf version, so I thought getting the caffeinated, non-dairy version would be a cute match. Originally I ordered it with coconut milk, but they said they didn’t have that. I can’t be sure if it was a misprint on the menu on the screen or if they ran out. It’s of no consequence either way—I just probably would have opted for hot instead. Given the fact that it is made with Volcan, their strong blend with sweet caramel and cocoa tasting notes, it is seamless. I couldn’t even taste the change to soy. It might seem laughable, but it reminded me of Stardust just down the road. And, this is what I mean by this comment: the result—from the cocoa and the sweet of the caramel—is more of a sweet coffee beverage not a mocha. My mom even alluded to this with a passing comment: “There are certain places that I just really like the mocha syrup.” She likes the spots where the mocha syrup doesn’t blend but defines.