The Board and Brew

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: The Board and Brew
Location: College Park, MD
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

It often astounds me how few board game cafes I have come across in my travels. Maybe I'm not looking hard enough, but I can count on one hand the number of coffee shops and eateries that have boasted copies of Settlers of Catan and King of Tokyo, never mind full shelves of games unknown to even the nerdiest of poindexters. But fortune shined upon me one cloudy evening traveling through Maryland when I found a true diamond in the rough.
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Green Engine Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject Green Engine Coffee Co.

Location: Haverford, PA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Sometimes it amazes me how many coffee shops fall short on the basics, whether it be the quality of their coffee beans, the skills of their baristas or the lack of atmosphere. In traveling through different towns, I aim to try out as many different shops as I can afford, and in my experience there are approximately three subpar coffeehouses for every great one.

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Roast Rider

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Roast Rider Coffee + Tea
Location: Virginia Beach, VA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Many people love their local coffee shop for no other reason than it provides a pleasant place to congregate. Sociologically coined the "third place" by Ray Oldenburg, all people naturally yearn for a communal gathering spot, and in locales possessing a beautiful, somewhat-spacious coffeehouse, it's no wonder that townspeople flock to such spaces to enjoy their coffee.
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Trenton Coffee House and Records

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Trenton Coffee House
Location: Trenton, NJ
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

Having passed through Trenton many times, I have often yearned for a well-placed coffee shop to afford me a cafe worthy of braking. Finally at some point in the past year or so, Trenton Coffee House and Records opened their doors on Cass Street and my longing finally came to an end.
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Void Coffee Company

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Void Coffee Company
Location: Charleston, WV
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

I have had my eye on the area around Charleston, West Virginia for several years now. Along with the progressive revitalization in the city itself, the surrounding countryside adds plenty of beautiful scenery and bucolic towns perfect for recreational detours. I finally found a perfect window to head west and arrived in the capital one sunny afternoon, tired from the drive and thirsty for a good cup of coffee. Hearing about a newer establishment in the West Side neighborhood, I landed at Void Coffee Company ready to try out their wares.
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The Coffee Box

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: The Coffee Box
Location: Plainfield, NJ
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

The thick suburbs of northeast New Jersey possess countless places that peddle coffee, but surprisingly offer few shops where the coffee is worth the stop. Fortunately for many North Jersey-ites, great coffee has become more readily available each month, with new spots slowly emerging in the lands surrounding New York City.
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Talking Irons Coffee Saloon

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Talking Irons Coffee Saloon
Location: Pearce, AZ
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

While most excellent coffeehouses reside in cities and heavily-populated regions, occasionally there exists outstanding coffee a little off the beaten path. I found myself in one such instance as I was driving through Arizona, from the storied Tombstone streets to the old mining boomtown of Pearce. Heading northeast, my journey began typically enough on a rural road through the desert, until I found myself being directed by Google Maps onto a road called Ghost Town Trail through Dead Mexican Canyon. After making the turn I soon realized the word "trail" was not just a linguistic flourish, as the empty dirt road seemed better fit for a wagon (or at least a four-wheel drive truck) than my tiny sedan. Nonetheless, I persisted for a solid half hour, watching torrential storms a mile to the right and every mile or so, a road sign warning that the trail floods heavily in rain.

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