Our trip to leaf-peeping took us briefly through Ohio, and in one sense it was not our best experience. Todd wanted to get Ohio chili, but I was disgusted by the prospect of eating spaghetti topped with chili topped with several inches of cheese and oyster crackers, so we ended up eating Greek food, which was marginally more healthful. Todd didn’t get his Ohio regional delicacy, but we did find a coffee shop in Mansfield, Ohio, of all places, that was devoted to serving high-quality espresso and other drinks. So devoted, in fact, that they make their own syrup. No GMO corn syrup here! And this is the first place I’ve ever seen boxed water. The idea is to avoid the plastic bottle and especially the lid, which, if it gets tossed into a river or the ocean, can be eaten by birds or turtles or fish and block their stomachs, causing them to starve to death. If you’re in the area, I recommend stopping at Relax.
The guy behind the counter – I assume he’s one of the owners – is the most hardcore coffee guy I’ve met outside of Happy Coffee in Denver. We spent quite a while talking about the pros and cons of various coffee making methods and equipment – siphon vs. pour-over vs. French press, etc. He insisted I try his espresso and gave me a free one, so how could I resist?
He was very, very serious. I think that’s why he decided to open this shop where he did—he is preaching good coffee to the masses.