Premium Coffee and Southern Charm

Posted by Kevin on Jul 27, 2012 in Keeping it Local | 0 comments

I knew it was going to be a busy Friday. The day was going to be filled with meetings, article deadlines and The Dark Knight Rises. It may be a busy day, but I knew it was going to be fun. I was taking the Groupie Wife and little Roadies across the dam into Lexington to visit Jamestown Coffee.

 

One of the great things about being a foodie is getting to eat for free. James, owner of Jamestown Coffee, invited me out to try his homemade pimento cheese bagel. How could I say no?

 

If you’ve never been to Jamestown Coffee Company, and you want to go, you will be in for a treat. The atmosphere brims with gourmet quality, complimented with southern charm.

 

The roadies made themselves at home, receiving the highest compliment that a parent can receive… having a stranger tell you on how well behaved your kids are. (Hello, Vicodin.) They enjoyed their cake pops while the Groupie Wife and I enjoyed some coffee.

I had Jamestown’s signature drink, The Palmetto Pecan Latte and Groupie Wife had their mocha. Now, I do have to tell you that she LOVES Starbucks mocha. It took a little convincing to get her to understand that this was going to be better. A lot better. She was convinced upon first sip. (HA HA! Take that SB!)

 

While I sipped on my latte (topped with whipped cream, caramel and pecans…to give it a crunch), James was busy making the pimento cheese. You heard that right. This is homemade. Fo real, yo. It was so worth the wait.

 

The sharp pimento cheese mixed with the crisp saltiness of the bacon on a bagel is pure…I would say orgasmic, but this is a family blog. (You get the idea.) This did not come off a truck, prepackaged and frozen. (The next time you go into your favorite coffee shop, take a look around and see if there’s a kitchen. If you don’t see on…where do you think their food comes from?)

 

Jamestown is also a great place to get away from the office and get some work done. As we enjoyed our coffee and bagels, the place hummed with the sound of progress. Several people were enjoying a meal or a coffee, while working on that big proposal or project. The leather couches have an inviting feel, calling ones butt to sit down and relax.

 

James then surprised us with a complimentary Affogato. For those of you who don’t know (like me), affogato is an Italian classic typically served with gelato and a shot of espresso. James gave us a big coffee cup of vanilla ice cream, topped with a drizzle of chocolate. Pouring the espresso over the ice cream, I never thought that anything outside peanut butter and chocolate mixed well together, but ice cream and espresso proved me wrong.

 

Oh…the espresso was bitter and strong, like it should be. The sweet and cool of the ice cream, mixed with the bitter and heat of the espresso, brought out the flavors of both worlds into a rich tapestry of goodness.

 

So we sat, ate and sipped with James on the big comfy couch, talking about food, technology (he’s a big fan), politics (how it annoys us) and coffee.

 

I am not a food critic. If I can’t say something nice about a restaurant, I don’t say anything at all. (And there are a few places in Columbia that I will never write about.) Obviously, Jamestown is not one of them. In order for me to write about a restaurant, they must excel in a few key areas: Atmosphere, service and food. Jamestown Coffee Company excels in all three.

 

So if you’re looking for a good place to have a cup of coffee, or breakfast, or just get out of the office for a coffee break, go to Jamestown Coffee Company. If you don’t live in Lexington, don’t worry. It’s not that long of a drive across the dam, and you will be glad you made it.

 

Be sure to check out their website (you can even order online!) and become a fan on Facebook to keep up with them. (Jamestown hosts events by local authors, artists and musicians…and they are always looking to support anything local.)

 

As always, thanks for reading and keep on rockin’.

 

RSD