You won’t find frappuccinos or blended coffee drinks here, but Stir Coffee is the perfect spot for coffee traditionalists. The new cafe opened in January, and sits in the same facility as Good 2 Go Tacos on the corner of Garland Road and Peavy. The coffee shop is owned by Rip Rowan and Vanessa Peters, and it takes a traditional approach to coffee brewing. “We focus on making traditional drinks for the most part; espresso, cappuccinos and all of our house coffee is made with French press. We don’t use drip coffee or any machine-made coffee — all of our coffee is handmade,” says Rowan. The couple, who are friends of the Good 2 Go Taco owners, were influenced by success of Houndstooth Coffee in Austin, which sits next door to Tacodeli. “I’ve known the owners of Good 2 Go for about a year and a half, and when they mentioned that they were starting a restaurant, my fiance Vanessa and I had been talking about opening a coffee shop for sometime, and it just seemed like a natural marriage,” says Rowan. Hours are Tuesday-Sunday, 6 a.m.-2 p.m. For more info, call 214.556.1394.
The shop is also hosting a Barista Jam on Monday, Feb. 7 from 5-7 p.m. that is open for all Dallas area baristas (and coffee enthusiasts). There is a $10 admission fee, and baristas will be competing to see who can make make the best latte art. While there won’t be any coffee served, since the cafe is normally closed on Monday, visitors are invited to come in and observe. There will be several speakers on hand, including Lorenzo Perkins, from Austin, Texas, who won the 2010 South Central Regional Barista Championship.
