Back in my hometown of San Diego, I had a friend who once said he wanted to find the best hamburger in the city. I thought it sounded like a fun hobby, so I parlayed that into finding the best coffee in the KC area. Everyone has their precise preferences, and is a connoisseur of something. So, I wanted to try my hand at taste-testing coffees in the region. Maybe I will try local wines or honey next. This could become a craze. I love a good hobby!
I started close to home with Maps. It is in Old Town Lenexa, Kansas. It was a chilly winter morning, so I was really wanting a mug of good, warming coffee. I ordered my typical dark chocolate latte. I looked around as it was being brewed.
The ambiance is visually pleasing and the seating accommodations are comfortable.
I did notice the maps and decided to ask the owner about the name. Vincent graciously stopped his work and came to visit with me. He said he chose the name simply because he likes maps. That’s a good reason. I began asking him a sequence of questions, and his story poured forth. Vincent worked for Starbucks in Seattle for 18 years, where he initially began to learn about the process of coffee making. Starbucks brought him to Kansas City, and after several more years, he moved on to become a bike fabricator in order to create a community here. He taught himself how to make bikes and a biking social group emerged out of his shop, just as he had hoped. It is obvious Vincent is an insatiable learner. In 2014 he decided to buy himself a coffee roaster. He gave pour-overs to the bikers to let them taste his concoctions. In 2015, a random visitor to the shop noticed Vincent’s roaster and remarked that it was unique because it could also make chocolate. Instantly, Vincent was learning that trade. He is a researcher par-excellence. He tests and modifies exhaustively until the ratios and techniques are matchless. I have often wondered how these self-taught people become such geniuses in their fields, outside of formal schools. Vincent shared his secret with me — Reddit Learning. That made sense to me, as my son-in-law, another genius, is an engineer for Reddit. What a huge option for valuable informational instruction.
I can affirm that the flavor of his chocolate is superior. The peppermint paired especially well with the season.
As my coffee was being completed, I asked Vincent about his roasting process. He said “the magic is in the freshness”. They air roast their beans in-house every day. He explained that coffee goes flat within 3 -4 weeks, so they pull them off the shelves after 3 weeks. They ship fresh coffee constantly around the country. Their followers are committed. I know why — my cup of coffee was exquisite. Come give it a try, enjoy an companionable chat with Vincent, and let me know if you think this could be the best coffee in Kansas City!