These cups runneth over

Ihad fun exploring the Grand Valley with The Daily Sentinel’s summer intern, college student Micah Frazho. As school is starting back up, we thought it would be interesting to find a variety of places that are conducive for doing homework or remote work. Some of the criteria we looked at was having a variety of seating options, good beverages, free Wi-Fi, quiet location and a welcoming feel about it. We sampled food and beverages at a variety of spots and here are the top six we tried.

Our absolute favorite is one we have both gone to for years — Copeka Coffee. Located at 1012 N. Fifth St., it’s close to Grand Junction High School and Colorado Mesa University and not far from downtown Grand Junction. The vibe is fun and eclectic, and it has a variety of seating options. There are tables, comfortable chairs and couches and a ton of outdoor seating. The food is delicious and has something for everyone.

Micah had a yummy avocado toast called “the cheap trick” and I ordered a tasty spinach and cheese croissant. I had my croissant warmed slightly and it was wonderful with a glass of white wine. That combination almost made me feel like I was in Europe! The avocado toast featured pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, ricotta, chia seeds and truffle salt. It was served with a fresh lettuce salad topped with blueberries. Copeka has lots of great food, coffee, tea, cocktails and many other beverages to choose from and their service was friendly and fast.

In alphabetical order, here are the other five coffee shops we enjoyed; Bestslope Coffee Company, 129 N.

Peach St., is a cute place in Fruita. It has some indoor seating and quite a bit of outdoor space. We tried their blueberry basil sparkling lemonade and a slice of lovely gluten-free pumpkin bread with crystalized ginger chunks inside it.

Colorado Craft Coffee and Beer House, 1144 N.

12th St., is located across from CMU and has a unique setup where you can to bring your own food and enjoy it with their coffee and beer. Their beverages are all from Colorado and rotate regularly. It has a good studying and working atmosphere with a variety of types of seating.

Kiln Coffee Bar, 326 Main St., in downtown Grand Junction is a big hit with coffee lovers and has a vibrant atmosphere. They have coffee and tea and also pastries from the local Sweet Kiwi Bakery.

Main Street Bagels, 559 Main St., is a classic mainstay in downtown Grand Junction. Their terrific bagels and breads pair well with coffee and their other beverage and food offerings. There is plenty of room to do homework, meet up with friends, sit inside or enjoy music and people-watching outside.

The Artful Cup, 302 Main St. in Palisade, connects with The Blue Pig art gallery and is a charming spot. I liked the seating area within the gallery. The iced coffee was well-received and the place is hopping and popular. I’m not sure how much work I would get done, because I would be too busy checking out all the beautiful creations from our incredibly talented local artists!

The Grand Valley is abundant with places to study and work or just hang out. This is only a small sampling of all the possibilities. I hope you try some of these local businesses. Here’s to a great start of the school year!

If you have any food and beverage-related events or information you want readers to know about, please email me at AllThingsFoodChristine@gmail.com.

FOOD NEWS

ALLAGHER

The Artful Cup in Palisade.

Chardonnay and a spinach and cheese croissant at Copeka Coffee.

Beer flight options at Colorado Coffee and Beer.

Daily Sentinel intern Micah Frazho works at Copeka Coffee at 1012 N. Fifth St.

Photos by CHRISTINE GALLAGHER

Chocolate cream puffs from The Artful Cup at 302 Main St. in Palisade.

Iced white chocolate and mocha coffee from Colorado Coffee and Beer at 1144 N. 12th St.