Wake up and smell and see the coffee

It seems tea, with its magical health-promoting, fee-radical fighting powers, is the hot drink these days. But let's not forget what really provides the buzz, the get-up-and-go, the zip, the zing to our mornings - coffee.

If you look at coffee as your main-squeeze, then you and your cup need to runneth over to St Paul for two reasons:

Kopplin's Coffee, 490 Hamline Ave S, a truly dedicated and serious coffee cafe, giving the power to the barista. And no venti's allowed here, it's all about quality, European-style. Owner Andrew Kopplin, who is king of the bean, has created a coffee cult with his belief the process is "more complex than wine". To top it off, Kopplin's baked goods are from Rustica, another business dedicated to the European way of partaking.

So beautiful...

Second St Paul stop, The Como Zoo Conservatory's, The Birth of Coffee Photo Exhibition. An international exhibit that captures the personal experience of coffee on an individual basis, as well as the process, the people, the places involved in bringing this ritual to our mornings.

Now go-joe...