The La Brea Tar Pit of business ventures, Eagle Ranch, has snagged another victim. At a glance, H.P.’s Provisions might seem like a depressingly common recipe for disaster – just the sort of slightly upscale deli and coffee shop that Eagle Ranch has failed to support since Zach’s Eagle Ranch withered up and died oh-so-many moons ago. Like some hungry Pleistocene saber-cat, H.P.’s Provisions apparently looked at the suspicious corpses all around and sensed nothing but opportunity. Those of us with access to the fossil record have reason to be slightly more pessimistic.

Built atop the resting place of the Eagle Ranch Starbucks – that’s right, Eagle Ranch even killed a Starbucks – H.P.’s Provisions looks like a cautionary tale in the making. Cheery, bright-eyed staff? Check. Spotless floors and tables with inside and outside seating? Check. Recklessly optimistic closing time of 9 p.m.? Check.

Ah, the 9 p.m. closing time. The Eagle Ranch Starbucks tried this, as did Zach’s Eagle Ranch and Yeti’s Grind, downtown. When Smoothie King (remember Smoothie King, late of Eagle Ranch?) offered French Pressed coffee for the after-movie crowd, I was among those who thought it might be a good idea – and it SHOULD be a good idea, except that the “after-movie crowd” doesn’t seem to materialize here in Eagle outside of Brush Creek Saloon or the Dusty Boot.

All that aside, there are reasons to be cautiously optimistic about H.P.’s Provisions. Of all the coffee shops that have stood in Eagle Ranch, H.P.’s has the best espresso drinks by far. What H.P.’s beverages lack in style and latte art they make up in an enviable consistency for a local shop. H.P.’s also sports some solid, if pricey, deli and dessert offerings – as well as an attached boutique grocery. Considering the closest gallon of milk for sale was until now across Route Six, this could be a big deal for folks living within walking distance.

This ambitious coffee shop / deli / grocery boutique business plan might just be robust enough to keep H.P.’s Provision from sinking into the tar. It isn’t impossible – the Dusty Boot has managed to not only thrive in Eagle Ranch, but actually spin off Luigi’s Pasta House across the street – it’s just really, really hard. Here’s hoping H.P.’s Provisions has what it takes

What you’re looking at are chocolate mousse pyramids. From the bottom up, the layers are dark chocolate fudge, dark chocolate mouse, milk chocolate mousse and white chocolate. Like a good latte, each mouse pyramid was hand-crafted by someone who cares – in this case, a pastry chef. Most folks would happily eat their chocolate mousse pyramid straight off the assembly line. Like a good barista, though, a good pastry chef insists on taking it a step further. For a chef, cleverly plating your desert is the equivalent of Latte Art.

While the barista must rely primarily on foam, the pastry chef has an arsenal of extra ingredients to bring to bear. In this case, the extra ingredients consists of a scoop of ice cream, an almond cookie and caramel sauce. The almond cookie has been fashioned into a web “cup” to hold your ice cream, and the caramel sauce was made with fresh cherry juice.

The primary reason this blog exists is to answer a single, very important question – “Where can I get a decent latte in or near the Vail Valley, and maybe an internet connection?” Of course, the author may travel occasionally and share his experiences of strange espresso-based beverages in distant lands, and, of course, the blog accepts outside submissions, but Eagle County, Colorado, is our primary territory.

And that is important. Here’s why:

It is our belief here at the Wired West that because the internet is such a vast and unfocused monstrosity, it can sometimes be hard – despite the best efforts of those folks over at Google and the like – to find exactly what you want. We’re doing our part to make that easier. If you want coffee-related news, musings and reviews from the High Rockies region of Colorado, read on. If you don’t, you have the entire rest of the internet to find what you’re looking for.

Since this blog began, there have been many changes to the local coffee scene. The Lift in Minturn is gone, Loaded Joe’s in Avon has expanded into Vail and, perhaps most shocking of all, Red Canyon Cafe in Eagle finally entered the internet age. We’ll be taking all of these changes into account as we begin a new round of reviews for 2010. As always, the world of coffee moves quickly – if you suspect any of our information to be out of date, let us know.

Past Entries: Have an old favorite from our earlier incarnation? Don’t worry. None of the blog’s past entries have been deleted. Over time some of our more stand-out entries will reappear with “From the Archive” in the title and entry tags, along with a lead-in summary of why the article is being re-released. Any requests? Let us know!

Latte art does nothing to directly improve the flavor of your drink. What it does is indicate a quality barista – or at least a keen hobbyist who enjoys his or her work. Latte art is a quality seal. It is your barista telling you, “It’s alright. I’m paying attention.” Odds are, the Latte Artist has worked out the “rhythm” of the shop’s espresso machine, unconsciously keeping time until the perfect shot is achieved. The Latte Artist doesn’t burn the steamed milk – and if she ever did, she’d realize it right away, dump the mess, and start over. The Latte Artist can talk your ear off about how he’s tweaked his espresso roast, and holds strong opinions on consistency, froth and aroma. In short, the Latte Artist is the person you want crafting your mocha. If you’re standing in line for a double espresso and the person in front of you comes away with latte art, it’s worth considering upgrading your purchase.

The latte art above was provided by Travis at Yeti’s Grind, who was so dissatisfied with my first round of photos he made another mocha – the first had cooled to an unacceptable level, according to him – and had me shoot it again under better lighting conditions. Latte Artists are like that.

The Wired West’s most popular post ever (in terms of numbers), Plunging Westward’s review of pre-wireless Red Canyon Cafe received a strong reaction from shop patrons. One critic’s call for the post to be “removed from the internet ASAP” makes it an easy first choice for republication from the archives.

A comfortable shop with good food and a passable shot of espresso, Red Canyon Café suffers from not one but three crippling setbacks – self-service coffee pumps, lack of wireless Internet and proximity to Yeti’s Grind.
The Shop: Located near the corner of Broadway and Route 6 in Eagle, Red Canyon has a welcoming, rustic feel, complete with a comfy, roofed-in patio. Sitting outside in the shade on a sunny afternoon in Eagle, munching a bagel with cream cheese, avocado and tomato, and listening to the light traffic on Route Six and the subtle squeak-and-rattle of the Café door, it’s hard not to feel good about the Red Canyon Café.

Just don’t go looking for any WiFi connection, or bother purchasing a cup of coffee to sip.  If you’re looking for these things, you’re much better served taking a short walk down Broadway to Yeti’s Grind.

The Coffee: I don’t drink the coffee at the Red Canyon Café. It comes from a self-service pump.

The Espresso: Nothing special. It’s not terrible, and at $1.50 for two shots, caffeine junkies looking for a quick, milled-out fix can save the sticklers over at Yeti’s Grind some time and themselves some money by coming here. By any measure other than cost, though, it simply doesn’t measure up to Yeti’s Grind and, unfortunately for Red Canyon, the two shops are so close a direct comparison is inevitable.

Specialty Drinks: Red Canyon espresso is of a sort one doesn’t much mind drowning in a heap of milk, syrups and powders. While I don’t make a habit of drinking specialty drinks, the patio at Red Canyon seems like a good place to sip an iced Nutella latte (it’s more like an ice cream sundae than a cup of coffee, anyhow) and read a book on a lazy summer afternoon. The only thing missing would be the swimming pool (and the WiFi).

Hours of Operation: 6:30-3 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturdays.

Wireless Connection: None.

Why to Go: The only advantage over Yeti’s Grind is a quiet, rustic patio. If you actually live in Eagle – and I do – you might be tempted to visit once or twice just for a change of venue. (Just be sure to bring a book, or a friend, because you won’t be getting any wireless Internet.) It is worth noting that Red Canyon is a little less expensive than Yeti’s Grind – for food in particular – and has an extensive deli menu. Red Canyon gets much higher marks for its sandwiches than its coffee.

Why Not to Go: Yeti’s Grind is two minutes down the road on foot, and is simply a better coffee shop.  Considering both shops close at about the same time, you can’t even use Red Canyon Café (or Zach’s Mountain Deli) as a backup if Yeti’s Grind is closed. Finally, while I can’t fault Red Canyon for being so close to Yeti’s Grind (especially since Red Canyon was here first), I can certainly fault them for not having a wireless Internet connection.

We’ll be getting back to Yeti’s – and othe Eagle Shops – in the days to come. For now, here’s a flashback to 2008.

A replica of an old-timey sign hanging on the counter at Yeti’s Grind proclaims “Best Coffee in Town.” It’s cute, but they should probably take it down – it’s selling the coffee short.

The Shop: Located in downtown Eagle, the Yeti is small but not cramped, with big windows adding not only a good deal of imaginary space but keeping the space brightly lit in daylight. Seating options include couches, leather relaxing chairs, raised tables with equally raised chairs, and similar raised chairs at the bar. Two huge flatscreen TVs hang one apiece on the walls perpendicular to the door and windows, and are usually on but mute – the 2008 equivalent of wall art. Paintings and/or photographs by local artists are also on display, and some of these are for sale. Nate, “The Yeti” himself, and his wife Tara are the shop’s owners, and you’re likely to see one of both of them during your visit. Both are militant about the quality of their coffee, espresso and steamed milk, employing Travis as a part-time barista as well as a sort of “quality control officer” to assist in the training of new staff.

The Coffee: As indicated above, the Yeti has the best cup of coffee I have found so far outside of New England. The shop has a vast inventory of roasts, choosing a few to brew each day. To date, I haven’t tried one I haven’t enjoyed. If you do have a particular favorite, you can always request them to French press it special for you if it’s not on today’s menu. (This costs slightly more, but is well worth it.)

Espresso: The Yeti’s Espresso is a custom blend, and it’s just as good as the coffee. Try a double. Note that what others (myself included) refer to as a Red Eye (coffee with espresso shots) is here called a “Baylor Brew.” The coffee and espresso both stand alone just fine, though, so I have yet to mix the two.

Specialty Drinks: Mostly a typical selection of flavored Lattes, the Yeti’s specialty drink menu is almost irrelevant given that drowning Yeti’s Grind espresso in milk and flavor syrups seems like a crime. That said, the menu is extensive, and the Lone Star Latte (cinnamon, chocolate and cayenne pepper) is quite good.

WiFi Hotspot: Free Wireless Internet is available at Yeti’s Grind.

Hours of Operation: Mon-Fri: 6:30 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Sat: 7 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Sun: Closed.

Why to Go: Great coffee, wireless Internet and comfortable surroundings.