Bump Coffee

Review #49

Why yes, that really is their sign out front.  Just that.  Nothing else.  In fact, I would have completely skipped Bump altogether and gone straight over to blog Besta Wan next  if Emme didn’t tell me that this is a real place while we were over at VG Donut last week.  “Where?” I asked searching the strip mall. “There” she pointed.  It’s a Where’s Waldo in the strip mall.

Once you’re inside, there’s a counter and that’s pretty much it.  If you look hard, you’ll find their name hidden up on a shelf.  “Bump.”  No, not TRUMP!  Don’t worry, I did a double take too!  For a second I thought we were going to have to high tail it outta there and go back to VG’s!  Remember Blog # 27 for Better Buzz where they have their logo on EVERYTHING?  It’s not like that here!

They keep things simple.  Just coffee and…donuts?  Nah, VG’s is right over there.  Pastries?  Wrong again.  They serve coffee and empanadas.  For breakfast.  Breakfast empanadas.  Never had any?  Neither have we!

Ok, not literally only empanadas.  They also serve overnight oats, made by their local friends over at “Mush”.  Other places may offer add-ons to their oatmeal like fresh berries or brown sugar. Or CBD oil like Bump does.  Of course you can add your CBD oil to your drink as well.  WHAT??  Are we doing this now?!  So what actually happens when one is flying high off of their caffeinated coffee and then brought way down to earth with the relaxing properties of said oil?  Does it just even you out so you are at sea level?  And what’s the point of that? I mean, if you want to feel good, pick one, up or down!

Bump offers locally roasted, pour over coffee.  That means they pour the water over the coffee grounds to extract as much flavor as possible. Here’s the drink menu:

And here’s the coffee:

I really wanted to try the hot pour over, but my goodness it was scorching this morning!  I ordered a cold brew coffee with cream and sucked down half of it before I remembered to take a pic!  Mmmm!

My handsome nephew, Deven, offered to model the OJ with Superfood added. It tasted a little funky at first, but once you have a bit, you realize the taste is indeed, pretty good.  Nice to have something a little different!

We were hungry and couldn’t wait to try the empanadas.  At $5 each, we ordered a variety.  An Argentinian chef makes them fresh every morning in Bump’s kitchen in the East Village.  Then they travel to Cardiff and wait to be purchased. This is their holding area until they get heated for you.

Each different flavor has it’s own shape which is quite handy.

Although I thought we were sharing, BP inhaled the Spinach Empenada before I had a chance to taste it and then he was on to the next. They were disappointingly small. Maybe not such a bargain as we first thought.  One (or even 2) does not a breakfast make.

The Breakfast empanada was our favorite with just the right balance of yummy breakfast stuff inside.

The Italian Sausage was tasty but has a very strong, spicy sausage in it. The crust was flaky and crisp.  Maybe a bit too crisp.

My mom and Jen both ordered the oatmeal.  It’s cold oatmeal, and isn’t for everyone.  But it’s convenient, healthy and a great choice to have. This one was blueberry.

I don’t know if it was the Mush, the delicious cold brewed Mojitos they ordered, or just the spirit of Bump, but after only 10 minutes of talking, these two were kindred spirits. Bonded forever with mom’s wisdom touching the core of Jen’s soul.  CBD oil maybe?

 After the empenadas Deven was still hungry so went over to VG’s to finish off his meal.  “I want to try that Blueberry Buttermilk” he told me.  “Yah, right” I thought glancing at the time: 10:00 am.  As if.  He came back with this instead.

I spoke to Trevor, one of Bump’s owners.  He and his buddy, Ryan, started business about 5 years ago with a coffee cart and a dream.  They got this store front about 5 months ago, and still hit the local farmer’s markets with their goods throughout the week.  They want this place to be a home for locals more than tourists.  A place with a symbol, more than a name.  A place where the Cardiff community comes for quality coffee, breakfast empenadas, and a good time. Trevor is explaining this to me, and as if on cue, a young family cruises in.  Without a word, a barefoot 3 year old girl runs into Trevor’s arms with kisses and giggles. I assume she knows him.

Trevor is full of heart and I wanted to include a picture of him in this blog so we (not he) decided everyone in our group should hop over the counter and just get right in there with him.  We did. ( I took the pic)

Bottom Line:

Bump.  What does the name mean?  I couldn’t just come out and ask.  They barely even acknowledge the name. I thought it was a place that gives you a BUMP due to the caffeine in their organic coffee.  Or maybe the smallish empanadas aren’t meant to be a whole meal…just a little BUMP to keep your appetite in check until your next real meal.  The empenadas are flat things with a BUMP in the middle, maybe it’s literally that.  Could it be a place that just makes you feel good with a little BUMP of CBD oil in your oatmeal or coffee?  These are things to ponder.  Come up with your own interpretations when you go there.  And please do!

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