Last week, in my relentless effort to find the coolest and trendiest cafe in town, I visited Vibe Coffee Co. – a new cafe that opened on September 16 on the ground floor of The Graduate.
The interior of the restaurant was brightly lit and trendy, with string lights hanging everywhere and a handwritten menu on the chalkboard. A bar and a few tables around the cafe were filled with other students chatting or typing frantically on their laptops.
My first impression of the menu was that it was smaller than that of a standard cafe – with only a few types of coffee and tea based drinks on the menu and a few light baked goods on offer, I immediately knew that I was in hipster territory.
Kidding aside, I liked that the menu was small – it shows that Vibe is committed to doing a few things perfectly, instead of trying to do too many at once. Either way, I’m overwhelmed with too many choices.
I sampled two signature Vibe drinks – the Iced Nutella Latte and the Iced Stickies Grilled Latte.
A barista brews coffee at Vibe Coffee on Wednesday, September 29, 2021 in State College, Pa.
Iced Nutella Latte
After a few minutes squinting at the menu board (I don’t like how I look in glasses), I ordered an iced Nutella Latte because I remembered it was advertised on her Instagram page.
Many flavored lattes in coffee shops tend to consist of poorly mixed coffee with syrup, which sinks to the bottom to create a sweet, sickly syrupy slurry. When I learned that Nutella Latte uses real Nutella as opposed to chocolate and hazelnut syrups, it only increased my expectations of disappointment.
However, I am delighted to report that this drink was sludge free with consistent taste. Props to Vibe – I don’t know how it was done, but it is.
The sweet flavors of Nutella and strong coffee combine well, resulting in a smooth coffee drink with Nutella as an exclamation point at the end of your sip.
Grilled Ice Cream Stick Latte
I also tried a few sips of my catering partner’s Grilled Stickies Latte, which was inspired by the legendary Penn State treat originally served at Ye Olde College Diner and later reproduced as an iconic Berkey ice cream flavor. Creamery.
Like the Nutella Latte, this one was also mud-free, with a pinch of cinnamon on top.
This drink reminded me of Cinnamon Dolce Latte at Starbucks, albeit with a more edgy flavor, which the coffee addict in me loved. It was gentle but not overbearing.
Honestly, I preferred this one over my Nutella Latte.
Final thoughts
Overall I was happy to have tried both drinks. Neither was too sweet, and both had a delicious flavor throughout – I didn’t have to stir the drinks or throw porridge on the bottom.
Unfortunately for me, Vibe’s location is just too far from my home for me to see myself becoming a regular. If you live in the area, however, this would be a great place to stop for your morning coffee.
At almost $ 5 for an iced latte the prices are steep, but for me supporting a new small business is worth it. I will definitely be back at Vibe Coffee Co. for an occasional treat and chat with the friendly baristas.
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