Frankie’s Coffee, Fort Morgan
The quaint farm town of Fort Morgan is home to a little place called Frankie’s Coffee, just off of the main drag.
I found a treasure amid twinkling lights one afternoon. The quaint farm town of Fort Morgan is home to a little place called Frankie’s Coffee, just off of the main drag. You wouldn’t think much to see it on the side of the road. Frankie’s was once a store-front shop of some kind, made obvious by the display windows and the strip-center location. Within the block you can find antiques, thrift stores, novelties, and other nostalgic mercantile selections. The door chimed as I entered and it took a moment for someone to respond from the back room.
The barista, who introduced herself as Candie, had a brusque friendly manner about her. She asked about my day, asked if I was shopping, and made sure I knew that Goodwill was having their Grand Opening Sale. After exchanging the expected small talk, I inquired about coffee. She suggested the Milky Way latte, which has caramel and dark chocolate.
While waiting, Candie filled me in. She was brewing Malibar Gold, which is a coffee from India. It is a light roast, with a low acid content. She likes it, because it doesn’t hurt her stomach. The beans she brews are Arabica, with about seven percent Robusto mixed in. Water goes through the Arabica grounds so quickly that it doesn’t pick up much caffeine. Adding the robusto beans adds caffeine as well. According to Candie, Starbucks uses approximately fifty percent robusto beans in their blends. This greatly increases the caffeine content, and causes people to get hooked. I was charmed by Candie’s openness and spontaneous information.
The Milky Way had a very mild flavor, and yet I could still taste the coffee very strongly. It was a bit sweet, and somehow comforting with the familiar combination of caramel and chocolate. I didn’t find it to be delicious, but possibly bearable. As I sipped it, weary from the long drive and the dreary day, I absorbed the ambience. There were strings of icicle lights everywhere. Twinkle lights lined the doorways and windows. A giant red twinkle-light heart had been arranged on the front display window. The wall nearest to me, adjacent to the cheap vinyl booth, was painted intricately with a flowering tree – full of leaves and imagination. The furniture – tables, chairs, sofas, and rabbit-eared television, had all stepped out of an era gone by. The barista could have easily come with them through some fantastical time-warp. It was surreal. It was like a moment from the Twilight Zone.
As I reeled in my euphemistically swirling thoughts, I returned to my coffee. It was fairly mellow. There was no long-lasting aftertaste; in fact it was almost bland. I wanted something a bit more exciting, but somehow, it seemed to fit the space.
The coffee was very much like the location of origin. When it was done, it was forgotten. Frankie’s Coffee was also quickly forgotten. Sitting down to write about it, I was surprised to read my notes. I didn’t remember that emotions and sensations that Frankie’s Coffee had evoked. Somehow, it had all faded when I left Fort Morgan behind me. It was as if I truly had left the Twilight Zone. It almost makes me want to go back just to see if I imagined it all.
Urban Spoon - Frankie's Coffee
Postscript. Frankie’s was sold in 2016, and has closed. January 30, 2021
