I dunno, I have to say I like Starbuckies, there's one about 100 yards from here lol. Easy to tell people Let's just meet there, it's easy to find. I can ask for "a small drip" and they know what that is, or a double shot, etc. I know they have that veni vidi venti language for everything but they speak regular coffee talk too. I just get regular things there, drip or espresso or a bottle of that Giant Peach tea. Their Madeleins (sp?) are good, if expensive, and seem made for jersey pockets now that I think about it.

Just a personal peeve: I was in Los Gatos and craving some of that Giant Peach, so I asked if they had a Starbucks downtown, No, I got a frosty reply to that, "We keep them out". How about Peet's then? No, "We keep them out, too, too commercial, we like family businesses here." So I ride around a bit and it's High-End-Consumerville, all Gaps and Crate & Barrel and so on, huge chain high-end consumerist stores, and right smack downtown, a SHARPER IMAGE!! The ultimate in chain, overprices, flashy junk. Sheesh!!