With the rise and shine of of every Monday morning, I always require a big pick me up to get me going. Adderall would be nice, but I usually settle for a cup of coffee. For years, I've made my way to the Starbucks drive through where the baristas all know me by name. Today was different and I was left wanting so much more than my generic over commercialized mocha latte.

Over the weekend, I was exploring Coral Gables and Miracle Mile and I stumbled upon Pasión Del Cielo. I had been there once before and had somehow forgotten how wonderful their coffee is. This is the best coffee shop in Coral Gables. For every coffee drink offered in their establishment you can pick your own coffee beans from 11 different countries (all varying in flavor, body and aroma). I opted to try something cold, since the weather was so hot and humid, and picked a caramel frappe. Seriously, the best coffee in Coral Gables. The staff was friendly and the price for my frappe was actually cheaper than the comparable Starbucks caramel frappaccino.

The flavor in this caramel frappe was out of this world and that's not a compliment I hand out easily or often. It's no surprise that Pasión Del Cielo was Miami New Times' Best Coffeehouse for 2010. The flavor in their frappe was robust and completely, refreshingly different to any frappaccino I have ever had in Starbucks. Even their whipped cream was thick, creamy and tasted home made. I drank every last sip of that frappe and was left wondering why in God's name this place hasn't expanded and opened up other locations.

They also offer a handful of pastries and empanadas. I had their banana, rum and nutella empanada and I apologize for not having a picture to offer you. I devoured that bad boy too fast to realize I hadnt snapped a picture of it. The empanada was different from the savory empanadas we're all used to in south Florida and it had a wonderful flavor. In all honesty, you can NEVER go wrong when you mix bananas and nutella, throw in some rum and you've got heaven in an empanada.

The coffee shop has a great and inviting feel. It's cozy atmosphere and helpful baristas made my experience that much better. The baristas were all very knowledgeable in the different coffee beans offered and were able to help me decide based on what I was looking for. If you're ever in the Gables, you have to be sure to stop by and check out their coffee or empanadas. So you can see for yourself what you've been missing out on by squandering your money at Starbucks every morning.

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