Tully's shakes

[mamster]

I admit it--I'm a thin shake guy. When people go gaga over super-thick shakes, I wonder why they don't just stick a straw into a Ben & Jerry's pint and get it over with. That's why I was pleased when Tully's introduced shakes. They have three important characteristics:

1. Thin. Well-mixed and easily slurpable through a straw.

2. Stunningly expensive. The small is about five bucks, and it goes up from there.

3. Delicious. I always get the mocha, and it's brimming with real coffee and chocolate flavor.

If you're a thin-shaker like me, get thee to Tully's. If you're a thick-shaker, sorry about your impending cheek implosion.

[lala]

Hmmm...I'll have to try those. I'd like to add that a delicious treat is the vanilla Tully's ice cream with a shot of espresso poured on top. The very rich ice cream offsets the sharp espresso, making a lovely dessert or treat. Best eaten at the Alki location, so one can enjoy this at the beach.

[geoff]

I have never forgiven Tullys for coining the term "Swirkle." But I can move past that and will have me a shake by sundown.

[heyjude]

A Swirkle is a lot like a Moolatte.

[lemony]

all the coffee chains that offer ridiculously named items should be fined by the word police. i had forgotten about "swirkle," which is one of the All Time Worst Names For Anything.

that said, i've forgiven tully's thanks to their shakes. i'm with you, mamster, they are sublime. they still have a lot to answer for with that giant T on the old rainier brewery, though....

now, if only someone would loan starbucks a dictionary....frappuccino? venti? creme drinks?come on!

lemony

[kiliki]

Speaking of shakes, my quest for a really good granita in this town may be ending. Bottega has two granita machines, one of which has consistantly been filled with a nice lemon (a bit rind-y, though), the other of which sits empty to hopefully one day be filled with coffee granita (it's coming out of a machine, so it's not the real Italian deal, but I've given up on ever finding that here).

[malarkey]

I admit it--I'm a thin shake guy. When people go gaga over super-thick shakes, I wonder why they don't just stick a straw into a Ben & Jerry's pint and get it over with.

hmmm I'll have to try those. I'll admit (but don't tell anybody) that I adore frappucinos. Its the one reason I'll drop into a Starbucks. And I did just that on Saturday, when it was scorching outside. I sucked that thing down in what was probably record time.

[mamster]

Oh, I love the frappuccino. I just had one this morning. Nothing to be ashamed of. I always get the mocha; every summer I'm seduced into trying one of the new flavors, and it's always lousy.

I think if newspapers don't want to print profanity, they should use the word "swirkle." Example:

"Go swirkle yourself," said Mr. Cheney.

[Schielke]

I was a huge frappuccino fan back when they first came out, but they have steadily become sweeter and sweeter. These days I have to want a dessert to order one.

Ben

[elswinger]

I LOVE Tully's chocolate shake! A 24 oz. might be $6 but with the exception of Hagen Daas, it's the best shake available on the Ave.

[col klink]

Oh, I love the frappuccino. I just had one this morning. Nothing to be ashamed of. I always get the mocha; every summer I'm seduced into trying one of the new flavors, and it's always lousy.

When they first came out (what, like 5 years ago?) I loved the mocha but it quickly became too sweet. Luckily the regular is perfect. Unfortunately at my cafeteria at work they only carry the *low-fat* versions of every flavor which means they taste utterly disgusting.

[BastilaShan]

Frappucinnos are too sweet for me . . . like drinking pure sugar. Ugh...

Tully's espresso shakes are still quite good but somewhat fattening. :)

I also like the chocolate shakes from Fran's and made from awesome dark chocolate but they are a little thick.

They only have them during the summer though.

[trillium]

This month's Saveur has a cool tidbit on Greek Nescafe frappes... they think they're the precursor to the frappacino type drinks. They even provide a recipe for you to replicate it at home (using instant espresso powder since the Nescafe here is extra-wimpy for us Americans).

regards,

trillium

[kiliki]

This thread has made me REALLY crave a decent granita-frappaccinos taste like chemicals to me-so I asked at Bottega if they were ever going to crank up that empty second machine and make coffee granitas. They said they plan to have other flavors besides lemon "at some point in the future."

[mamster]

Tully's espresso shakes are still quite good but somewhat fattening. :)

Yeah, I think in that recent P-I story about the new lo-cal Frappuccinos, it showed that the Frappuccino lite had like 180 calories, the regular 300 calories, and the Tully's shake 175,000 calories. Something like that.

[MsRamsey]

I asked at Bottega if they were ever going to crank up that empty second machine and make coffee granitas. They said they plan to have other flavors besides lemon "at some point in the future."

They said for the longest time that they'd be making rice flavor gelato. It took a while, but they did it! So they will probably make another flavor of granita given some time.

[col klink]

Although the frappuccinos are good (well, not the low-cal ones), they still don't hold a candle to my favorite coffee drink -- cafe su da. The Vietnamese coffee with sweetened condensed milk over ice. I'm simply gonzo for them but unfortunately they're not nearly as ubiquitous as the frappuccino.

[Blue Heron]

I tried my first Tully's shake today, a mocha shake, at the Alki beach location. It didn't seem thin to me at all, (although, I'm not a shake expert), but it was delicious and hit the spot on a warm day! My only complaints are that a) they call the smallest size *tall*. Now why not call it small, as in I'd like a small shake please? and b) even the small, er I mean tall, is quite a lot of shake for me. I felt I was satiated by the time I had hit the half way mark (although I had just finished a small fish n chips), and would really prefer to order a *real* small (half size) for $2.50 and that would be just the perfect amount for me as well as a better price (and they might sell more that way, too, by adding an add'l size choice). Or maybe I'm just an oddball customer. That is certainly possible!

[mamster]

BH, I would also be delighted to see a half-size Tully's shake.

At my local Tully's (Broadway and Pike), there's a pile of 30% off coupons by the register, good all summer for a cheaper shake, spin, tango, or swirkle. Okay, there's no such thing as a swirkle anymore, but if there were, this coupon would be good for it. If you don't see the coupons at your Tully's, ask.

[trillium]

This thread has made me REALLY crave a decent granita-frappaccinos taste like chemicals to me-so I asked at Bottega if they were ever going to crank up that empty second machine and make coffee granitas. They said they plan to have other flavors besides lemon "at some point in the future."

Granita is pretty darn easy to make at home if you have a seriuos jones...I remember when you could find them everywhere you turned in Italy, and the last visit I didn't seem any anywhere...it could be that I was there in March and it's just too bruto tempo for that sort of thing, but it seems like it's dropped off the culinary radar, doesn't it? I love granita made with espresso and a little sugar, then dolloped with unsweetened whipped cream.

regards,

trillium

[laurel]

All the chains still have 8oz cups and will give you a short latte-type drink for a few cents less than the tall if you ask, even if it's not on the menu. I'm not sure if they do it for the shake-type stuff though.

Krispy Kreme is jumping on the frozen coffee drink bandwagon too: http://krispykreme.com/frozenblends.html

Somehow "having our coffee and a glazed donut swirled in a cup" doesn't really appeal to me though.

[olivina]

  I love granita made with espresso and a little sugar, then dolloped with unsweetened whipped cream.

There is an amazing photo in the Zuni cookbook of a granita with whipped cream. I look at that and have to make granita right away. I never really understood food porn until I saw that photo.

[Sleepy_Dragon]

I just got done sucking down a javakula from SBC. I'm not a coffee drinker but I enjoy these, green whipped cream, oreos and everything. It makes my inner greedy child very happy!

Pat

[kiliki]

Granita is pretty darn easy to make at home if you have a seriuos jones

I have made them, both fruit and coffee, but it's the kind of thing I just want to get on a work break or a hot day without working for it.

Today I got a slurpee for the first time since I was a kid.

[trillium]

Granita is pretty darn easy to make at home if you have a seriuos jones

I have made them, both fruit and coffee, but it's the kind of thing I just want to get on a work break or a hot day without working for it.

Today I got a slurpee for the first time since I was a kid.

I hear you. It's the perfect pick-me-up, and isn't the kind of thing you want to plan 4 or 5 hours in advance for.

Today I had a 79 cent "popsicle" from my favorite Asian grocery store. Mung bean, coconut milk, sugar and pandan.

regards,

trillium