SmartWorld Coffee: A Cup o' Joe and a Vegan Treat

I love coffee shops. I'm not very discriminating: any shop with a good cup of tea and free wi-fi gets a thumbs up, especially when it has great mugs.

Of course, those that offer vegan treats get a double thumbs up. I had no idea when I stopped in last week, but SmartWorld Coffee in Morristown is one of the great ones.

I spent hours in the modestly-sized shop, sipping Mighty Leaf tea and writing. A couple of hours in, my sweet tooth came on with a vengeance.

As I chatted with the barristas about the many sustainable aspects of SmartWorld's business model, I was eyeing up the dessert case the entire time. My mouth was starting to water, so I figured I'd see if anything was vegan. 

The barista was really disappointed to admit that none of the baked goods are vegan, but immediately pointed me toward a few other options. At first, he offered me the chocolate chip cookies on the rack, but quickly corrected himself when he realized the chocolate chips weren't vegan.

"The Kettle Korn is amazing," he promised. "And the bag says it's vegan, so you don't have to worry about me messing up again." 

He was right on with the Divvies Kettle Korn suggestion. It was delicious—and really hard not to finish all six servings in the bag. The brand is made dedicated peanut-free, tree nut-free, egg-free and dairy-free facility in New York, so it is safe for many allergies. 

There are also several other vegan options, including oatmeal-raisin Tanabars, but the Kettle Korn was more than enough for me. If you're looking for a little less sugar, the coffee shop offers a menu of smoothies and frozen drinks. 

For more of a meal, there is a hummus sandwich on seven-grain bread, though you'll have to remember to tell them to hold the yogurt-dill dressing. Same goes for the Mediterranean Veggie flatbread. For the salads, the hummus salad should be fine, depending on your choice of dressing. The Cafe Harvest salad sounds good—just make sure to request it without cheese.

As for the tea, I had cups of Organic Detox Infusion, a mint and basil blend. I could've stayed all night—the vibe, the food and the service were perfect.