Signature Drinks!
So I stopped by Intelligentsia today, ready to plop down my $8 for a cup of the Brazil COE 3rd place coffee, lovingly extracted by the shiny, new, up-close and personal Clover brewer. My plans were derailed when I saw that the lovely and talented Amber Sather was working the espresso machine. Since Amber was the barista who (a few months ago) prepared the best shot of espresso I have ever experienced, I decided I would have to have espresso. It was excellent, of course. I also got a chance to see a sign posted alerting me to upcoming Signature Drink Days, one at each location http://intelligentsiacoffee.com/retail/monadnock/05-30-2007 I am really excited by this, I will have to sneak away from work to give them a try. The only other signature drink I have ever tasted was Steve Fritzen's from 2006, he gave me a sneak preview before the 2006 GLRBC.
Here are video clips of Amber and Matt at the 2007 GLRBC:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5262879549940167217
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3909558643138860287

Eureka Macchiato
Until last Friday, I don't think I have ever ordered an espresso macchiato. I have long known what it was, and even made them at home occasionally (usually to palate an inferior shot, if I am not inclined to re-pull). Friday lunchtime I was near the Monadnock Intelligentsia, so I decided to try something different (i usually just have espresso).
Holy crap! it was fantastic! I really like the cup, bowl shape, probably about 3oz capacity. The barista poured a nice heart. It tasted like someone had figured out a way to turn crema into butter. All the flavor of the espresso came through and it just had this really creamy mouthfeel.

(Note- the picture was not of THE drink I posted this about. It is from the one I got today, to get a picture of the cup)

Pressurestat Creep

Pressurestat Creep
Originally uploaded by pavasm.

I think my pstat is starting to go. About a year ago the original pstat on my machine (Signal Lux) failed. The boiler temp ran away and tripped the high-limit thermostat. I replaced the pressurestat and the thermostat. I took the Signal Lux stat apart, and found the contacts were pretty toasted. I found that the full heating element amperage was running through the stat, which I believe is not rated for 10+ amps. When I put in the replacement Mater stat I also added a relay, so that the full amps do not run through the stat. I also strapped a thermometer probe to the boiler so I would be able to keep an eye on the boiler temp if it changed over time. Well, now that is apparently happening. The temp used to happily idle around 214F. Now it does upon initial warmup (up to an hour or so), but after shots are pulled, the temp climbs up to about 218F. From some forum research, it appears the exposure to the steam on the pstat line evantually degrades the stat (or maybe it is some sort of scale in the line). When I originally replaced the pstat I vowed to switch over to some sort of digital control (PID) if the replacement went. I think the time has come. I also wanted to try adding a dimmer to the pump wiring so that I could control the pressure of the vibe pump, and I thought I could use the same enclosure as the PID/SSR.

Betting on the USBC

Okay, not really betting. I was thinking that would be cool, but the logistics and legality were deterring factors. Instead, I posted an appeal to coffeed.com asking for folks to email predictions of the final six baristas, and the top 3 spots to usbcpredictions@gmail.com
I figured people would send predictions if they knew that it would be kept anonymous (heck, it is really easy to get an anonymous email address these days).
I haven't gotten much of a response yet (please help!).
Next year maybe I can figure out some sort of prize to motivate people to put a prediction on record.

New York Trip (posted 2 months after the fact)

Exposed brick, tin ceilings, bottomless portafilters and short shots. These are some of the impressions that really stick with me from my NYC trip.

There is something really special about a place where there are a variety of shops staffed with people really interested in good coffee. It was cool to talk to a barista at one shop and, once they knew I was a visiting coffee geek, have them enthusiastically recommend I check out other shops. That is the sort of 'coffee community' that you don't get in very many places.



Cafe Grumpy (Chelsea)

I think this would have to be my favorite place that I tried. I think they did a great job maximizing the space, and the fact that is is so narrow with a low counter puts you up close and personal with the baristas. That was nice because I was able to get recommendations for other shops I needed to check out. It was very cool that I could choose espresso made with Counter Culture Coffee or Ecco Cafe beans (I chose both, naturally!). If I went there again I would want to see the Clovers in action, since they are right where you can watch the whole process. I was very excited to watch and taste espresso made with a Synesso. My shots were very dense, incredible mouthfeel. When I got the second espresso (CCC Toscano), the barista (Nick) tasted several test shots first to make sure the different blend was dialed in.

My wife's capp was very good, but she felt the short shots made it taste less strong than she is used to. I think she might like a macchiato.

Cafe Collage (Greenwich Village)
This was one of the recommended places from the guys at Grumpy. They also use a Synesso, and all of their Cappuccinos are the 'traditional' size (as opposed to places that offer both the "american" version and "traditional")


Ninth Street Espresso (union square)
Excellent espresso (CCC Toscano)- didn't get the barista's name, but he was very into it.

Call for backup!

Call for backup!
Originally uploaded by pavasm.

My expobar office control keeps tripping the gfci outlet this morning, so i had to go with the gaggia carezza for backup.

I got a new Chemex coffeemaker.



I picked one up at a garage sale like 15 years ago, but let it get thrown away when my parents moved. Recently I got the hankerin to use one again, so I picked one up at Intelligentsia. I don't really use it, though.

I should explain my afternoon coffee routine.

After lunch, I measure out enough beans for 6 cups of coffee, put them in my Solis Maestro Plus grinder, and head out into the hall.



There is an outlet there, and I used to feel self-conscious that my grinding noise would disturb those around me. I am much more relaxed grinding in the hall. Keith (the guy with the desk next to mine) brings the melitta express kettle to the pantry and fills it with water. I use a melitta cone brewer to brew the coffee. I pour myself a cup , then pass the coffee pot to Keith. He pours himself a cup and passes the pot along to his brother, who finishes off the pot. The person who finishes the pot then brings it to the pantry to rinse it out.

Which brings me back to my new Chemex. It took me a long time to rationalize buying the new brewer, and breakage was one of my main concerns. I mean, it's one thing to break a garage sale find, but I thought it would be too painful to break one that I bought new.


Enter the Improvised Chemex.



I just took a big funnel and cut off the bottom. I found the flow rate depends on how much of the tip of the cone is exposed, so I tried to match the opening of the Chemex as close as I could. It sits pretty securely in the melitta pot. I am really liking the coffee, and I don’t mind the cheap coffee pot being passed through 3 or 4 sets of hands each day.

I have come to realize I really enjoy the ritual of sharing good coffee with my friends at work each day, and I didn't want to have any reason to be uptight about it.

I still have the real Chemex, maybe I will bring it home for special (non-espresso) occasions.

Superbowl Fever, Chicago Public Radio style.

The other morning on WBEZ I heard a short essay about the upcoming superbowl. As the peice ended, "The Superbowl Shuffle" was the transition music. The CPR host (Jason Derose, I believe) remarked, "Ah, the Superbowl Shuffle. I'm sure we will be hearing that ad infinitum and ad nauseum before Sunday."

goldencup

goldencup
Originally uploaded by pavasm.

A building near my office recently opened a coffee kiosk in the lobby. I had never seen this use of "Golden Cup" as a marketing device. I tried an espresso, I didn't like it. I asked for a single, and it was served in a 12 oz paper cup (the smallest they had). It was about 4 oz of strong, bitter coffee, with little to no crema. When the barista was pulling my shot I asked where their beans came from, but she didn't know.

Coffee & Love

(picture from our Venice trip last July)

I only had enough beans to pull one double this morning. I gave it to my wife. These are the kinds of sacrifices you make when you're truly in love. My advice to any other guys that might find themselves in this situation, however- Make the sacrifice without making a big deal about it. Otherwise you might get "reminded" that she sacrificed when she gave birth to 4 of your children, and there isn't much to counter that argument.

Happy 12th Anniversary!

Holiday Delight from Paradise Coffee Roasters

Thanks to an excellent contest on Home-Barista.com I am the proud owner of a bag of Espresso Classico and a Paradise demitasse.
The coffee description states it is a "Northern Italian style" espresso, and the label has a picture of Venice. I have only pulled a couple of shots so far, but I will say it is better than 95% of the coffee I had in Venice. Of course, this was freshly roasted and ground per shot, something that those 95% of shops did not do. It really reminds me of the coffee I had at the Caffe del Doge, Rialto that I blogged about in July. I am looking forward to really exploring this coffee as I work through the bag.

I am a fan of dark chocolate. My wife and I like to keep some of the Valrhona bars from Trader Joes, and I have tried a bunch of different brands. Maybe the most high-falootin' stuff I have had has been from Vosges- really excellent.

I have typically been disappointed when the major candy brands come out with a 'dark' version of a classic candy bar, either the chocolate isn't really that good, or it doesn't fit well with the other components of the bar, or something intangible.

The dark version of Nestle's hundred thousand dollar bar (the name I still think of when I see "100 Grand") is a big exception! I think it is a better harmonious balance with the caramel and crispies.

Egad- I have found another way to gain weight over the holidays.

New addition to the list of things I am thankful for:
Due to the fact that my office is an easy walk to Intelligentsia, I am able to walk to pick up my weekly stash of coffee. Occasionally I am fortunate enough to encounter a weird bit of marketing, such as this rubber band guy, who accompanied the (claimed) largest rubber band ball in the world. He was dancing to the music of a local high school marching band, while other performers juggled 3" dia rubber band balls, and passed them out to audience members...such as myself.

landjaeger

landjaeger
Originally uploaded by pavasm.

Most folks who have driven up to Milwaukee from Chicago have noticed the Mars Cheese Castle right off the highway near Kenosha, WI. The building has faux parapets, and a big lit up sign to let you know you need to check it out. Inside they have the usual Wisconsin gifts, sausage shaped like a beer bottle, a chunk of cheese shaped like the state. The place has a feel that just screams "road trip" of a past era to me. The lounge inside the store is definitely old school. The cheese castle isn't where you get the landjaeger, though. For the best landjaeger you need to go next door to the castle. Bobby Nelson's Cheese Shop is the home of the best Landjeager I have ever tasted. This unassuming little building literally in the shadow of the more visible and tacky cheese castle might have remained an undiscovered gem if I hadn’t heard Steve Dahl talk about it. (In the 25 years or so I have been listening to this guy on the radio, I have yet to be disappointed when trying a food this guy has touted. http://www.dahl.com )

Landjaeger, as best as I can figure it out, is a very dry Swiss sausage. It is practically like beef jerky. It is usually displayed by having pairs linked together hung on a peg or line. It has this great chewy, tough texture with a salty, oily flavor. I prefer the black pepper variety. This stuff is great- there are times I get the craving, and I foolishly try to fill the void with Slim Jims, but nothing satisfies like the real thing. (Can you tell I recently watched “Harold and Kumar go to White Castle?)

new cups

new cups
Originally uploaded by pavasm.

Intelligentsia got new cups. I like the look, though I guess they are kind of 'modern', which fits nicely with the decor of the Millenium Park shop.

I wonder what became of all the old Black Cat cups.

Two recent aquisitions

IMAGE_026.jpg
Originally uploaded by pavasm.

I recently got a new tamper- The Home-Barista compressore from espressoparts.com. It is a slightly concave piston, and I am really liking the feel of the tamper as a whole and the fit in my baskets. I got the tamper when espressoparts had them on sale in honor of Home-Barista's anniversary.

I also recently got a bag of Counter Culture Coffee's Toscano espresso blend. When I got my grind and dose dialed in it was sweet, had some brightness (acidity) and maybe slightly less body than my usual Black Cat. On the best shots I pulled I also got a nuttiness I have not really experienced before. I got the espresso when Counter Culture had a labor day sale .

(sorry about the bad pic, I have been lazy and just using my phone for pictures lately)

Barista's Daily Grind, Kearney, NE


I visited the shop at 2400 Center St.
This is an amazing little oasis. The shop and drive through is imbedded in a nice garden with little waterfall fountains.
The espresso was top-notch, and the La Marzocco is behind the counter so you get to see the espresso pour very clearly.
My espresso was served in a Zoka cup, I believe they use Paladino.



The baristas were friendly, and seemed happy to hear I knew of the shop because of Ryan Dennhardt's USBC participation.

Colorado coffee- the bad and the good.

I spent some time in Boulder and Winter Park. Boulder had many coffee shops, but I only had a chance to try a couple. The first place I tried had a beautiful Rancilio lever machine. I was pretty excited to try the espresso, but sadly my ‘double’ was like 5 oz and watery. I tried another place that had a nice ‘bar’ surrounding the machine, and the espresso was decent, but I really cringed when I saw the barista leveling off the coffee in the portafilter with the drippy spout over the doser. In Winter Park I found the shop of a local roaster. They also had a lever machine, and my double shot was big and watery. I could have guessed, as I browsed the roasted beans that had no roast date.



I was impressed with a place called the “Brewing Market” in Boulder. They had La Marzocco Swift grinders and a Linea. The barista was friendly, and while chatting found she had some mixed feelings about the Swift. I was really impressed by the assortment of equipment they had. I felt a bit sheepish snapping too many pictures, but you can get an idea of the variety they had on display. They also had a Pasquini Livia and grinder combination, and a bunch of hand grinders (No Zassenhaus, but they looked like quality grinders- Peugeot, I believe)

Hill of Beans - Durant, IA

I had read the post on coffeegeek about this shop opening, and heard Ray (excitableboy) call the portafilter.net skypecast podcast talking about the shop. I decided I would try to stop in, and it happened to coincide with the time when my wife and I needed some coffee and a place for the kids to go to the bathroom. It was just a short drive off of 80 and very worth it! I had a very nice espresso. They use Intelligentsia Black Cat, and a shiny La Spaziale machine. They also use the "chicago chop" levelling method, and I got a nice, proper-sized double. The seating area is bright and comfortable, I wish I had time to sit and hang out, but we had a lot more road to cover. It was an early stop on our trip, but it would turn out to be some of the best coffee we would have while we were away. If you are passing through- please stop by and see Theresa (I believe that is the owner's name)- support someone doing things right in eastern Iowa.

Blobby
I have some 3 day old Harrar from Intelligentsia and I have been pulling shots. This morning I was inspired to add some milk. I have the splatters-o-shame around the edge, betraying the fact that the shot had some channeling. I don't mind that the latte 'art' is pretty pitiful- I enjoyed making it and drinking it!