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A Random, Yet Deserved, Quote of the Day v. 10-24-08
Space is the enemy here, and geopolitical boundaries seem to be the enemy of our coalescence. Because the entity is known as “Texas” it seems to make sense that we should all be one big happy family. But as the interstate sign makes clear as you cross into Texas from Louisiana, this really is a big, big place. The sign reads: WELCOME TO TEXAS! Beaumont = 15 miles; Houston = 150 miles; El Paso = 798 miles. Thus, we have to make the best of our situation by grabbing every opportunity for community, no matter how frequency and geographically-challenged and those opportunities are.
- Aaron Blanco
“coming up” - http://coffeepress.blogspot.com
Latte Art Throwdown - Sept. 27th, Catalina Coffee: Houston, TX
Latte Art Throwdown
- @ Catalina Coffee
$20 to enter - winner takes all.
Baristas will have 7 minutes to make up to three lattes, choose one to present to three judges.
Judging will be based on symmetry, contrast, and technical difficulty and complexity of the art.
Free-pour only, no etching.
Cafe Gallo (and Brown Coffee Co.) mentioned in the San Antonio Current.
I happened upon this just today, so don’t shoot me for being a month late!
Amuse-BOUCHE
(tasty little dish)
By Elaine Wolff
Café Gallo proprietor Jason Garcia – an alum of Le Rêve and Biga – would like to shake up some of your locally grown food assumptions: Coffee doesn’t have to be roasted within an inch of its life to be flavorful, e.g., and bolillos don’t have to be white. more…
Very Cool!
I’d like to see more local journalists highlight the best coffee businesses in their area. I know Austin has done something kind of like this (with a rating, though not really much in the way of columns).
Even though I’m a month late, congrats to the Gallo! (and to Brown).
On Professionalism and the Necessity of Tasting
Last week, I walked into a coffee retailer for the sole purpose of socializing over a cup of coffee. I walked up to the counter, and asked which coffee was freshest (obviously, it is not a cup-at-a-time establishment, as most aren’t). Then I asked what it tasted like. The barista couldn’t tell me.
I see this as a big problem. Dan mentioned a situation that can touch on this a bit in the forums (though not about tasting).
When you go to a restaurant, and you see a particular dish that strikes your fancy, you may ask your waiter to describe it for you. You may also ask his opinion and if he would recommend it. Nine times out of ten, the waiter will do a sufficient job of describing the dish, as well as his personal evaluation.
So when I see a barista who is not only serving the product, but actually MAKING the product as well, who cannot even describe to me what sort of a flavor experience to expect, I consider there to be something very wrong. There exist some baristas who will say, “Oh, I don’t drink coffee.” And others who will say, “I don’t know, I don’t like coffee.” And there are those who do the minimum and just repeat the flavor descriptor off of the packaging from the roaster, their boss, or something other than drawing from their own experiences.
Are we to just accept that the person serving our beloved cup of coffee actually cares less about this product being served than the consumer who, by comparison, is supposed to know very little by comparison?
For the life of me, I cannot understand why someone who does not drink coffee would ever want to work in a position serving coffee to others. And what’s more, I have an even more difficult time understanding why a business owner or manager would ever consider hiring someone who will not be able to describe what they are serving, much less ever care for its quality.
So, maybe this is a little bit of a rant. Either way, we are professionals. A professional does not do only the minimum. A professional does not stop at “good enough”. A professional knows their craft inside and out, and has an enormous respect for the materials they work with, and the work that went into them. It is for this reason that I believe that a coffee professional must taste everything they serve. They must do cuppings on a regular basis. They should take notes (mental or tangible), and experiment with variables until perfection is attained(an impossible feat, which ought to tell you something about the nature of a professional).
When a customer comes up to you and says, “Tell me about this coffee,” you should be able to draw upon a wealth of stored information. Flavor descriptors, brewing parameters, where it came from, how it was processed, its varietal/cultivar, the roast level, who the roaster is (if applicable), and any and every other detail you can retain that the customer may be interested in hearing.
I recently lead a cupping with a shop here in Lubbock. They had never done one before, but I am told it was a very enlightening experience, and these baristas gained a new respect for their craft. This lasted for less than an hour, and it had a huge impact, and I’m sure that this enthusiasm will be perceived by their customers. People like buying from businesses who know their products better, can communicate better, and who have a love and passion for what they do.
I would consider it a good idea to hold a weekly staff tasting lead by an experienced barista, manager, owner, or whoever can help further the education and spark a little excitement into those present.
Quality is not a goal. It is a methodology of striving towards an unreachable end.
Starbucks intended competition = coopetition?
SLATE presents,
Don’t Fear Starbucks
Why the franchise actually helps mom and pop coffeehouses. (click)
It appears that having Starbucks move down the road from your coffee retailer may not be such a bad thing afterall.
I’ve been saying for a long time that Starbucks has done more good by “enlarging the pie” than they have harm by misleading customers with drink titles. For many people, Starbucks is their first experience with Specialty Coffee. Starbucks is common enough to not seem overly intimidating for the average consumer, but is socially elevated enough to give the impression of being something above average.
With their marketing success, and exponential growth rate, having a new store moving in near your retailer can be a scary thought. This article gives a brief insight as to why it may not be such a scary thing.
I do, however, feel that it is important to point out that the focus is on quality, and only quality.
Perhaps the Barista Guild of America is right. “Quality as the primary means of success.”
SLATE: Why Starbucks actually helps mom and pop coffeehouses by Taylor Clark
Joe Mama’s Coffee House: Amarillo, TX
I didn’t get an email for this one, as I’ve been aware
of the arrival of this shop for quite a few months.
I met the owner in person when he came to Dallas to
watch the 2007 SCRBC, so this shop has been a long
time coming.
It just opened recently.
They run a 4 group Linea, and offer a lunch menu that
includes some award winning barbecue.
I’ve been told that they have received multiple compliments
already about having the best coffee in town. Kudos to them!
(or if you happen to live there), I’d recommend a stop.
Ray is a great guy, and is driven for quality.
It’s been added to the list of retailers.
Joe Mama’s Coffee House
4112 S.W. 50th
Amarillo, Tx 79109
(806)457-8700 main
((806)457-8701 - fax
Email: joemamascoffeehouse[AT]yahoo.com
Joe Mama’s Coffee House: Amarillo, TX
I didn’t get an email for this one, as I’ve been aware
of the arrival of this shop for quite a few months.
I met the owner in person when he came to Dallas to
watch the 2007 SCRBC, so this shop has been a long
time coming.
It just opened recently.
They run a 4 group Linea, and offer a lunch menu that
includes some award winning barbecue.
I’ve been told that they have received multiple compliments
already about having the best coffee in town. Kudos to them!
(or if you happen to live there), I’d recommend a stop.
Ray is a great guy, and is driven for quality.
It’s been added to the list of retailers.
Joe Mama’s Coffee House
4112 S.W. 50th
Amarillo, Tx 79109
(806)457-8700 main
((806)457-8701 - fax
Email: joemamascoffeehouse[AT]yahoo.com
Joe Mama’s Coffee House: Amarillo, TX
I didn’t get an email for this one, as I’ve been aware
of the arrival of this shop for quite a few months.
I met the owner in person when he came to Dallas to
watch the 2007 SCRBC, so this shop has been a long
time coming.
It just opened recently.
They run a 4 group Linea, and offer a lunch menu that
includes some award winning barbecue.
I’ve been told that they have received multiple compliments
already about having the best coffee in town. Kudos to them!
(or if you happen to live there), I’d recommend a stop.
Ray is a great guy, and is driven for quality.
It’s been added to the list of retailers.
Joe Mama’s Coffee House
4112 S.W. 50th
Amarillo, Tx 79109
(806)457-8700 main
((806)457-8701 - fax
Email: joemamascoffeehouse[AT]yahoo.com
Barista Exchange (late on this, but better late than never!)
Matt Miletto of Bellissimo Coffee InfoGroup, and the American Barista and Coffee School (ABC’s) has put together a brilliant community site for the exchange of ideas, education, and, get this, baristas!
This gives the individual barista a way to travel the world in order to experience new concepts in great coffee by working as an “exchange barista” (like an exchange student) at another cafe. Travel is not required to be a member, and traveling internationally is certainly up to you.
I’m a member!
View my page on Barista Exchange
And if you are a barista, shop-owner, or a roaster or consultant(like me!), you can join in on the fun. Think of it as a Myspace… just for the coffee industry. Brilliant!
Our very own Aaron Blanco(The Brown Coffee Co. has also joined, and I believe Mike McKim of Cuvee Coffee Roasters has joined as well.
If you work in the coffee business, YOU NEED TO JOIN THIS SITE!
Dosey Doe Coffee House: The Woodlands, TX
I received an email this morning from Murry Holland to say that they were surprised to not see this retailer on the list.
Murry writes,
I don’t have any association with Dosey Doe Coffee in The Woodlands TX but I did notice they were not listed on your website. They roast some really good coffee. The owner says he ships out about 200lbs every day.
No association necessary.
You’ll now find a link to Dosey Doe Coffee in both the Retailers page, as well as the Roasters page.
Thanks Murry!
It is interesting to note that their “Dining Hall” is a 150 year old barn… from, not Texas, but Kentucky. It apparently took two years to raise the old barn back to its useful glory. More info on their website. Not something I would normally expect to find in a coffee roaster/retailer.
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