Anonymous Review of The Pearl Cup: Dallas

I saw this on the net and got permission to stick it up here.
Let me preface this by saying I hate coffee. Pearl Cup rocks.
They must be doing something right to get a simple, yet glorious, review like that. Way to go!
It probably doesn’t hurt that D Magazine voted their “Pearl Latte” the best latte of 2009.
If you’re in Dallas and in need of a decent cup of coffee, you might consider dropping in.
The Pearl Cup
1900 N. Henderson Ave, Dallas, TX 75206
Fioza Cafe: Houston
Some readers may already know about Fioza, but since I just found out about them via Flickr (and their ties to Catalina), I figured I’d give them a mention.
I have not been, but I get the impression that they care about the quality of their coffee.
Fioza wants the best that coffee has to offer. We are constantly learning, constantly improving, constantly creating, and constantly adjusting anything that can be improved. From fresh locally roasted coffee to well crafted espresso drinks using the best equipment we know, we strive to create a great coffee experience.
Pair that with the fact that they hosted/sponsored a latte art throwdown with Catalina Coffee, and the implied result sounds promising.
Here are a couple of pictures from their website as well:

Have you been to Fioza? How was it?
Fioza Cafe has been added to our list of Retailers.
Fioza Cafe9002 Chimney Rock Rd, Suite F
Houston, TX 77096
Random Picture Friday #14: Twitchy the Squirrel
If you’ve ever seen Hoodwinked!, you’ll find the humor in this picture. If you have not, you’ll find another form of humor in this picture. Either way, there are a few jokes to be derrived from it. I’ll let you use your imagination.

Have a great weekend!
(p.s. – Special Guest Heather Perry will be speaking at the latte art throwdown being hosted at Urban Dog Coffee in Oak Lawn(DFW) this upcoming Sunday night at 7pm.)
Be there, or b²
Creative Summer Drinks

It’s big. It’s bright. It’s hot. Right now, it’s taking it all out on us.
It’s the middle of June, and while it’s not officially summer, you probably wouldn’t know it from stepping outside.
Here in Lubbock, we’ve seen a massive increase in cold and blended beverage sales, and a nose-dive in hot espresso sales. Like any season, summer is an opportunity to turn a changing demand into an increase in sales.
There are a number of things to implement as “limited time” products, such as shakeratos, affogato, and other common menu items, but why limit yourself?
There is an abundance of seasonal fruit available these days. Why not make use of them? Syrups are the common go-to item for many “signature drink” categories,but it doesn’t have to be this way!
Why not try adding blueberries to an iced blended latte made with a single origin Harrar or Sidamo espresso? Or why not add a hint of mango to a shakerato made with a chocolate-and-fruit noted espresso?
These are just off the top of my head, but I know there are LOTS of creative drinks out there, and we want to hear about YOUR ideas. We’d like to hear from customers as well as baristas, on this one.

The Coffee Haus Downtown: Arlington, TX
I received an email recently asking that The Coffee Haus Downtown be added to our list of Roasters and Retailers.
This shop was apparently one of the first businesses in the downtown Arlington’s urban renewal, and I suspect carries the same Coffee Haus name as has been present in the DFW area for years, though that has not been verified.
The Coffee Haus Downtown has been added to our list of Roasters and our list of Retailers.
The Coffee Haus Downtown 208 S. Mesquite St. Arlington, TX 76010 817-795-5790 info@thecoffeehausdowntown.comSaturday Night Smackdown: Austin
As taken from an email, and an announcement in the Texas Coffee People group on BaristaExchange.com:
Hey Texas Coffee People!!
We’re having yet another Saturday Night Smackdown. Caffe Medici on Guadalupe in Austin is closing down early on May 30th, we’re pulling out the keg and pulling out the steaming pitchers. It’s listed under the events page on bX, or you can find out more at www.saturdaynightsmackdown.blogspot.com.
We’ll be doing a tasting and discussion on processing methods, then getting a little tipsy and pouring some lattes. Hope to see ya’ll there.
Random Picture Friday #11: Face in the Beans
Can YOU find the face in the beans?
If you give up, click here.

Random Picture Friday #7: Beans.. magical fruit

The last one to figure out what’s wrong with this analogy is a rotten egg!
p.s. – there’s an interesting logo in this photo as well.
2009 USBC Live Video Feed (and Live-Blogging)
Feed can be found here -> Click
Blog can be found here -> Click
Or, you can just sit back, and enjoy the show from the comfort of TX-Coffee.com:
Animated Video – Just for Fun
Sometimes coffee solves problems.
Sometimes problems are just inspiration for new coffee machines.
I hope Monday wasn’t too terrible.















