Source: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/7632653.html
Revival Market is the toast of the town
Coffee bar is an example of grocery’s push for local goods
By GREG MORAGO FOOD WRITER
June 29, 2011, 5:26PM
Michael Paulsen Houston Chronicle Barista, Fabio Pontes, makes an espresso behind the coffee bar at Revival Market in the Heights. The grocery is one of the few places in town where you can get locally roasted coffee from a handful of the city's top roasters.
“…
Revival continues to explore ways to distinguish itself as both a market and a marketplace, thanks to the efforts of co-owners Morgan Weber and Ryan Pera. Revival’s coffee program is a good example. Java fans will be happy to know that Revival is the only place in town where you can buy beans from three of Houston’s small-batch roasters: Amaya Roasting Co., Greenway Coffee Co. and Fusion Beans. Those boutique purveyors have joined the store’s coffee stock, which also includes Katz’s Coffee and Fontana Coffee Roasters.
With top-notch Houston-roasted beans available, expanded offerings at its coffee bar and serious bean-head baristas working behind the counter, Revival is the city’s new coffee mecca.
“A lot of people who know coffee already know about it, so they come,” said barista Fabio Pontes.
But those who aren’t in the know might be surprised to learn that the coffee bar occasionally has local coffee masters pouring as guest baristas. Recently Max Gonzalez of Catalina Coffee (which features Amaya beans) rocked Revival’s coffee bar. Coffee sales doubled that day.
Revival’s coffee bar also is unique in that it is serving an espresso tasting “flight” that includes strong plain espresso, an Americano (espresso with water) and cappuccino (espresso with milk). The bar also cold steeps its coffee for iced coffee, as opposed to brewed coffee that is iced. The difference in flavors is astonishing.
The coffee program is, like its food offerings, Revival’s way of supporting the best of local purveyors and food artisans. The store already has become the place where the best locally sourced products can be found…”
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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
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Who knew?
I stumbled across this piece via arizona-coffee.com
Source: Mr. Tweet
When J.R. Cohen, Operations Manager for CoffeeGroundz (@coffeegroundz) Cafe in Houston, Texas first heard about Twitter from one of his customers, he was puzzled but intrigued. Today, he credits Twitter with almost doubling his clientele and with opening his eyes to a whole new way to build Community.
…Shortly after joining Twitter, Cohen started following members of the local Houston Twitterati and in no time had amassed over 1000 followers. Cohen is a naturally charismatic, giving, and friendly guy – traits that make him a natural on a network like Twitter….
…On October 31st, 2008 Sean Stoner (@maslowbeer) was hungry. As a regular customer at CoffeeGroundz he sent the following Twitter to Cohen:
Cohen quickly replied and Sean went through the drive-thru at CoffeeGroundz to pick up his burrito.
This simple exchange got a lot of coverage on Twitter and was hailed as potentially the first time that Twitter had ever been used to place a To-Go Order. more…
I’m not really sure what to think about this. It’s not direct, but it seems like its saying that a guy increased his business by turning his specialty coffee retailer into a fast food joint, though that’s from an article written by someone who doesn’t work in the business. That having been said, I could be wrong!
Have any of you Houston readers been there?
How many readers are on Twitter?
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Some of you may remember our blog post about this movie when the trailer was posted. (ignore the formatting.. the post is from an earlier incarnation of this blog)
Well, today I received an email from Amy Ferraris, the creator of the film, to let us know that it will be screening THREE TIMES in Texas. Be sure to watch the trailer if you haven’t already.
Don’t miss the screening if you can help it. I’m not sure I’ll be able to make any of them, honestly, which is a shame. So here’s hoping most of you can catch it and give us a write-in about it.
Amy writes,
Hi guys,
I’m a documentary filmmaker, and I’ve recently finished a film called “The Perfect Cappuccino.” I’m writing because it’s going to be screening a few times in Texas over the next couple months – the first time is this Saturday in Denton. And I was wondering if you would consider either posting something in one of your forums or creating a blog post to let your members know about the screenings? I think the crowd of people who frequent your site would definitely get a kick out of the film.It’s going to be screening…
–Saturday 9/27 at 11:00 am in Denton, Texas as part of the Thin Line Film Fest (www.thinlinefilmfest.com)
–At the Dallas Video Festival, which runs Nov. 6-9 (www.videofest.org)
–At the Real Films screening series in Houston in early November (www.realfilms.org) – I will be at this screening for a discussion afterward.I’m pasting the text of a press release re: the screening in Denton below. (Excuse the press release-ese, but it has some good info on the film in general…)
Thanks for your help in getting the word out!
All the best–
Amy
_____________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEThe Perfect Cappuccino
A documentary about coffee, consumerism and being American
screens in Denton, Texas on September 27, 2008Global Capitalism. One Man’s Fight for Survival. Delicately Foamed Milk.
One morning only!Filmmaker Amy Ferraris’ eucalyptus pictures presents the Texas premiere of THE PERFECT CAPPUCCINO at 11:00 am on Saturday, September 27, at the Fine Arts Theater in Denton, Texas. This quirky, first-person documentary screens as part of the 2008 Thin Line Film Festival (www.thinlinefilmfest.com).
THE PERFECT CAPPUCCINO tells the story of thirtysomething Amy Ferraris’ lifelong obsession with the cappuccino, an Italian coffee drink that consists of espresso and foamed milk. Having first discovered the cappuccino on a trip to Italy in 1990, Ferraris comes back to the U.S. and is plagued by one seemingly unanswerable question: in the country that put a man on the moon, why is it so hard to find a decent cappuccino?! Ferraris’ quest to answer this question leads her all over the country and includes encounters with a wide variety of characters, including average coffee drinkers, espresso historians, cultural critics, political activists, and even one of the founders of Starbucks. Ultimately, the search leads her to the DoubleShot Coffee Company in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she finds not only sensational coffee but a community of fascinating characters as well. But her happy discovery coincides with a threat to DoubleShot’s very existence: a legal dispute with corporate giant Starbucks.
“Although this film is pretty wide-ranging in terms of time and geography, in the end, the DoubleShot story is really the film’s heart,” Ferraris notes. “The David-and-Goliath story of this tiny shop standing on principle and going up against a corporate behemoth really inspired me, and it really made me think.” Although it maintains a light-hearted tone, THE PERFECT CAPPUCCINO raises some serious questions. Why is the Starbucks chain-store model a uniquely American approach to coffee? Is there something in our character, as Americans, that pushes us toward expansion and mass standardization? Is this human nature? Is it American nature? Are we a culture that values business enterprise? Or a culture that is ruled by it?
Described by one viewer as Super Size Me meets This American Life, THE PERFECT CAPPUCCINO was a crowd-pleaser at its festival premiere in August 2008, at the Hardacre Film & Cinema Festival in Iowa. Ferraris has pieced together a smart, witty meditation on what our coffee habits say about us, as individuals and as a nation. “The central idea behind this film,” comments Ferraris, “is that when you talk about a ‘perfect’ cup of coffee – or any food, for that matter – you are really talking about much more than how it tastes. Taste is part of it, but there are these other intangible things too – the environment in which you drink it; community, or the people who’re with you when you do; the business practices of the entity who sold it to you… there’s so much to consider.”
Tickets for the event may be purchased in advance at www.thinlinefilmfest.com.
###
To view a trailer of the film, please visit http://cappuccinomovie.com
Media Contact: Amy Ferraris at cappuccinomovie@gmail.com
Production still photos available for publication.
Press copies of the film available for review.
For press inquiries on the Thin Line Film Festival in general, please contact festival director Joshua Butler at joshuabutler@texasfilmmakers.org
The Fine Arts Theater is located at 115 N. Elm Street, Denton, Texas 76201
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Texas Turner
I received an email from Mr. John Van Domelen.
He wanted to let everyone know about his line of wood-turned espresso tampers.
John writes,
I am a Houston based wood turner. One of my product lines is hand crafted espresso tampers.If you think it would be of interest, please consider placing a link on one of your info pages.I would be happy to place a back to your site on my links page.Espresso tamper link: http://www.texasturner.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=126Thank youCheers!
Many years ago my grandfather Paul R. Smith introduced me to turning on the lathe. I am at the point in my life that I have the time to rediscover the joy of creating handcrafted wood items.I use the lathe as the primary tool in the creation of my art and craft. Further work is sometimes done off the lathe. I may carve, burn, texture and dye some pieces in order to further bring forth the beauty in the wood.
I enjoy sharing the process of creation and hope that by sharing it another generation will carry on the art and craft of wood turning.
I love working with wood; how it feels, how it smells. Above all, I derive great joy in taking this gift of nature and adding the human touch to create beauty.
A Note on Wood
I use many rare tropical hardwoods in the creation of my items. When possible I buy small pieces of wood and cutoffs that otherwise might be discarded. I feel this best uses this natural treasure. I also use a substantial amount of what I call reclaimed lumber. New housing developments and tree trimmers have been great sources for this wood that would otherwise clog our landfills. I have a vested interest in forest conservation and work toward a balance in the stewardship of this resource.
– John Paul Van Domelen
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I received an email from Bill Giffen today regarding his roasting company.
Bill writes,
Come by and visit our store, we are open 24/7. COE. Sngle origin, Gunslinger and Pony Espresso
From the “About Us” page on the website,
We, Bill & Gayla Giffen, began this company out of our enjoyment of coffee. Ten years ago we were intoduced to the finest Americano money could buy. We stumbled upon this coffee shop, Camp 4 Coffee, in Crested Butte, Colorado. We spotted a sign on the side of a small, run down building. There was little room inside for two people to stand sideways. We ordered coffee, but to our suprise didn’t get coffee poured out of a coffee pot, as expected. The gentleman behind the counter fixed Gayla and I a fresh shot Americano (espresso coffee with hot water.) WOW! It was that goooood! Needless to say, we had our mark by which to compare all other espresso drinks. We still vist Camp 4 Coffee when in the area and it is still some of the very best. Our hope is that you will enjoy our final product as much as we have enjoyed learning about the coffee process.
And from the Texas Coffee People forums,
Click 1
and
Click2
It seems they will sell green coffee to the public as well.
Bill also said,
Catalina Coffee at 2201 Washington will serve you up my Gunslinger or Pony Espresso.
Bill Giffen
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Grounds for enthusiasm – link
Houston Business Journal – by Susan Powell Special to Houston Business Journal
By dedicating himself to not only brewing a fabulous cup of coffee, but also sharing his passion for premium coffee with the world, Mike McKim has turned an avocation into a full-time occupation.
At his company’s headquarters in a small nondescript strip mall at 2810 Louetta Road in Spring, about a mile west of Interstate 45, it’s clear that McKim, CEO of Cuvée Coffee Roasting Co., is building a business aimed at other professionals.
The full-service operation imports the world’s finest beans, then roasts them to exacting standards.
A big congratulations to Mike and Cuveé!
We’ve seen Brown and Gallo in the press before, and this isn’t the first time I’ve seen Cuveé in print.
Who’s next?
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I received an email today from Johnathan R. letting us know about their shop.
He writes,
Midtown location in Houston is up and running after much fine tunning. We also have a full bar as well. So if your in the area stop by and double your pleasure.
Thanks
J.R.
It seems they have a new location (the reason for the email). Their two locations are:
MIDTOWN
713.874.0082; 2503 Bagby, Houston, TX 77006
M–TH: 6 am to 12 am; F: 6 am to 3 am;
SAT: 7 am to 3 am; SUN: 7 am to 12 pm;
and
SUGAR LAND
281.313.2007; 2109 Highway 6, Sugar Land, TX 77478
M–TH: 5:30 am to 9 pm; F: 5:30 am to 10 pm;
SAT: 7 am to 10 pm; SUN: 7 am to 9 pm
Their website is http://www.thecoffeegroundz.com/
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