I finished my previous post from the previous coffee shop too early. Once I packed up my laptop, put away my notes, and put my winter gear on, I looked up from my table and sure enough a hipster looking mother was nursing her child with her breasts hanging out for all to see. Like I said, EVERY stereotype and prejudice you may have had about people in liberal coffee shops is correct.
Today I'm back at it again after the weekend, this time at a very cozy joint. It's cozy because it's on a corner of a building and most of the external walls are windows resulted in a greenhouse effect in the coffee shop. I also decided to occupy the comfy leather couch in a section of the coffee shop that is unoccupied by anybody else. Everybody is sitting in the uncomfortable metal and wood chairs, in the one section where there is a wall and not a window. Maybe it's because they don't want the glare on their Apple products...yes, again, I am the only one here with a Microsoft operating system.
Art on the wall is from a local person. I can't call him an "artist" because I could draw this shit when I was in the 8th grade. And wow, how original - they're paints of local buildings and locales in the Twin Cities. There are also oil paintings of feline creatures from Africa up on the wall that show a bit more artistic ability. $85 each...unless your house had that African grass hut motif or you just wanted to scare little children, I wouldn't buy them.
Music is some band I remember from the 90's. I can't put my finger on the band, but it's definitely sad and depressing. A cello and an acoustic guitar, accompanied by men who sing like girls. Speaking of the 90's, most peoples cars hail from that period too. I can't complain or mock them though, my car is also from the 90's, but that was more out of a conscious choice of minimalism than one of forced finances.
The coffee is good. I've learned a new bit of vernacular in the coffee shop world - "dark roast." Means stronger tasting coffee. Up until this point the only coffee I had was the stuff you get for free at corporate offices. Sure I had the occasional cup of Joe at the occasional coffee store, but it all fell under "coffee." I still can't tell the difference between different blends and really couldn't care less. There's "strong" coffee and "weak" coffee. Whether it comes from an "Arabica" bean or a Central American bean my taste buds can't tell. It's not like wine where it's sweet or tart, where you can discern between different types of wine. Unless I start seeing distinct flavors and differences between coffees, my brain will be predisposed to entertain the theory that "coffee culture"or "coffee connoisseuring" is an effortless hobby people claim to pursue to sound intelligent or seem cultured.
9 comments:
Try cold pressing coffee. You'll notice the difference.
Looking forward to the Captain's Coffee Table Book...
Looking forward to the Captain's Coffee Table Book... full of glossy photos, hilarity and insight.
There's a coffee shop I like frequenting, which despite the occasional live music, paintings on the walls, and fancy drinks is relatively creature-free (well... aside from their hairdos and piercings; but to be honest, I looked like a bit of a douche at that age...). The difference with this one? It's run by a church. You'd never guess it due to the lack of proselytizing, but it has a much more humble atmosphere.
The Breast Feeding Club (which I've seen) prefers places a bit more mainstream.
As for good coffee, I prefer Maxwell House Dark Roast - due to the price point, and a great flavour. Mix in some cinnamon and nutmeg when you brew it - and a good African dark roast bean is worth it, if you can afford it.
Look for the shiny, oily beans - those are the freshest.
Arabica refers to the variety of the bean, not where it is grown. Robusta beans (the other type) have twice the caffeine of Arabica, but less flavor. Robusta beans are more hardy and tend to be higher yielding and are therefore cheaper. Robusta beans tend to be grown in the eastern hemisphere, not central america.
Coffee an obsession I can live without. Haven't taken a sip since I was 2. Didn't like it then, don't want to try it now and find I like it and become hopelessly addicted to it. Just another obsession to dump money in.
Coffee is similar to wine or beer. If you want to be a snob about it, you can be. If you just want to enjoy quality, then a universe of options opens up to you.
I was a Tim Horton's double cream-double sugar drinker until last year's plan to reduce sugar in my diet (go paleo!). Now, black coffee all the way, I buy and grind my beans for each cup. Coffee is so much better now, compared to the chain-store stuff I used to drink.
If you do ever decide to enjoy coffee a bit more, I recommend a burr grinder (not blade) for grinding beans. French press of one variety or another for making the coffee. You get a lot more control over your coffee this way. (Strength, amount, etc)
For your lifestyle, this might be the idea package for you. It's also a wonderful little capitalist-why-didn't-I-think-of-that-first product. http://www.amazon.com/AeroPress-Coffee-Espresso-zippered-Filters/dp/B002ZD3QJC/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=VGHCNNFZCJ9F&coliid=IDAUVHR21M1SS
You'd LOVE my coffee shop. Hipster surfers, few seats, no wi fi. Funky nostalgic pieces on the wall. but by God they have great coffee. And the owner is a real business woman.
Hey look .... there are two kinds of coffee. Strong coffee that tastes like ...well ... coffee and then there weak coffee that tastes like ... well ... brown water.
I don't know about America, but here in British Columbia GWN (Great White North) McDonalds of the golden arches has up graded their coffee and installed wifi. It's cheap and there are very few liberals making the place look untidy.
Further, now that it is a sin to eat McDonalds food, there are very few kids in there anymore ... mostly just old people like me who still insist on value for money.
McDonalds may yet become a 'groovy' place to meet and have a coffee with your friends.
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