CC: Barista

'
What's does "CC" mean?

Subject: Barista

Location visited: Portland, OR
(Pearl District location)
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]



Finally. That was the word that plowed into my mind when I passed into Portland's lovely city limits for my second trip ever, this one outlasting my last Portland trip which was no more then a late night Sunday pit stop.

First stop on my stops was Barista. I confess that since their opening in early 2009, I have wished to pass through their arches and experience what sounded like a great coffee experience. Barista had such appeal largely for their unorthodox-yet-beautifully-obvious approach to coffee, such as having many coffee roasters offered in their shop (the number was around 9 when I arrived) and having 3 rotating featured espressos every day.

I arrived tired but eager. I walked up the steps, onto their porch full of tables and inside to what looked like a lobby. Barista existed mostly to the left in a small shop with beautiful woodwork (I later found out that one guy does many of the gorgeous coffee bars for the city) and plenty of coffee (a whole wall is just whole bean bags for sale), but the shop spills into the lobby with big black tables that make the place exist in so much greater a space.

I ordered Stumptown's Kilimanjaro El Salvador as my espresso and a french press of Ristretto Roaster's El Salvador (no theme planned; just worked out that way). The espresso proved velvety in texture, ripe with a sugary lemon with vanilla kick plus an infusion of strawberry and blood orange. The shots were superbly pulled, short in volume, capped with great crema and overall, proved to be delicious. The french press had a beautifully bright introduction, with twangs of caramel, fig, honey, a little tapioca and chai; a very smooth coffee with a great profile. The tea I failed to note.

Of the coffeehouses I wish I lived near, I added Barista to my list that day. Stop in.

CC: JJ Bean

'
What's does "CC" mean?

Subject: JJ Bean

Location visited: Vancouver, BC
(Main St location)

Free WiFi ? : no

Rating: 6+ [see key]


Having a favorite coffee spot with a whole bunch of locations is something I don't experience a lot. Much like the masses patronize chains because of their convenience, many amazing coffee establishments don't possess a large number of venues usually for problems of cost and fears of oversaturation/overextension.

But when I recently hit Vancouver, I found yet another reason to envy the locals as not only do they have a variety of great coffee establishments, but a few of the establishments have numerous locations all over the city, like JJ Bean.

A coffeehouse that first started out on Grainville Island, the coffee business now has seven locations, all with very appealing architecture and solid reputations. In my limited travels, I managed to make it to the Main Street location with its glossy, wood-planked exterior and nice spacious windows. The inside has high ceilings, a central fireplace and a nice variety of seating.

JJ Bean roasts a vast array of coffee, with the Eastside Blend the coffee that found its way to my cup that morning, producing a smooth drip with a buttery hang and a hint of cherry. The espresso, which the barista pulled wonderfully short, possessed flavors of cocoa, lime and a subtle smoky flavor. I did not see the tea though I'm sure it is offered.

I wish I could have tried a few more of the JJ Beans, but alas, I had little time in Vancouver. Next time, I plan to definitely make a stop back as the experience was grand.

If you're in Vancouver, give one of JJ Bean's venues a whirl.

Goodbye Sweet Clover...

In reading some news recently, I stumbled across by far the most saddening news of the week. Starbucks released a press release stating that they just bought the company that makes Clovers. Sure that might actually mean that now the average citizen will be able to obtain a good cup of coffee from the consistently poor Charbucks, a welcome improvement. But it also ends the era of local coffeehouses even being allowed to buy the machines, as Starbucks now exclusively owns the technology, which means that if a non-Starbucks place already doesn't have a Clover, they're not going to (or so says the press release).

A funny thing is that the press release also stated the company will be introducing a "state-of-the-art espresso system that provides a perfect shot every time." Unless this machine is more of a cage with a World Barista Champion locked inside, I really have my doubts in seeing this come to fruition.

All in all, I draw some hope for the non-Starbucks world from this article in Slate.

Poor Coffeehouse Warning System

In a lot of my first visits to coffee outfits, there have been some times where I can usually tell before I even sip anything that it's going to be a rough experience. I have compiled a list of warning signs that a coffeehouse might not be that great. Some are scary, some are weird, but all seem to be fairly obvious. Without further delay:

You can tell a coffeehouse is poor when:

1. They ask you to instruct them on how to make an americano

2. Their menu says "expresso"

3. The barista greets you with "What do you want!?"

4. Where they get their coffee is a secret

5. You can't see the beans inside the espresso grinder because of all the residual oil

6. When you order a double shot of espresso, the barista looks at you all weird and retorts "You drink that!?"

7. They don't have ceramic cups and a menu option is espresso

8. You watch the barista start the pulling of a shot of espresso by first pulling out a small bag of ground coffee from a freezer

9. The coffeehouse owner is afraid people will steal the signature drink recipes and is in the process of getting the rights to a peppermint mocha latte (the ingredients are all trade secrets of course)

10. Everyone is wearing the same outfit

11. All of the recommended coffees are flavored

12. Their coffee roaster is in Italy and the coffeehouse is in the States

13. The coffee is sitting on a hot plate

and last but not least
14. The owner/barista asks you what blood type you are before she sells you coffee, as coffee is only good for some blood types (this really happened)

If you have some warning signs yourself, feel free to post them as a comment!

Coffee Commentary Prelude

So what is a CC?
To start off, CC is short for Coffee Commentary. A CC-titled post is a calculated look into a coffeehouse’s quality and each CC results from a personal visit to its location. I try to take it broadly, taking into account foremost menu integrity (the quality of the coffee and espresso, barista ability, etc) and then atmosphere/location, social practices (organic, fair trade, direct trade etc) and customer service.


Rating Scale
While the 1-6 rating scale for coffeehouses has changed a tad over the years, it still rings true. A 1+ or 2+ establishment is one with poor/sub-par coffee all around and is not really worth the time. A 6+ establishment holds both great non-espresso coffee (drip, pourover, french press, etc) and espresso, as well as good-great customer service and decent-amazing ambiance. Here's the short version:

pretty bad marks
1+ = poor (avoid)
2+ = ok (not really worth your time)

fair to decent rating
3+ = average (worth a go)
4+ = good (a pleasant experience)

high accolades
5+ = really good (a fine specimen)
6+ = amazing (worth the trip)


So...
For those who have stopped by these places and have something (useful) to share, I’d love to hear what you think (I appreciate a healthy dose of objectivity).

For those who own or work at the establishments I comment on, please don't take it personal. I want (practically) nothing more then for good coffee and espresso to be available everywhere, so look at any criticism as constructive feedback to consider.

On the flip side, I always welcome feedback as long as it's honest and polite (please no rude or abusive responses). If you would like to contact me personally, email me at bill.purecoffee@gmail.com .

Please note that I pay out of pocket for ALL coffee commentary posts.


Updated 1/28/13