CC: Caffe Vero Coffee Roasters

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Subject: Caffe Vero Coffee Roasters

Location visited: Lake George, NY
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 4+ [see key]


Of all of the frequent parts of my childhood, I remember vacationing in Ocean City, NJ almost every summer for the first 18 years of my existence. While I immensely love the natural draws such as the beach, the fresh summer air and the ocean, the man-made attractions such as the boardwalk, salt water taffy, caramel popcorn and various amusements inhabit my really vivid memories.

But boy howdy how Ocean City differs in the winter, as typical for a resort/vacation town. Nothing is really open, the streets are barren and the only thing to do is polar bear swims (I am currently at 21 separate swims). Yet aside from visits to such towns along the coasts (at least in NJ and Oregon), I can't say I've been to many non-coastal resort towns that don't hold at least two seasons worth of tourists.

Lake George is probably one of the few exceptions. I've been to the town twice in my life, the first for a Geology field trip in October as a college freshman and then as a recent stop on a trip to Lake Placid; both times the town has been practically empty (even the McDonald's was closed for the season!). But aside from the lack of bustle, there was still one draw for me.

Word had it that a place called Caffe Vero Coffee Roasters was doing some good things with coffee and espresso. Delighted to find a possible good coffee stop in so barren a coffee area, I practically sprinted out of the car and through their front window (ok, maybe I wasn't that extreme, but it felt like it).

The interior had a nice long counter up front and in the back, a seating area arrayed in mountain lodge style with plenty of old wood seating amidst a roaring hearth. I stepped up to the counter and ordered their house blend (a medium roast) and an espresso. The drip proved good, as it reminded me of root beer, ginger, a touch of earthiness and as it cooled, a tinge of cream. The espresso, a dark blend extracted by skilled hands, demonstrated bitter and dark but had some nice flavors of chocolate and citrus (had the blend been different, maybe lighter, the espresso would have been better). The tea is free leaf.

So, though Caffe Vero had a few disappointments, the place seems to hold tremendous promise. If you happen to be in Lake George for either summer vacation or a winter pit stop, give Caffe Vero a go.

The Holiday Gift Post

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It's that time of year again when people swarm the malls and people all over wait to the last minute to give adequate thought to giving amazing gifts. Thus, of the coffee and tea world, here's some ideas I would recommend for someone in your life that loves coffee or tea:


I. Whole Bean Coffee
A simple gift, yet too often people either fear to get this because they know not where to start or they shop for something they would drink. So, before you attempt to buy whole bean coffee for someone, please do the following homework:

- Are you going to be able to get your gift to the Gift-ee fresh? Coffee has at worst a week of peak freshness and at best, will stay good for at least two weeks.
- Do they like a certain kind of roast? I personally find most dark roasts overpoweringly bitter and no good (as do many) but some people really like that taste (for some reason).
- What is important to them about their coffee? Taste is usually a given, but many people drink exclusively sustainable coffees (i.e. direct trade, fair trade, organic, etc.) or they really like a certain kind of coffee (geography, type of blend, etc).

Once you have the above information, than you should make sure you go with a good coffee roaster. If you have one nearby, you are superbly fortunate. If not, here's some amazing roasters I've had recently, listed alphabetically also with their roasting locations (in case you want to cut down on the carbon footprint of the shipping):
- Caffe Vita (Seattle)
- Counter Culture Coffee (Durham, NC)
- Crescent Moon Coffee & Tea (Mullica Hill, NJ)
- Gimme Coffee (Ithaca, NY and NYC)
- Intelligentsia Coffee (Chicago and LA)
- PT's Coffee (Topeka, KS)
- Stumptown Coffee (NYC and Portland, OR)
- Terroir Coffee (Boston area)
- Wicked Joe (Brunswick, Maine)
- Zoka (Seattle)


II. Tea
Good tea is something amazing that, much like good coffee, needs to be fresh and of good quality. Fortunately, tea that is stored air tight and out of light will keep for about a year.

Tea also has a much more recognizable versatility than coffee, as tea is broken down into the categories of white, green, oolong, black, red and herbal. You can also buy tea free leaf (much better) or pre-bagged (a bit of a crap shoot).

Thus, if you have little knowledge of what you can get, than it's a good idea to go to a knowledgeable tea purveyor nearby, you can try one of these places below (also alphabetical) or check some of the coffeehouses above as many also sell tea:
- Golden Moon Tea (Virginia)
- Peli Teas (California)
- Q Trade Teas (California)
- Rishi Tea (Wisconsin)
- Teas Etc (Florida)
- Tea Beyond (NJ)
- Teavana (many retail locations all over too)


III. Espresso Stuff
This here category is possibly the most daunting unless you were given a specific item from the person you are shopping for. So, I would highly recommend not buying someone an espresso machine on a whim as a really good espresso machine requires a really good grinder, skill and a lot of dedication.

DO NOT take the easy way out by getting a pod espresso machine, an automatic machine or basically anything easily obtained at a department store UNLESS you know that's what the person wants. I can't even begin to mourn over how many of these machines are returned or destroyed by coffee fanatics each year...
You can check out some of the following resources to help in determining a good buy:
- CoffeeGeek Espresso Forum
- Coffeed Espresso Forum
- Espresso Parts (more a commercial resource)
- Home Barista.com


IV. Grinders
An essential item in any coffee fanatic's kitchen, whether for espresso or regular drip. For non-espresso, you have either blade grinders (cheaper but less consistent in grind) or burr grinders (the more consistent the grind, the more expensive). For espresso, you absolutely must have a good burr grinder.

This topic also is fraught with many selections, so if you're simply looking for a grinder for your Mr Coffee, than most burr grinders will do. But if you're looking for a quality grinder, check out the following:
- CoffeeGeek Grinder Reviews
- All the above links under "espresso stuff"


V. Coffee Makers
Also a very diverse topic, as there are many ways to make your morning cup. Instead of rewriting a lot here, check out Sweet Maria's page on coffee brewers.


VI. Coffee Roasting
A great hobby for any coffee enthusiast, you'll need a roaster and green beans. Once again, this can be a good gift if the desire is there, but don't just randomly buy someone a coffee roaster and 20 lbs of green coffee (I personally use my oven, so less is more to some of us).
So if this happens to be a wise gifting path, here's some resources to aid in your selections:
- Sweet Maria's (look around, as they have a lot on the topic)

- Coffee Project
Note that many coffee roasters will sell you green beans as well.


VII. Mugs
What good is drinking coffee from a boring cup? While I can recommend such brands as miam miam and Lux-Delux (as seen with Gimme), I would also recommend checking out your local ceramic studios (many Universitiy art departments have mug sales around the Holidays) as well as a few random cup rankings (such as here, here or here).


VIII. Gift Cards: Sure it's impersonal, but if you can't make a good decision, most people won't mind. Aside from the above, you can do a favorite local coffeehouse, a coffee roaster, a coffee club (like Coffee Roasters Club or Go Coffee Go) or tea house.


I hope this was helpful. If you happen to have any questions, feel free to shoot me an email at bill.purecoffee@gmail.com !

CC: The Coffee House

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Subject: The Coffee House

Location visited: Geneva, NY
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 4+ [see key]


Though I always hope for the best, I constantly recognize that life, especially with travel, never pans out the way I expect it. This little axiom never seemed more true than on a recent trip through the Finger Lakes. Many of the small towns possess some nice attractions, and going on a loose recommendation, my wife and I decided to check out Seneca Falls.

And that flopped like a lead pancake. While Seneca Falls has lots of history (Women's Rights) and is allegedly the town that It's a Wonderful Life is based on, we ran out of stuff to do in forty minutes. So, we decided just to continue on to the town of Waterloo, the birthplace of Memorial Day, where we found even less. Finally, determined to find something substantial, we ended up making a final gamble on Geneva, where we finally struck aureate dirt.

Passing by a lovely vista of Seneca Lake, we made our way into the lovely old town with lots of interesting prospects for a nice stop. Among the possibilities, my wife pointed out The Coffee House, what looked like a decent cafe with a nice gated patio. Always curious, we wandered over to find a much warmer, more enticing interior with plenty of classy seating and historical area art.

The Coffee House also happens to roast their own coffee. I ordered a cup of the Pulteney Blend, a fair brew that exhibited hints of vanilla and a minor nuttyness but sadly was a bit stale and too dark. As for espresso, the barista pulled a decent short/medium cup with nice crema and though a little too bitter, produced some nice flavors of cocoa and cherry. The tea is free leaf.

Much like my travels that day, The Coffee House ended up being worth the gamble. I hope to return to the area soon too, as I found quite a few other gems close by, so hopefully The Coffee House keeps up the good work (maybe, even get better!).

If you happen to be in Geneva, drop in at The Coffee House to try it out for yourself.

CC: Bard Coffee

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Subject: Bard Coffee

Location visited: Portland, ME
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]


Maine. Land of LL Bean, lobster and luxurious woodsy vacations. Before this recent trip, I had only really been to Maine once to take in Acadia National Park and neighboring Bar Harbor but I was about 15 at the time, so I've since salivated to wander back in.

Which brings us to this recent trip, a quick drive to the north during some free time one Saturday morning. Albeit adequate (for now), I was afforded only a drop into Portland with enough time to stop by a local coffee newcomer and all star, Bard Coffee.

Bard Coffee sits in an aged section of Portland in an old red stone bank (I believe). Yet the fancy building, delightfully high ceilings, pleasant lighting and overall warm interior provide the icing to what was to be a stellar coffee experience.

Bard serves Wicked Joe (probably because WBC judge Bob Garver owns them both). I ordered their Colombian via pourover and found it for the most part light and leafy; flavors of earl grey (even the orange), fragrant grass and sweet spinach followed with a nice earthiness as well as a little grape nut and sunflower seed. The espresso, pulled short and with expertise, had a nice crema and displayed club soda with lime as well as hints of cocoa, ending with a nice sour zest and a bit of juicy berry. The tea is free leaf.

And to top it all off, the baristas proved to be zealous conversationalists on the wonders of coffee, but alas, I only had a short time to live my Bard experience.

If you're anywhere near Portland, give Bard Coffee a try.

CC: Port City Coffee Roasters

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Subject: Port City Coffee Roasters

Location visited: Portsmouth, NH
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 3+ [see key]


When at conferences, the prospect of finding good coffee even moderately close by is low. But nonetheless, I have to search (it's in my blood).

Traveling the city of Portsmouth didn't offer much hope as I had received no recommendations amidst the beautiful city, but I still clung to hope. Finally, I ended up settling on a cozy-looking place called Port City Coffee Roasters located in a shopping center a little off my beaten path.

Strolling in, the cafe struck me as a basic place and somewhat deli-esque in feel (flourescent lights, not much seating, etc). I ordered their Bed and Breakfast blend, a smooth medium roast with the flavor of Ovaltine and in totality, not a bad cup. The espresso was pulled long (almost a tiny americano), served in a paper cup and possessed little else besides a milkshake-ish head and a bitter bite. The tea is Tazo.

Getting out into Portsmouth proved nice but Port City Coffee Roasters did not add as much to the trip as I had hoped. If you're looking for a fair coffee in Portsmouth, stop by Port City.