What's a Coffee Commentary?Subject: International Coffee Traders Location visited: Bozeman, MT Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 3+ [see key]
Hours: observe here
The town of Bozeman, a nice college town nestled in the mountains, has so many coffee establishments, it's almost ridiculous (keyword: almost). One of the few next to campus, though quite concealed behind a gas station, is International Coffee Traders (from here on in the post I will refer to them as ICT). I actually heard of them before I got to visit. I was told they were pretty good and a nice place to hang out.
Well, they were right about the hang out. ICT displays a very exotic, tropical decor with lots of green plants, tables made to look like they were straight out of South America, and numerous other tropical accents. The seating and tables are well-spaced and they even have two computer consoles free to customers.
But I wasn't as impressed with the coffee. Admirably, they roast their own coffee but they only know how to do really dark blends. Their light roast is about as dark as I can drink it and their dark roast is blackened to oblivion. The tang of over-roasted beans typically shadows the drip (and they don't do french press service either).
The espresso is not much better sadly. The shots have the same bitter, over-roastedness as the coffee. I'm no professional, but my taste buds definitely grab its jagged sharpness . The issue with the espresso could also just be that the blend/single-origin is not meant for espresso, but I think it's still more the roast profile.
On a positive note, ICT does have an intriguing way of doing iced coffee. They use a process dubbed "Cold Press", where heavily concentrated coffee is extracted through a specialized filter, then added to ice and water/milk (depends on your preference). It comes off smooth and very chocolaty, but alas I have not had it in awhile b/c they either run out or the weather is not right for it.
ICT also has a fair offering of Numi teas, but nothing extensive. Regarding their sweeter/sugary drinks, from what I gather they tend to hit the spot (though I cannot vouch for such beverages).
Overall, it's a great place to hang out or study, but not so great if you're looking for a great shot of espresso or a well-roasted cup of coffee. We'll see if that changes...
Finally a move in the direction of consistent Philly-wide espresso goodness!
Local coffeehouse Crescent Moon Coffee & Tea and NY coffeehouse Coffee Labs are putting on the East Coast Barista Jam, which according to the upcoming.org, is an event aimed to:
- Provide customers with higher quality espresso beverages
- Learn more about coffee
- Learn how to maintain your equipment for long lasting use
- Help your staff with customer service issues
- Help your business grow
From what I gathered from other sites as well, is that the event (mostly) targets currently established baristas and coffeehouse owners to better refine their skills so that the best coffee is not just a pipe dream for quality-famished customers. They'll have several of the area's finest baristas doing Q&A and assisting in developing your finer skills, so it will prove to be most worth the time.
*note: this is not to say that if you're just interested in the finer things of espresso, you can't go. I would still definitely attend if I were you, as long as it's not too late to register.
The whole event falls in coordination with the Fresh Cup Roadshow, which doesn't seem to cost anything (?) though I didn't really investigate. But even if the roadshow does cost a little dinero, it would be worth it for most coffee fans.
Oh, and it's in Cherry Hill, an area with no decent coffeehouses (to my knowledge). Ironic, no?
What's a Coffee Commentary?Subject: Cafe Ole' (no website)Location visited: Philadelphia, PA (3rd St close to Race) Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 3+ [see key]
Old City Philadelphia boasts a great deal of substance and history. One aspect of Old City that I think (or so it seems) is overlooked is the area North of Market St between Front and 5th. The locale includes many art galleries and small antique shops as well as some long-lasting businesses. There's also First Friday which provides a rare chance to catch the art scene in Philadelphia, complete with street performers and lay-the-blanket-on-the-sidewalk vendors.
This area of Philly is where I found Cafe Ole', about 3-4 years ago when when searching for silk screen emulsion. Though I've known of it for some time, I didn't really get a good glimpse until about a year or so ago. The place is fairly cozy, with some small tables and a couch or two (I think) to recline in. I really dug the "Friends Don't Let Friends Drink Starbucks" on the back wall (I have one myself).
The coffee is La Colombe, so as predicted, the coffee was nothing to write home about. The espresso was pretty good, but as the bean is half (if not more) of the taste, it also wasn't too amazing. The baristas did seem fairly skilled though, so a "fancier" drink might better complement the espresso and/or coffee.
I did not catch the brand of tea but I do remember that they had vats of lemonade that were pretty popular (not that tea and lemonade are comparable, just more of consolation observation). The chai also did not catch my eye...
In the end, I wasn't floored but I was still somewhat impressed with the operation. So do stop in, as there is much worse business nearby that needs no patronage. I would especially encourage you to stop in if you are in the area for First Friday or other business.
image credited to www.philadelphiaweekly.com
What's a Coffee Commentary?Subject: Teepee Espresso PlaceLocation visited: Browning, MT Free WiFi ? : maybeRating: 2+ [see key]
As I was driving through snowy northern Montana (this was this past weekend) on my way to Glacier National Park, I ran across a coffee place that really caught my eye. It was one of those coffee places you drive up to and you know the coffee will be mediocre, but the sheer fact that this one had a teepee for a building reassured me that it was worth the try.
To put it simply, the place was not on the top ten of most amazing places I've been to but it was at least good. I didn't catch any information (as I was in a hurry) but I did notice that the barista/owner was very skilled. My americano was pretty good and the long line of people seemed to confirm the place was at least a bit decent.
And for you adventurous entrepreneurs out there, it's for sale including equipment. Try the yellowpages for contact info...
This almost made me jump out of my knickers with elation. A NY Times article that not only proclaims the good news of the booming attention to espresso but also correctly uses terms and analogies like a pro.
My favorite quotes:
"Most espresso drinks in this country are made with over-roasted blends on “super automatic” machines that leave little control to the person operating them and turn out anonymous brews."
"J. D. Merget, the owner of Oslo, explained: “It {roasting an espresso blend} is like grilling meat; if you char it but don’t burn it, you get to taste both the meat and the char. If you burn it all the way through, you’re just tasting char.”
What's a Coffee Commentary?
