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What's does "CC" mean?Location visited: Portland, ME
Free WiFi ? : yesRating: 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.
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What's does "CC" mean?Location visited: Portsmouth, NH
Free WiFi ? : yesRating: 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.
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I usually don't put up stuff regarding free drinks on a certain day, but I really admire the mission of the p:ear barista school (a collaboration between p:ear and Caffe Vita to equip at risk youth with excellent barista skills) and wish there were more operations like this.
Thus, if you live in Portland, or you happen to be there on 11/24, stop by between 830 - 1130 AM to the p:ear gallery to to get your morning cup of coffee on them! The promotion is to both introduce the p:ear barista school program and further train the p:ear barista school students.
The p:ear gallery is located @ 338 NW 6th Ave., Portland, Oregon 97209.
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What does "Mugged" mean?Subject: Schwan's Coffee Mugged: Medium, Dark and Decaf
Rating: 2+ for Medium and Decaf,
1+ for Dark [see key]
To put it bluntly (and inadvertently snobbishly), I normally don't drink pre-ground coffee, mainly for the fact that better coffee is (almost) always found in freshly ground.
But when I got an email from Schwan's, offering to send me some coffee to try in order to get my two cents, I guess I was in a rush because I did not bother to ask whether it was whole bean. So, on my doorstep I found a humongous Styrofoam cooler with three bags of their ground coffee packed in ice (apparently standard operations).
Being a man of my word, I gave it a try. I kept each one frozen until I knew I was going to mug it. I tried the medium roast first via drip and french press (their grind was a little too fine to bother with the vacuum press). The drip tasted fairly smooth, with hints of cherry and pepper with a slight stale taste and a bit of a dark bite. The french press was similar, with less pepper.
Next up was the dark roast, also surveyed via drip and french press. Both produced a bitter cup reminiscent of darker coffees, also a bit old in flavor.
Lastly was the decaf, sampled in drip and french press forms as well. The drip actually produced an OK cup, with a touch of honey amidst a mild bite and a little age. The french press produced similar, but oddly much less pronounced flavors.
While the coffees from Schwan's did not amaze me, I can't say I was as put off as I thought I would be drinking pre-ground coffee (as arrogant as that sounds). But much like a person who loves fresh apples would not consider dried apple equal...
Anyway, if you already order (or you want to order) from Schwan's and you're looking to try fair ground coffee, go for it.
note: coffee was provided free of charge and the above review is objective feedback.
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What's does "CC" mean?Location visited: Philadelphia, PA
Free WiFi ? : yesRating: 6+ [see key]
Urban planning has become something I've grown tremendously interested in over the years. I love taking a retrospective look at how a city formed and than trying to gaze ahead to the many possibilities for its future.
Marrying my love for coffee with my interest in city evolution, I occasionally like to postulate the role of a coffeehouse in a community. One (relatively) new place that I find quite intriguing is coffeehouse called Ultimo Coffee. Located in South Philadelphia, Ultimo sits in a section of the city that attracts far less visitors than the sections to the north. Plus the coffeehouse exists in what seems largely residential, a plus if the neighborhood likes you and a death knell if not.
But regardless of the why, I was personally drawn by the what; a coffeehouse receiving some strong acclaim for their attention to quality.
One sunny afternoon, I pulled up to their corner establishment with its big open windows, including a big glass garage door (they probably open it on warm days). Within, the place held a lot of character: a simple decor, plenty of vintage wood furniture and a bunch of supermarket fridges that house a nice array of beer to go (an unorthodox but genius facet to the traditional coffeehouse model).
Ultimo offers Counter Culture Coffee, a more and more common coffee around Philly. I ordered a cup of Finca El Puente via pourover, which featured a buttery and saucy cup with hints of cigar, dark cherry and a heavy taste despite a light body. The espresso, shots of Espresso Aficianado pulled well, proved bright with touches of bittersweet chocolate and blackberry, complete with a velvety sweetness on the end. The tea is Rishi.
Given the lovely experience, I'm very curious as to the future (and hopefully success) of Ultimo. Good coffee can do great things.
If you're passing by, I would recommend making the detour for Ultimo.
What's does "CC" mean?
