the cafe's alive (or not) with the sound of music....

oh music.
particularly cafe music.

i've been to places that only rotate crappy hipster vinyl, yes *vinyl* as an attempt at being edgy.
i've worked places that let you bring in your own stuff (within reason), which usually works pretty well for setting different moods and having vayst variety.
i've worked at places with crappy XM radio bullshit.

and now, there's the next inevitable phase-pandora. ideally, this could be the best music variety out there, however, not so much when your stations have to be "pre-approved" (a.k.a. STRICTLY CONTROLLED/ edited) by the powers that be.

per suck-tastic when the approved stations all sound the same/ play the same lame whiny emo singer-songwriter shit/ lull you to sleep and generally put the majority of customers right into *WORK MODE*.

no really. there is a notable difference in the vibe/atomosphere when the pre-approved stations are playing versus when T.P.T.B. are out of the day and we choose fun shit (like M.I.A. or Garbage or She&Him or DePeche Mode....etc.) store stations= office death

by this (office death) i mean everyone zombie'd out on their laptops/ipads, silent as death and creepily quiet/library shush-shush. when the choice is a more lively (NOT approved, also been called "lame" by one of T.P.T.B.) one, people talk. they interact. they make friends. they get up and walk around and make the place welcoming and lively and RAD-TACULAR!

so i say- fuck the system. damn the man! save the empire!

The Entrepreneur's Guide to Coffee Shop Etiquette

The Entrepreneur's Guide to Coffee Shop Etiquette

an awesome, awesome well-researched and thoughtful guide to cafe etiquette. by surveying many actually **IN** the industry, this mashable article really digs into the nitty-gritty of how to be a good, respectful, well-liked patron of coffee houses.

just one juicy except to wet your appetite and convince you to read the whole article:

"

We asked each of our entrepreneurs and coffee shop vets to give some final tips of advice for others hoping to master the coffee-shop-as-office lifestyle. Isaf says that in most cases, the trick is to follow the Golden Rule: “Don’t be ‘that guy.’ Everyone knows who ‘that guy’ is … don’t be him.” Here’s a bit of insight to exactly what that means:

• Don’t bring your own food.” — Phillips
• “Enjoy the space provided for common usage, but don’t freeload. It sucks for everyone and will mean losing access in the future.” — Isaf
• “Try not to have anything super offensive up on your screen — think of that as equivalent to cursing loudly throughout the coffee shop.” — Pelsinger
• “The staff works hard making your drink, getting your food, cleaning up after you and even keeping the Wi-Fi up. Remember to tip. I suggest using the same percentages as at a casual dining restaurant.” — Dustman
• “Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Baristas know a lot about their shops and will be happy to tell you, for example, when the best time to bring in a large group or the most power-outlet-adjacent location is. Finally, this is probably very obvious and applies far beyond coffee shops, but as long as you pay a small amount of attention to the people around you (both employees and fellow guests), you’ll be fine. A little empathy goes a long way.” — Kasperowicz
• “It’s so very not cool to not bus your own dishes if there’s a visible bus tub. Sure, eventually the café employees will get around to it, but in the meantime you’ve just left the rest of us staring at your garbage, and you’ve messed up your spot so it can’t be filled by someone else immediately. That’s just rude.” — Shipley
• “Frequently, power outlets are at a premium in cafés. Just as you shouldn’t hog all the prime seating locations when the store is busy, you shouldn’t hog the power outlets. Belkin makes a fantastic small, easy-to-stick-in-a-computer-bag power strip that has three outlets and two USB slots. There have been several times when I’ve been out either at the airport or the cafe and have been a hero for everyone there because I had that power strip. Great way to make some friends!” — Dunning"

i promise for a more personalized update soon. my personal life is in family-crisis/anxiety mode right now.

sass and cappuccinos

there exists a fine line between friendly banter and outright rudeness. i tend to straddle the two worlds fairly seamlessly, reserving the bitching for behind closed doors. however, i would love to be able to tell jerks-asses to their faces just how awful they are.

the real sticky-wicket, however, is what i call "taming the shrew" (a.k.a. taming down my personality to better relate to more difficult customers). why do i find this problematic? well, first of all, i hate feeling like i have to stifle myself/hide my true colours just to appease others. second, i tend to come across then, as a push-over. third, repressing my personality tends to quickly become a major bad-mood inducer. which then turns me into a buzzkill bitch.

also, i believe i may have mentioned this before ( in fact--i have! see : quandry/ conuundrum of same-aged "regulars") but it's become a more technologically intertwined world since march 2009 and i am finding that more and more regulars are "friending" me on facebook. and i'm friends with my employers. and my co-workers. and trying to keep it all straight and neat and tidy and unoffensive is really fucking difficult. the solution i've come up with so far is aside from one or two exceptions, most have landed on a separate, stream-lined feed that prevents such tangles. but what about those few i truly like? and wish to get to know better?and find intelligent and intriguing and beguiling, amusing, etc.???

deader than deader than deader than dead

today, at the shop, it was D.E.A.D. dead. there was a window of 2 hours where i counted a total of 5 customers. now granted, it *IS* a holiday weekend/week and the weather is awfully nice....

it's hard to be at work when it's like that. first, because this was more an "emergency-related" return to the world of coffee, but second, i know that labour is the HIGHEST cost at any job. while i definately need the money, it's difficult being '"trapped" in a slooooooooow day.

unrelated: i'm not sure if it's because of where i live/ work but what is up with all the women who are preggers??? and only about half of them are drinking decaf (i'm not a doctor, clearly, so i won't question those who get the full caffeinated versions)

laptop hell a.k.a. using cafes as your office

within the last couple of years, an alarming (to me, at least) trend has taken over the vibe of cafes.

when i first started *REALLY* getting into coffee--in my early teens, circa 1995--there were really only 2 types of coffee houses: the sterile environment of mega-corporation chains (or independants aspiring to BE like said chains), or the somewhat-inspired-by-"Friends"'s-central-perk-ish variety (funky artwork. oversized, mis-matched couches. loud conversations. poetry slams. etc.)

clearly, i preferred the latter.

since the ascent of FREE WI-FI, i have been hard pressed to find a locale that emulates those of my impressionable youth--> a cafe where awesome coffee is served, in a boisterous environment where people gather together, great music is played, and generally, the decor is cozy yet eclectic. what is left is a dismal, dreary, library-esque f eel to what would otherwise be great cafes. folks come in with their laptops (where i'm working right now, more than likely macs), buy a singular cup of coffee or similarly cheap item and camp out for endless hours!!! they are rude, sometimes even shush-ing chatty customers! WTF?!?!? they rarely tip (don't even get me started on the issue of tipping! it WILL be an entry in and of itself), and are general parasites, sucking up space, energy and the liveliness of the cafe.

which brings me to this article: STFU. I Bought Some Dang Coffee, and I'm Never Leaving This Cafe. (an excerpt i thoroughly enjoy follows right here--->) "While smaller, locally owned cafés (obviously) don't publish their financials, roughly speaking you can expect a return of about 70 to 80 percent on a cup of coffee or latté. That doesn't factor in other expenses the shop has, like rent and insurance and payroll. And a high-end cafe with great beans and skilled baristas will, oddly, often earn less overall than the place on the corner with the airpot full of hour-old brew that tastes like santorum."

while written in a style that is 95% tongue in cheek, what is alarming is that it TRULY echoes how the majority of customers feel. many don't stop to think of the difference between camping out at a crapfucks, or at a high-end, independent cafe. to spend anything less than $5 and sit long than an hour is a huge drain on the resources of any small cafe. sure every item bought generates a profit, but it is on that item ONLY. it does not factor in the cost of labour, of energy consumption (from their computers), turnover rate (or the impediment thereof), the destruction of social interaction, and even the effect it has on lowering the quality of work environment on the employees.

i understand getting out of the house to do work-- as i said in my last post, i *DID* just finish 2 years of graduate school. but being a fucking leech is UNACCEPTABLE. go to a library. pool resources otherwise spent on your low-cost item and sign up for an office share. curtain off a corner of your home/apartment/whatever an designate it as "office space".

so you may be asking yourself, baristachick, how can i help change this sad state of affairs? well: 1.go to cafes to interact. learn the names of the staff. ask them about why things are done they way they are (believe me, if you're going to a great cafe, the staff will LOVE to geek-out and tell you all about everything). ask them about THEMSELVES---> they are people too. 2. have loud conversations about interesting subjects at the cafe. don't let yourself be shush-ed. 3. engage your cafe neighbours in conversations. 4. don't be afraid to <> share tables. 5. keep your time there to a minimum if you can only afford to spend about $5. 6. bring new people into the cafe. talk it up. invite your friends/neighbours/co-workers/family. 7. ask the staff/owners what you can do to make the cafe thrive. share your ideas with them.

remember, you are in a public space. not a museum. signing off!

The B*tch is Back! (and she's better than ever!)

Once again, dear readers, I have taken a hiatus. Mostly due to academic pursuits, but also, I had a change of occupation during my time rejoining academia. Now, I find myself, once again, taking control behind the bad ass GB5 and utilizing my new-found knowledge (and Master's degree) to be...a barista!!! (And you thought all us sexy espresso-slingers were dumb asses. Boy, were *YOU* wrong!)

This time around, I will not only regale you with jovial tales of my caffeine-laden exploits, but also will share my thoughts on articles, Yelp reviews, and products because, well,because I can. So sit back, relax, and enjoy a locally-roasted, independently-brewed cup of direct-trade, single origin coffee (or an espresso drink crafted with care by a barista working for a local, independently owned cafe)...and enjoy the ride!

Like a rusty nail

...or something. So it's been 3 weekends now that I've been tripping the GB5 fantastic (otherwise known as picking up shifts) and I am realizing just how rusty I am at all this. And with only 6 months really since I last barista'd for a living. Huh. Didn't think the skills would go that fast.

Been having mediocre success with cappuccinos- especially dry ones, oddly enough. My mochas seem okay. But straight-up espresso...I am pulling crap, syrupy-gross shots. Which, shouldn't be since I don't feel like I'm doing anything different when I dose and tamp, but alas, it doesn't seem meant to be.

And with only one more weekend ( I think) left lending a hand, I doubt it will improve. And oddly, I'm only somewhat bothered by it. I'm starting to enjoy being on the receiving end of delicious coffee, and am less enjoying being on the preparation end. Maybe it's just right now? Maybe it's the (what I feel is ridiculous) methods employed by the current cafe for setting up shots? Who knows.

Back for the Holiday Season!

Yippee! After quite the time away from my favorite profession, I will be "guest barista"-ing at my favorite local cafe!!! (aka I am picking up some shifts because I know the owners and am dirt-poor- but it *IS* really my fav!)

Check in for updates, stories, and gossip galore!!!!

Love and Espresso!

Guerrilla-style Street Cafe?!?!

I was traveling via "the people's limo" (a.k.a. the bus) the other day when I noticed the most- well- bizarre thing. We were stopped at a light and I was staring out the window when I saw it-- a Lamarzocco Lever-pull machine set up in front of a paper-covered window (site of future cafe?) with 2 burr grinders, a drip set up, retail coffee (by a fairly well-known local roaster) and 3 lawn chairs. Oh yeah, and a salt-and-pepper-hair smiling barista. On the sidewalk. No one walking by...

Almost made me want to get off at the next stop and check it out. I mean really, is this a new phenomenon? Was it to promote a future cafe site? To promote the local roaster? In your face-guerrilla-style-cafe bringing awareness of coffee culture to the masses?

I just don't know, but I've been by a few times since then and haven't seen the set up....

Elida Estate, how I love you...

The cafe I frequent (now that I am not actively barista-ing) just got in an origin I haven't had the pleasure of enjoying for the last 3 years! I was so stoked about the possibility of having my delicious Panamanian Elida Estate that I went out of my way to come and enjoy it.

And it did not disappoint. The creamy, mildly dark cherry and walnut oil notes were all there.As it cooled, a rich light chocolaty-ness took over and I was able to drink it have it was cold! This rarely happens.

So....3 BIG CHEERS for Flying Goat roasters (which this cafe uses) for hooking them- and in turn me- up with my Elida Estate. I will be back, oh yes, I will be back.

Sympathy for the devil?

I believe I have made my feelings on mega-corporation-coffee-chainstores(of doom) quite evident. I hate what they do to local cafes (mainly, drive them out of business). I hate the impact they have on "coffee culture" (mainly, destroy it by providing a cookie-cutter standard by which society compares alternatives). and i really hate how because they are "so successful", the majority of consumers equate that with excellence: be it an excellent product, excellent standards, excellent atmosphere, etc.

When french roast is seen as "good" or a desired product, it makes my insides quell. (French roast was developed to hide the imperfections in coffee and to pass off lower quality and non-arabica beans as good) When patrons demand their latte EXTRA HOT or complain that it needs to be at least 200+ degrees Fahrenheit I wonder if they even really *like* coffee or just drink it for the caffeine/social aspect (milk is scorched and destroyed once it reaches 180 degrees).

But mostly, I really am torn when, good people come to expect sub-par standards as "norm" and/or get excited about either patronizing a chain or (eep!) being employed by one!!!

Take the example of my mother: a wonderful, amazing lovely lady. Lives in the suburbs and is a Kindergarten teacher. She isn't a coffee person but cannot go a day without her Chai. Where she lives, there is only ONE local alternative to Shit-bucks and Crapibou...and their Chai sucks. I can say this with good authority- I worked there for 2 summers. And you can forget about telling them: "i want to support my local cafe, but your chai is awful". Sadly, the owners opinion is--if you don't like it then go somewhere else (granted they have EXCELLENT coffee, but they feel that the quality of the chai company is on par with the coffee... because it has a fancy
name backing it up.

So how can I expect the greater majority of people- many who live in areas inundated by chain cafes (like my mother) to look beyond the corporation? How can I expect that they would question corporate 'standards' and see that they are subpar???

on single origin coffee and brewing methods

There is nothing I enjoy more than a well-rounded, fully nuanced cup of joe. When I first began imbibing coffee back in my teens, I was rather in particular- vanilla iced CAPPUCCINOS (yes, people still made those back then) were my drink of choice. Fortunately, I got better as I got older.

While I have enjoyed my fair share of shoddy blends and poorly roasted origin coffee, I have come to realize that my palette leans toward certain locations: Yemen, Ethiopian, Panamanian, Kenyan and Sumatran- in that order. Not that I can't find interesting notes and appreciate other origins for what they are- but all in all- I am mainly an African coffee lover, with the 2 exceptions.

As for methods of preparation, it varies from bean to bean. Old school drip (porcelain drippers) works well for a variety of origins, bringing out the full body and flavour...even including imperfections (I find it tends to "muddy" a lot of Kenyan coffees) but it's definitely a quick, and economical solution for those who can't afford/don't have access to, a Clover machine. (Which, coincidentally, has been bought out by the corporate S chain bastards!)

French Press, while preferred by many, is not my choice unless I'm making coffee for more than one person. Maybe it;s just me and I cant properly prepare it.

When I'm enjoying coffee solo, my top choice for brewing is that syringe-like Aeropress. It's compact, quick and delivers a solid cup of deliciously delightful coffee with no-fuss clean up to boot. Plus, they are very affordable, easy to take on trips/camping/ backpacking/ what-have-you AND easy to manipulate the outcome by what the "shot" ends up in: PRESTO! Into hot H2O- coffee, into hot milk/soy/etc.- Latte, into icy H2O- iced coffee.

unhappy barista chick

barista chick is very unhappy.
store policies make her unhappy.
bad management makes her unhappy.
hiring new (albeit awesome) people when everyone wants more hours, makes her unhappy.
not-full-time makes her unhappy.
regular customers unhappy makes her unhappy.
regular customers becoming IRREGULAR makes her unhappy.
regular customers going away makes her unhappy.
sad co-workers make her unhappy.
poor communication makes her unhappy.
charging extra for organic milk makes her unhappy.
not-so-hidden political agendas make her unhappy.
no breaks make her unhappy.
no vacation in sight makes her unhappy.

what will make her happy again??

A Tale of Two Mochas

sorry i've been away awhile. life has a funny way of well---getting in the way, you know???

first off- about the mochas where i work...they don't use syrup. we make a mixed, powered blend out of 3 dark chocolates and one milk chocolate and melt it into the milk. it's amazingly derlicious. that being said, here are two tales of mocha woes from yesterday.

tale #1: "please? can i have some more?"

a lady walks in and declares ours are the best, most fabulous mochas in the whole world and that one is not enough. i agree- not because i particularly like mochas, but because i'm nice like that. she asks if there is any way she can get more, because 12 oz. just isn't enough and she drinks it down in 30 seconds flat. i say, well, you can get two. she points to the 16 oz to-go cups and asks, can i just get it bigger? i sigh (inwardly) and reply- i'm sorry, but all our drinks are one size (believe me- it's a blessing! one size. no fuss.) and the mocha is formulated to be 12 oz. because the amount of chocolate we use is perfectly suited to the amount of milk and blahblahblah putting it in a 16 oz. cup would not be the same. she tries a different approach and asks well can i pay for two and you just put it in a lrger cup? i say, yes you could, but you'd be paying for an ADDITIONAL 12 oz. of mocha and only getting 4 oz. extra, i'd feel mighty bad about that. and by this point she's rather agitated but acquiesces and and says: fine, that's fine i just want more. so i begin making it and she stops as i'm about to put the second shot in the 16 oz. cup and *yells* i told you in 2 cups! :::sigh::: people.

tale #2: "less filling? tastes great!"

an adult mother/daughter combo walk in and are looking around- reading the menu, talking to each other in hushed tones when the daughter asks me do you have anything chocolate without sugar or using natural sugar alternatives like stevia? okay..... well- i reply--our mocha has no **added** sugar. (our hot cocoa does- and plenty of it) she looks at me quizzically. what do you mean by no added sugar? well, we make our own chocolate mix for our mochas- it has 3 dark chocolates ranging from like 65%-72% and one milk chocolate. the only sugars that are in it are the sugars that are already in the chocolate. everything else has additional sugar added if it has chocolate. the mom and daughter debate awhile about it and decide if they share it, it will be okay. so i make them a mocha and watch as they drink it, seeing how they react. so far so good. after finishing it, they both rave about how AMAZING it was. then the daughter (as they are walking out the door) turns back to me and asks do you know how many calories are in that drink we just had? ?!?!?! buh what? um.... i could figure it out if you wanted, it might take awhile. she gets a look of shock on her face you mean they don't teach you those things? i reply, dumbfounded that, no, they don't. and she walks out.

why would we want to figure out how many calories are in a mocha?! you get a mocha because you want to enjoy a mocha! not because you're counting calories!!!!

quandry/ conuundrum of same-aged "regulars"

there exists, a fine line, between being friendly with customers and being friends.  i often wonder when/if it's okay to become friends with customers of the same age. seeing as that work is all i do (not in school, haven't embraced any pastimes of social relevance) the most i interact with people in my age group is...well...at work. making their coffee, grabbing a pastry. maybe chatting up some new album or movie or asking about what they are working on. but can it ever be more than that? or is that awkward?

how does one go about befriending a "regular"? does it come off as stalker-esque? do they even WANT to be my friend? does it seem like i'm flirting? desperate? lame???

i think the worst aspect though, are the regulars still in school or working real jobs. then i just feel inadequate in comparison--"look at me! i work at a cafe for a living! wanna hang out?"

argh! is it simpler than that? or is it just a sad consequence of working a service job that friendships with customers are just plain out of the question???

shock and :::Gasp!::: outrage

sometimes, interactions with customers rub me the wrong way and leave me feeling morally dirty. i'm not talking black-and-white, cut-and-dry, right-and-wrong dirty, but the kind of dirty that comes from having to enforce stupid policies you don't personally believe in.

like, not even 10 minutes ago, a middle aged customer got really upset and in my face over the fact that we charge extra for Organic milk.

1. believe me lady, i'm upset too! i think it's ridiculous to make people pay extra for making a choice that is better for them, for farmers, for cows and for the environment.

2. NOT MY POLICY. it's not my fault- i didn't come up with the idea. but while we're at it, why aren't you upset that we also charge extra for soy milk??? i know i am.

3. it *does* cost us more. i don't have access right now to the invoices for our milk delivery, but i know it costs us more to buy Organic than conventional, and while i think it's incredibly stupid to charge extra for it---it makes sense from a consumerist/ capitalist viewpoint. seriously.

there are many places around here that have similar practices, and, while i hesitate to use that as an excuse, it's not as if this is a novel idea- charging extra for "premium" ingredients... when you go to the supermarket, it costs more for Organic than conventional, why shouldn't it at your local, friendly, neighborhood coffee shop??? (again, from the consumerist/capitalist viewpoint...not my personal one)

and while i feel your pain and even understand it. ma'am; it's truly unfair to take it out on someone who (believe me) has TRIED to get that changed but seriously doesn't have the power or the say to make it happen....

hand update!

it's doing much better. i iced the daylights out of it, smeared it in burn cream, wrapped it in gauze and downed about 4 asprin! and now, a day laterr, only 2 fingers are mildy pink! i'd say that's rather good. oh occupational hazards. they really are great, aren't they???

hand, meet hot water. hot water, meet hand.

YOWCH! so in my complete and utter stupidity (or lack of sleep and being awake fully before 10 am) i got distracted by a customer whilst brewing coffee. my head turned, and along with it- my hand moved directly under the fetco hot water dispenser--which comes out at BOILING temperature. it took me about 2 seconds to figure out why my hand was so hot.

i have since run it under cold water, sprayed the living hell out of it with solercaine, and now, have an ice pack wrapped around it but damn it hurts. and it's my dominant hand too.

what an idiot i am.

espresso: do's and don't-do's

do: use a naked filter if humanly possible---yum!

don't: serve a 15 second shot- ick.

do: get it "for here"- preheated porcelin cups are the *ONLY* way to truly appreciate a fine pour.

don't: order it "to go". if i had my way "to go" espresso wouldn't be allowed. it soaks into the paper/waxy cup and gets it all soggy and tastes gross.

don't EVER: ice an espresso. ruins it. period.

do: seek out and enjoy single-origin shots as much as possible. best i've had? NoVo coffee in Denver.

don't: french roast, italian roast or vienesse roast the espresso. burns the hell out of it. ick.

do: order it macchiato to take the 'edge' off a blended espresso or if you wanna shake things up.

don't: expect-then- to be getting a sugar-y, syrup filled, whip-cream-topped abomination like chainfucks serves. that is ***NOT*** a true macchiato.

over-eager co-workers

sigh. normally, working with someone who was just a *tad* over-eager might not be that bad- beneficial even. their spunk would motivate me to crank up my energy or, at least, not let my early morning sass get in the way. BUT this morning, i am working with s. s. is waaaaaaaay bend-over-backward-eager-to-please. and it's grating and obnoxious. i want to throttle s.'s throat and say "grow a backbone!"

here's an example: customer walks up to the counter and both s. and i are working on making drinks. s. says "oh i am so sorry. we will be right with you in just one moment." waits like, 30 seconds and then states again: "be right with you." they got it the first time and hey- here's a concept- they can see we are making drinks. whoa. crazy that. said customer then orders a drip coffee (which we brew fresh, by the cup)--s. proceeds to apologize for how long it's taking, meanwhile, ignoring the next customers in line!!!!

ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGH!!!!

stop apologizing and fucking do your job already!

i could give more examples, but right now, i need to go bash my head against the wall to keep sane.

further thoughts on food

if you own a cafe and are going to have food-
our if you,too, are a barista and are avoiding the hassles of having to make sandwiches as well as killer espressos-
i can think of "one" exception that works:

*UNIQUE* food.

bear with me:

this "one" exception has multiple incarnations-

1) offer something kitschy- a la- twinkies, ding dongs, lil'debbie holiday cakes, hell- even fruit roll ups.
2) offer something LOCAL- homemade goodies, kick ass doughnuts from the vegan bakery around the corner, etc.
3) offer things in a wacky way- like one of my favorite encountered-on-vacation cafes (the beehive of pittsburg, pa) in a vending machine! not traditional vending machine fare, however. plus they offer goodies like gift certificates, decks of cards, smokes (at least, back in the day), bubbles... you get the picture.

i know. i know. many coffee shops are trying to diversify in this crap-tastic economy to stay afloat. but i think- in the long run- the more a cafe diversifies, the more it shoots ya in the foot. i mean do you REALLY want to make your employees not only sling crema-licious shots but also have to: put on soup, slice bread, make sandwiches, plate orders, warm up said sandwiches, toss salads, arange plates, decorate dessert plates, make milkshakes, and so on and so on and so on???

pretty soon, you won't even focus on the coffee and what's the point then?

thoughts on food

in my stunning barista "career" to date, i have worked at a grand total of 7 different coffee venues. i use the word venues because they differ so drastically i don't know how else to identify them: there was the college coffee house (a dark den of deliciousness), a small local roaster's teeny-tiny cafe, the only non-corporate coffee shop in my home town, the "drink station" at a local restaurant, the cafe section of a local bookstore, a totally awesome local roaster of single-origin coffee and the latest: another small, local coffee joint that offers pastries and the like.

one thing i have come to understand is that--in my opinion-- coffee and FOOD food, do *not* belong together. if you want soup or a sandwich, go to a restaurant. if you want coffee- go to a cafe. coffee shops should offer some things- for sure. small items, meant to compliment coffee, not meals in and of themselves. biscotti's okay. not my personal choice, but acceptable. muffins are alright. bagels are pushing it because then patrons will want cream cheese and peanut butter and jam and it's really just opening a whole new can of worms. but anything truly substantial should be verbotten!!!

sage advice

unless you are buying over $50 of coffee and pastries, never never NEVER pay with a hundred dollar bill before 2 pm!!!

monday, dreary monday....

it's dank and grey outside- wet, cold and absolutely miserable. you'd think it's perfect weather for business, but alas, on mondays people just don't want to get out of bed and drag themselves about for coffee...especially with such shit weather.

which, is actually okay. every once in a while i love having a day that is slow and lazy. where i can just sit down and enjoy a latte for *myself* (yes, shock there. i like to enjoy coffee too, not just make it for all the masses passing through). days like this are so few and far between that i think i'll just lap it up and relax.