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???