Wednesday, May 5

My name isn't Joe, but...

...why is it sometimes so hard to find a cup of coffee that I actually enjoy? I chuckle as I write this, given that I could hardly stomach the stuff a short 2 years ago. I am far from a connisueur - I'm guessing that I average about 5 cups of coffee a week. A pretty modest number, given the prevelance and popularity of the stuff these days.

When I worked in downtown Minneapolis, it didn't take me long to realize that a paper cup from Starbucks or Caribou was pretty much your ticket to wander the maze of skyways. Since the array of options was scary & confusing to me, I stuck with a "you get what you pay for" mentality and started ordering a $3.50 mocha on a regular basis - chocolate is GOOD. I also made the perfectly logical assumption that you should order the biggest size available - you get more for your money.

That was, until I started to get the jitters. The combination of 3 or 4 shots of espresso and all the sugar in the milk, chocolate sauce and whipped cream sent my knees on a spasmic bouncing spree - and my brain went right off the deep end. My productivity and pocketbook were starting to hurt - I didn't accomplish much more than being extremely alert at work, and couldn't afford to pay the bills. Something had to change, so I switched to straight up coffee and half & half, and have been in search of the perfect cup ever since.

Currently, I am enjoying a cuppa coffee (complete with foam cup) on my Northest Airlines flight back to Minneapolis. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was better that what I got from a restaurant boasting a huge yellow & red "Coffee Shop" sign in south Sacramento the other day. There are a few other coffee consumption adventures over the past year worth noting:

1. Bull Run Roasting Co. coffee at the Eagan Sydney's for Easter brunch in 2003
2. I enjoyed an incredible cup at the Olive Garden in St Louis Park after Zac Watne's going away lunch
3. Midwest Express serves decent coffee on board, although the accompanying warm chocolate chip cookie doesn't hurt
4. La Minita Peaberry is my personal favorite offering from the folks at Caribou Coffee
5. I tried my first breve at Grounds Keeper in downtown Racine where Samantha works - mmm, tub3rous.

Now Playing: Charlie Hunter Quintet - Right Now Move

posted by Brad at 5/05/2004 08:37:00 AM | permalink |