March 2008 Archives
I have finally been spending more of my time thinking about coffee, and after some absence, I am remembering the things which made me geek out by those little beans and why I love the Courier who delivers them. After a very long hiatus, I consumed my first Stumptown espresso at the newly opened Albina press on upper Hawthorne. It was delicious – although it took the barista at least ten minutes to produce a shot worth serving. The flavor, almost malt-like, took me back several years to when I first started to pull shots and I must admit, it tasted so much like I remembered.
Year in and year out I drank that espresso, pulling it every which way you could think to pull it. But in the end, although magnificent, it was still the same espresso, day in and day out, year after year.
Working with a small company who roasts very small batches of ever changing beans taught me even more than what I learned from pulling that same blend again and again. I now have the luxury of trying single origins through our Synessos; I have the luxury of trying different blends at different temperatures; and I have the luxury of working hands on with the man roasting those beans, giving him my feedback and learning what different beans, from different regions, taste like when pulled as espresso.
Currently we are running a mixture of Yemen Matari and Rwanda Kinunu. And as the owner of a very small business, I am inviting you as customers of something small and genuinely Portland to partake in this process with us and give us your thoughts and feedback as well. And as Stumptown makes it’s way to San Francisco and Seattle and eventually to other US markets, you will have every chance to drink what is one of the best espressos you ever will taste. And as that happens, geek out with us once in a while and learn a little bit about how the upstarts operate and how enjoyable some variety can bring to your life.
Love Portland – Love Coffee.
For several months the doormen for the Benson have been coming to the Half and Half for their morning coffee and sending guests over as well. It is a strange mix to ad to the Half and Half - usually rich folks looking for "the best coffee" with the women very nice and overly talkative and the men grumpy and disengaged. The doorman we have been seeing the most has been N**k (will not use his entire name).
N**k first started coming in and talking about his golf game usually wearing some sort of golf attire. Always nice, chatting up my employees, asking them about their days; their lives. Everyone likes him, everyone looks forward to seeing him. Soon he was making his way to the Acorn where he quickly made friends with those folks. Iced coffee or french pressed coffee with ice has been his standard along with sandwiches and scones and a little more talk of his game.
Next came his co-workers and we now see him everyday buying coffee three or four at a time for the dudes down at Broadway and Oak. Like I said, this man is one of those regulars everyone likes and just amazingly respectful.
Last week he gave me a slip of paper on it with his website. He would not say what it was and I admit that I left it on my desk not thinking it would amount to much. But it amounts to this - gastroerotica.com - be warned, the sounds are graphic.
Oh and yes, we are now french pressing all of or house coffee at the halfy.
