How Late Do Coffee Shops Stay Open In Your Area?
I came across an article over at LAist targeting coffee shops in their area. After reading it, I didn’t realize just how much I took the coffee shops in my city for granted. Here in my city, you can find at least one coffee shop that stays open round the clock, especially during the weekend. The others are open till at least midnight or 2 a.m.
One would think that in a city such as Los Angeles, the coffee shops would ALL be open even at 3 in the morning, wouldn’t you? This is the plight of the coffeholics in LA:
Los Angeles, for all that it has to offer the late night set in the way of tacos, deli meats, dancing, and beautifully vacant streets, can’t seem to find it in its heart to make a goddamn chai latte past 11pm. Why? There are more than enough night-owl neurotics with script deadlines (or even term papers due) that you’d think every third Starbucks would be open around the clock. Yet there are vast swaths of our fine city that go dark to couture coffee culture once the clock chimes over to a new day.
This may be splitting hairs, but it sure feels like there is a sustainable subgroup of folks who don’t want to sit at a diner, slugging down pitch-black Folgers just because it’s the only 2am option. A recent scouring of Mid-City / Mid-Wilshire / Miracle Mile turned up nothing past 11pm, with the nearby Insomnia Cafe on Beverly kindly keeping the lights on until 1am.
I feel for these guys! Two or three a.m. is not that late for a lot of people. I cannot imagine not having an option at this time of the night.
How about in your city? Till what time do the coffee shops normally stay open? I am seriously curious.
Farewell, Emilio Lavazza!
Last week marked the end of an era for the world of coffee for Emilio Lavazza, the boss of the Italian coffee giant of the same name, has passed away. Lavazza has long been known in Italy as perhaps the most reliable name in the coffee business. The family business was founded way back in 1895 by Luigi Lavazza. The males of the family have run the helm since then.
Emilio Lavazza may not have been the founder of the company, but he is undoubtedly the person behind its expansion. He engaged in various activities that propelled the Lavazza name to great heights, both locally and internationally. I suppose that many of us should thank him for introducing their brand to the rest of the world.
For those of you who may not be that familiar with the name, here is a short teaser from their web site:
Spreading the aroma and quality of Italian espresso around the world has always been our main aim.
That is the reason why we strive for excellence and innovation, drawing strength from our experience established over more than a century of activity, since the early 1900’s, when Luigi Lavazza first invented the concept of the blend, the art of mixing coffee of different origins to obtain a harmonious and tasty product.
Today Lavazza is the leader when it comes to quality and is the symbol of Italian espresso and Italian identity worldwide.
Ask any Italian friend about them and you’ll probably get an earful (positive or negative, depending on who you ask). In any case, whether you know the brand or not, it is but right to pay homage to someone who played a huge role in the world of coffee. Farewell, Signore Lavazza.
Cool Innovations From Coffee Fest Seattle 2009
The Coffee Fest at Seattle is being held this weekend – from the 25th of September to the 27th – and inventors have been showing off their creations. Here are some of the more interesting ones, which I think have the potential to become mainstream.
Jeff Baccetti’s SmartCup
We all know that adding the word “smart” to your product ensures that it will get the attention it deserves, right? Seriously, the SmartCup might just be a staple in the traveler’s arsenal. In a nutshell, the SmartCup is a portable, disposable French press. More than having access to fresh coffee while you’re on the road, the general consensus is that coffee brewed in a French press tastes so much better anyway. The good news is that Jeff Baccetti is hoping to sell his innovation for home use in the near future.
SMUG Coffee by Chris and Mike Halberg
Their idea was to have your mug pay for your coffee. How? By using SMUG. The brothers dub it the world’s first intelligent mug. That is, it has an RFID chip which contains information. Users can visit a web site to choose their favorite coffee and load up their wallet. More than the convenience, using the reusable SMUG will also help lessen one’s carbon footprint!
Karen Porte’s TuGo
Frequent fliers can now have a place to put their coffee cups while waiting in line at the airport. Just get TuGo, a cup holder that can be placed in between the collapsible handles of any carry on bag. It holds the cup upright to avoid spills. It also folds to fit the pocket of the same bag it can be attached to. Neat, huh?
Tell Me How You Like Your Coffee And I’ll Tell You Who You Are
I guess that’s a variation of the old saying “tell me who your friends are…” – you know how that one goes. But is there really any truth to this coffee preference thing?
I don’t really know, but an Australian coffee company claims to know a thing or two about coffee psychology theory. According to John Ronchi, co-founder of Campos Coffee on Wandoo St, Fortitude Valley, he has noticed a connection between coffee preferences and personality traits. His findings?
Mr Ronchi said well-dressed corporate types usually opted for an espresso or black coffee with no sugar, while patrons who liked to laze in the sun outside Campos ordered a latte.
What’s more, ice coffees and frappacinos are popular in the warmer months, but almost always among young women.
If you are scoffing (like I was when I first read the statements), you might want to know that Ronchi’s observations are also backed up by Dr Alan Hirsch, the director of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, a US institution. He says that based on research (and personal observation, of course), “those who drink short blacks are often ambitious, goal-driven and no-nonsense, while cappuccino drinkers were probably witty and classy. The humble latte is often drunk by mums or 20-something students, while the heart-starting espresso conveys sophistication.”
I now have a personality-identity crisis. After a huge meal, I like espresso. I guess I am sophisticated then? I normally get a latte at Starbucks, though. Then again, I am neither a mum or a 20-something student. Oooh, I alternate between cappuccinos and lattes, I just remembered. So does that mean I am witty and classy sometimes? I seriously doubt it.
You see what I am getting at here…? So what coffee do you drink again?
Chiangmaii Coffee, Anyone?
When I went to visit the “Land of Smiles,” which is what they call Thailand, I promptly fell in love. While I enjoyed the laid back hustle and bustle (if that makes sense) of Bangkok, I definitely appreciated the countryside even more. If there is one regret about that trip, it is that I was not able to visit the other parts of the country, one of them Chiangmai.
That’s why when we got this e-mail from Peter Bachner, my curiosity was really piqued. In his e-mail, he shares that he is “beginning the adventure of growing Arabica shade grown coffee in a mountainous jungle setting in Northern Thailand.” No one can resist the words “adventure,” “Arabica,” “shade,” and “Thailand” in one sentence, right?
So off I headed to his blog, titled “Peter Bachner’s Grand Adventure in Thailand…Growing Coffee in the Chiangmai Highlands!” That sure is a mouthful, but that is probably nothing compared to the project he is undertaking! By the way, he is doing this project in tandem with Chiangmai University, so he has excellent help.
Now if you have not been to Thailand and you have not tasted their coffee, I am telling you that you are missing a LOT. I didn’t really think of Thailand as a place to get good coffee, but I had one of the most pleasant surprises of my life when our Thai guide for the day stopped by this quaint coffee shop just outside of Bangkok. Seriously, I had not had such a strong cup of coffee till that day! It was so good I had to buy a couple of boxes to bring home. (The coffee shop is shown in the picture above. Can anyone ID it for me?) I am unsure if this is the same type of coffee that Peter is growing.
In any case, his adventure is something worth following. Let’s join him?
Coffee And Bikinis
Earlier this year, the talk was about the topless coffee shop in Maine. It did achieve success but its luck turned sour when someone burned it down not long ago. This time, there is another coffee shop running its operations along similar lines, though it is not as controversial as the topless shop.
Bikini Espresso has opened in Torrance, California and it does not take smarts to realize that their highlight involves bikini clad servers and baristas. They have only been open for several days but it seems that the people in the neighborhood think that they have a hit in their hands.
Barista Chelsea Turnbo says that they are having a lot of fun and that their clientele has been varied. While more men queue up for drinks, they also get women – even old ladies!
Perhaps the fact that they are quite near to the beach adds to the accepting spirit of the customers. Then again, customers are saying that while the bikini clad baristas are the unique feature of the coffee shop, the coffee isn’t all that bad. In fact, they say that the coffee is quite good.
Still, the coffee isn’t so good that the critics have been silenced. There are still those who don’t favor the idea. It is no surprise, I think. I think that it is not that much of a big deal, though. I mean, you see people in bikinis every time. What might be more interesting is to actually work in the shop, don’t ya think? Not that I would even be considered for the position!
Coffee Cocktails, Anyone?
Coffee and alcohol – what better combination can you think of? For those who need to have their fix of these two “drugs,” then here are some recipes for you to try out. I stumbled upon them at the New Straits Times, courtesy of Kitty Kaye, who swears by them. Here are two most interesting ones.
Caribbean Coffee cocktail
This one is surprisingly masculine in flavours, despite its feminine appearance.
You will need:
l half a measure of dark rum
l a cup of coffee, hot
l whipped cream
l 2 tsp sugarSimply mix it all together and end it all with a generous spritz of whipped cream.
Dark rum and coffee – now doesn’t that sound wonderful??? Of course, the whipped cream just got me all excited. Just take a look at this:
Cold Comfort Coffee cocktail
Ah, a favourite! It has everything I look for. Simplicity in flavours and simple to prepare. This is for serious coffee drinkers who like their coffee black and sugarless.
This one is bitter and showcases the familiar flavours of coffee with whiffs of alcohol.You will need:
l half a measure of dark rum
l half a measure of Southern Comfort
l a dash of creme de cacao liquer
l a cup of coffee, chilledShake together all the ingredients and serve in a short tumbler with some ice cubes.
I can just imagine making this on a lazy Saturday afternoon. You know, the kind that you have when you spent all night Friday getting drunk? Talk about hair of the dog…with the added benefit of caffeine.
On A Starbucks Quest
And I thought I was addicted to coffee! Have you heard of this guy from California who is on a quest to visit every Starbucks store in the world? Rafael Antonio Lozano Jr., who now goes by the name Winter, started his quest way back in 1997. I was actually a bit surprised to hear that because it is only now that I came across his story.
Anyway, to date, Winter has visited around 9,100 Starbucks store in various countries. He is currently in the United Kingdom, where he is hell bent on visiting 400 locations spread all over England, Scotland, and Wales. His activities have even created a new word:
Starbuck – also Starbucking; to purposely visit Starbucks branches.
After his Great Britain “tour,” Winter is set to go Starbucking in other parts of Europe – Spain, Germany, and Portugal. So what does this coffee addict (or maybe Starbucks addict?) do when he visits a Starbucks? He says that in each branch that he visits, he orders a cup of regular brewed coffee, takes a picture, and then of course, documents it. He has a web site, aptly named Starbucks Everywhere, where he posts his pictures and writes about his endeavors.
I paid it a visit and I think that he could use some help in web site design, seriously. You can’t complain about the content, though. I love his entry on the Stone House Square (photo shown above), which, according to Winter, is the prettiest store in all of Maryland.
Anyhow, if you want to follow his adventures, visit his web site and join in the fun!
Locust Bean Coffee: A Healthier Alternative?
Coffee this, coffee that…one moment we read that coffee is bad for your health. The next moment we read the exact opposite – that it is actually good. There really is no definitive information on this topic. But what I do know is that people have not stopped trying to look for alternatives to coffee. Why exactly I would want to find an alternative to coffee, I really do not know but for those of you who are looking for another – similar – drink, then check this out: locust bean coffee.
I don’t really feel like drinking anything that comes from an insect but what the heck, it won’t hurt to take a look right? Yeah, my ignorance just shone through right there – locust bean is NOT an insect! I just overlooked the word BEAN right after locust. Sorry guys, when I see locust, I remember the story in the Bible wherein God sent locusts to eat all the stuff in Egypt.
Anyway, locust bean is supposed to be good for you. It keeps your cholesterol levels down. It also promotes bone growth. Oh yeah, and it is supposed to be an aphrodisiac…now you got me interested! 
So what’s the relation between the locust bean and coffee? It is now being used as instant coffee! Now I have turned you off, haven’t I? I know that some of you ONLY drink brewed coffee and I totally understand that – I am the same. There are times when you just can’t have brewed, though. And if you are thinking of stocking up on some of that instant stuff, maybe the insect locust bean coffee would do?
Bus Driver Shows The Spirit Of Christmas
I know this is not really about coffee but my story for today happened at a coffee shop – Canada’s most famous coffee shop, in fact. I think that you’ll understand why I wanted to write about this story so much even if it is not really about coffee. So this is what happened…
Bus driver Rick Bazinet Jr. was going about his usual night and made his usual stop at a London Tim Hortons – Canada’s answer (and a very good one, I hear!) to Starbucks. He went to the washroom and hit gold – he found a bag full of money. It was actually a Brinks bag, which apparently had been left by guards who filled the ATM in the store earlier. The bag contained $80,000 in 20 dollar bills.
Now put yourself in Bazinet’s place. What would you have done? I will be totally honest and say outright that I would have been so tempted to grab that bag and make a run for it. Finders keepers, eh? But deep in my heart, I also know that I would have done exactly what Bazinet did.
He went back to the store, told the clerk what he found, and returned the money. He said. “In hindsight, I guess it would have been nice to have. And Christmas sure would have been great, but it wasn’t mine. That’s the way I was brought up and it’s what I teach my children.”
Despite all the evil we witness on a daily basis, there are still people who know the right from wrong and who have the courage and strength to do the right thing. That’s a comforting thought – as comforting as a steaming hot mug of coffee. 
Read the full story here.
