Cave Creek Arizona has Espresso!

My brother sent me this photo (complete with his Delorean) from Cave Creek, Arizona

Urban Bean visit

Beautiful red and white decor and simple layout at the Urban Bean on 35th and Bryant. They even had a red Cimbali to go with it. Too bad the European Roasterie espresso blend tasted like most of the other regular coffees in this town, that is, it tasted like normal bitter almond coffee that kind of resembles espresso but not really. No real aroma to it either, no nose... It's one thing to buy the beans and another to finish the product. No finish here. Why do Kopplin's and Bull Run have to be the exceptions and not the norm? Why?

Sebastian Joe's Has Great Intentions...

Indeed they do. The guy behind the counter was so proud of their beans and told me about the owner who apparently is studying hard all about roasting coffee and barista techniques and the like. I had the "dark dancer" espresso which they roast themselves. Well I do appreciate the hard work that's being put into the beans and the process but I have a big suggestion, get a better machine, not the Cimbali instant button press variey. They need something so they can pull good shots because I only tasted dark roasted and pretty bitter coffee. They might be able to pull the right tastes, aromas and textures from a better machine. It's a shame to do all that work on the roasting part just to have a mediocre product to serve. Upgrade your machine so we can taste the beauty of your beans...

Downtown Minneapolis Hyatt "Taxxi" Restaurant yesterday...

OK, you got me... Only one espresso... But if you tasted what passes for espresso at the Taxxi Restaurant you wouldn't even order one! Just because you wanted to add espresso to your restaurant menu doesn't mean you should order some pod machine and pass it off as espresso. Better to just not have espresso on the menu...

Rushton's pic from Cafe Crema

Rushton sent me this sweet photo from cafe Crema. I have them on my radar now and will check them out soon.

Wondering how Jackson's is doing?

Sunrise over Jackson's in Uptown...

Swung by Jackson's Coffee Bar and Gelato to see how the new place was doing. I hope I was just there during an off hour but it was pretty quiet. That didn't stop me from enjoying my 2 espressos and getting a cool photo op of course. Digging the sunlight. Espresso didn't have much nose but tasted lemony citrus with some hints of cherry blossom. Support your local espresso bar!

Positively charged at the new Bull Run...

Wanted to keep the good vibes and mojo moving towards the newly opened Rustica Bakery and Bull Run Coffee Bar so I stopped in today for a bit of the usual. The thing is, there is nothing usual about their espresso. They really go out of their way to make the best cup of coffee possible. I sipped my 2 espressos in the sun seated at the cupping table today. It may have been -2 outside but it always feels 72 and sunny when you walk into this place. The people are friendly, the baristas knowledgeable, the atmosphere positively charged, all of which make for a sweet coffee experience. Head on over when you get a chance, no wait! Head on over right now, don't wait for the chance, it's that good!

I came to a fork in the espresso road and took the Kenyan and that made all the difference...

Next time I walk into Kopplin's I will order two of the same espresso or maybe drink the Ethiopian before the Kenyan. I started with the Kenyan and it was bright and leaped up into my nose and demanded my attention from the get go. It then proceeded to the back of my palette, which is exactly how I like it, saturating it with rich fruity flavors with a chocolate edge. Perfect viscosity too with just the right oils, close to a perfect pour. Next I tasted the Ethiopian. At first I was confused by how mellow it tasted but than realized quickly that the Kenyan had simply overtaken my palette leaving me no way to truly appreciate the Ethiopian. The pour was a little longer too which reinforced the mellow quality of the espresso. Guess I've learned my lesson.

Caught them just before closing up shop...

An excellent coffee bar that sets the standard very high opens near Lake Calhoun!

Bull Run finally teamed up with Rustica Bakery to open a globally conscious high end coffee bar and bakery. And thank god for that because this city needs more coffee bars like this badly! I spoke with Greg Hoyt the owner while sipping excellent espressos prepared by barista Keith Mrotek. Greg spoke with passion about this product we love so much... coffee! We talked about educating the American public and raising standards in ways that hopefully will catch on with the general populace.

Greg welcomed me warmly as I'm sure he will you!

The coffee is brewed either French press, pour over brew bar, Clover, or siphon and the espresso pulled on a 3 group synesso hydra (of course!). Bull Run has pulled out all the stops at this coffee bar. They even put in a table for cuppings. How often do you see that? And of course teaming up with Rustica Bakery means you'll not only drink fantastic high quality coffee but have many guilty pleasures to eat as well!

Eric Faust profiles Bull Run in an excellent article he wrote for the Heavy Table. Click here to read this article. And be sure to visit these guys and help them get off the ground. Accept no substitutes or imitators!

Keith is so good he can pull shots better with his eyes closed than most can with them open! (sorry Keith, I'll get a better photo next time!)

My barista friend Jefferson sent this...

Jefferson is from Seattle where he claims everyone trains as a barista for their high school diploma...

Stillwater, USA

Putting my feet up at Supreme Bean in Stillwater, MN

Excellent getaway this weekend after the turkey. Enjoyed espressos at Domacina Wine Bar Friday night and Supreme Bean the next morning. Stillwater rocks getaway style. We stayed at the Lowell Inn, dined at the Pirate Bar, hit the antique shops and finished our night at Brine's and Domacina. The owner of Domacina was a cool Serbian dude that understood the importance of fine wines, food and espresso. Definitely check out Stillwater next time you need a sweet escape from the daily grind...

What's better than espresso after fine wine and food? Well, nothing, duh...

Someone take these espressos from me please!

Tried to give Cuppa Java another chance but seriously! That was bad espresso. I couldn't even stomach the 2nd...

Nick and Eddie

Had 2 espressos at my new favorite place to eat, Nick and Eddie on Loring Park. This area has always had sentimental value for me being where my wife used to live when we first met and for the old Loring which has become regrettably the new Lurcat (yuck). Anyway, I absolutely love the food here and the ambiance and all our chill friends who wander in. Oh and let's not forget Ryan the friendly kick ass bartender that always knows what I drink and when I'm drinking it even if I don't... The espresso was much appreciated, especially since most restaurants are still serving basic brew coffee. My only suggestion might be a better bean, but other than that it was just what I needed after my jambon gruyere with raspberry sauce sandwich. Oh my. And did I mention my wife's band "Poosa" is playing Nick and Eddie Jan. 30th? Well I did now...

Don't panic!

This is actually later in the day at the Raddison downtown Minneapolis and my 3rd espresso. Not bad for "instant" and at least they remember the lemon peel...

2 Espressos with my good friend Herb Tim

Met my good buddy Herb Tim over at Dunn Bros in Linden Hills. We both enjoyed 2 espressos and good conversation. The staff at the coffee shop were very friendly and served up the good stuff! Was hoping to see my coffee buddy Shawn who works here but alas no... Last time I talked to him the City of Minneapolis was holding up the openings of at least 3 new kick ass high end coffee houses. C'mon Minneapolis! We need to raise the standards here. Get those coffee houses cleared!

I have kind of a dumb look on my face...

The Limits of Control on DVD today!

See the movie that inspired my 2 espresso devotion today! Visit Amazon's site by clicking here...

Hard to "Beat"

Dropped into The Beat Coffeehouse today and had a nice chat with Joel the owner. The place is very friendly and has a space to die for. Joel is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the coffee business. I had a Bull Run blend that had a pick me up aroma to it and a pretty good bitter aftertaste with hints of caramel. Joel even pulled me a shot of some single source Costa Rican that I liked for its acidity. The aftertaste didn't hang on like the blend but I appreciated its brightness and aggressiveness for some reason. Every day is different and every mood too I guess so some days are meant to be more acidic. Who knows, maybe it was the cold misty day that drew me to the Costa Rican, but I definitely liked it and appreciated Joel's hospitality. He's got a good thing going there in Uptown, definitely one of the better cups of espresso in that neighborhood. And he tells me they have a lot of live music and art openings too so I'll be back for sure to savor the espresso and other amenities at The Beat Coffeehouse...

2 espressos with friends...

Having 2 espressos with my friend Dan the Unabomber...

Beautiful day to relax and sip espresso

Here I am at Riverview Cafe enjoying my espresso on a beautiful, albeit cool, day. Sun was out and the Alakef blend went down smoothly. I appreciate this place more and more with it's relaxed atmosphere, tasty food and decent coffee. It was so nice to relax and read the paper and take in the day that was...

Of dog biscuits and OFT

At Bob's Java Hut the other day I didn't hesitate between the dog biscuits and the espresso, although I was tempted to drink the espresso. Just kidding...

Here is Espresso Expose' in Stadium Village. I didn't know they existed until we went to the Village Wok for Chinese food the other night. Damn fine food. Expose' had decent espresso although it was kind of the same old same old as many organic free trade places (OFT). I guess they all get the same beans from B and W or some other OFT place and since they don't really have any training in finishing off the process of preparing an espresso they all kind of taste the same. I feel sorry for the producers in Central America and Africa or Brazil that give us a good product, it gets roasted fine, but the machine is inferior and/or the barista has no idea how to make anything but the standard university student barista cup of espresso. Sad...

Finish the process man!

I guess I'm a sucker for good porcelain

I admit it. It makes a world of a difference to drink your espresso from the right cup and Bob's Java Hut definitely has the right cup. I felt so damned classy!

Sister Sludge or should it be Sisters?

Sister Sludge is run by triplets who have a passion for good coffee. They couldn't say enough good things about Alakef Roasters in Duluth. Made me want to road trip up there soon for a visit. Anyway, their espresso was tasty, nice bright aroma, good bitter almond aftertaste, crema a little light, but all around good stuff. Definitely check out Sister Sludge next time you're near 46th and Bloomington. By the way, I hear they have some of the best mocha in town. Cheers!

Espresso Royale in Dinkytown

Home is where the espresso is...

Sunday, post football espresso. Gave me solace after that last unlucky play... Next week we kick Greenbay's ass!

That's Amore!

Amore Cafe in St. Paul afforded me the perfect father daughter bonding moment and some very fine espresso to boot! Spicy, bitter, chocolate and cinnamon all combined for a fantastic experience here at Amore where they know how to pull excellent shots. This was my second time here and I appreciated their consistency and expertise. The barista nosed my first ristretto (they call it estrenzza here) and then tossed it, I assume because it didn't live up to his standards. I sampled an estrenzza and a regular pull and they were both above average. And I agree with my daughter who, upon leaving remarked, "I like that place". I do too. The coffee is excellent and the menu too... Viva Amore!

I've been sick but that doesn't stop me!

Yep, yours truly perseveres in the face of a nasty cold. To be fair I'm not going to be reviewing their coffee but it certainly helped get through my tedious week long cold...

Here I am at The Edge with something better than the "hair of the dog"


Me and Poosa and two beautiful cups of espresso made by Ya Ya


Here I finally made it to SIP off Marshall behind the old Grainbelt Brewery. I say finally because I never seem to get their hours straight or maybe it's because they're only open until 3 most days and 2 on Saturdays...

OK, the place wasn't exactly hopping as you can see from the pictures, but it is nicely set up and the B and W Italian Dark Roast Espresso wasn't bad. Of course I was still sick so I can't really say whether I recommend it or not. Here's hoping next week is better than last...

The Limits of Control Coming in November!

See the movie that inspired the 2 espresso revolution! Yes, that's right, Jim Jarmusch's "The Limits of Control" is coming to DVD on November 17th. You can bet I've already pre-ordered! See Isaach de Bankole as the assassin that calmly sips 2 espressos on his way across Europe to complete his mission and kill his target. For lovers of coffee, hit men, Spain, Bill Murray and Jim Jarmusch this is a must see.

Below: homebrewed Trader Joe's Five Country Espresso. Home sick today so I thought I'd give TJ's a shot. Nice bitter taste, pleasant Arabica aroma, this fair trade, organic espresso wasn't bad. Of course if I had a La Marzocco to brew it in like some people....

My good friend Joe sent these new photos!

Ebar Nordstrom store, Fashion Island Mall, Newport beach CA

Black Sheep temperature off, but then back on...

I finally returned to the Black Sheep the other day. I love this place and I remembered their espresso as being exceptional but it's over an hour round trip from my house so I don't get over there as often as I would like. They served me a Brazilian/Ethiopian espresso mix that tasted great except for the fact that they came lukewarm. It really kind of threw me for a loop. I almost took them back but finally decided not to. I've heard through the grapevine that I'm too nice to most places and I guess this is a great example of me wimping out and not taking the espresso back. I should have. For the record, I stayed long enough to have a 3rd and it was definitely the right temperature and tasted like heaven. Different barista too. So I have to chalk it up to a fluke but you definitely have to have the temperature right or you kill an important part of the process...

If you stare into espresso long enough it stares back at you...

Sometimes I can just stare and stare into my cups of espresso. It calms and centers me. The aroma enlivens me. The taste emboldens me. Meditation on a cup of espresso is often all I need to remind me of what's important in life. And that's that.

The Black Horse of San Luis Obispo, CA

The Black Horse of Uptown in San Luis Obispo, CA afforded an excellent cup of coffee. I'd say espresso but despite the La Marzocco machine and a decent crema it was just a good cup of coffee...



La Marzocco...

Probably the sweetest espresso cups ever...

Santa Barbara, CA - Espresso Heaven at French Press

The French Press in SB was wonderful, classy and very tasty. I was hoping for some good stuff on my trip out to California and I was not disappointed either here or in San Luis Obispo. Verve beans from Santa Cruz, a very friendly and knowledgeable staff, La Marzocco machine, ristretto... Basically I was in heaven. Hats off to the team at the French Press...


Feast your eyes on the beauty that is the French Press espresso!