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!

On Saturday I will be at Intelligentia in Venice Beach

I've heard big things. Let's hope they live up to the hype...

My cup overfloweth somewhat...

Stopped by Overflow (30th and University, Mpls) and took it all in. Sweet ambiance, nice getaway, love the central barstools and big cup. Espresso had a bright citrus aroma that seemed inviting but when I took a sip I came back surprised. It was contradictory in that it was syrupy, yet watery, smooth but no staying power. Like a decent bland if that makes any sense. I would have liked more bite to follow up that aroma. But I do recommend the place for its high ceilings and upper loft area for chilling out. I like the getaway but I'd have preferred a little take away taste...

Gotta like the big mug of quotations...

It's not espresso but it is very noble...

Thanks for the free cup of coffee Dunn Bros... It's nice to see them doing their part to get more people drinking the stuff. Now let's just keep raising the standards!

Passing by Nokomis

Discovered the Nokomis Coffee Cafe today. It's a mellow joint with what appeared to be pretty good food. Espresso not so hot but you knew I'd probably say that. 5-6 great espresso joints in the Twin Cities makes a man desperate.. Oh how I wish Public Coffee House would open!

My friend Steve posts photo from 7-11 in Bend, Oregon

Scathing review of Coffee Bene in St. Paul

You know, this is supposed to be a zen experience, but the state of coffee is rather sorry indeed some days. The sign says "Good People, Good Coffee." Unfortunately I am here to report that neither were true the day I stopped in. I asked for my standard 2 espressos in separate cups and was presented with 2 choices of paper cups. I have come to expect this occasionally but asked if they had any porcelain. The barista gave me the look of death and pulled out two mugs and rolling her eyes a little more asked if these would work. I said ok. Then with the push of a button I instantly got 2 watered down crappy non espressos with no crema and no real taste. Hey, at least I didn't have to take the taste with me.

Part of the problem with this place surely must be the fact that they are trying to cater to students from nearby St. Thomas. I feel sorry for the students. Although students, how much do you actually know about good coffee? I had to run to Kopplin's for coffee redemption afterward...

This picture was taken just before having to put my finger down my throat...

Later at Kopplin's with the "good stuff"

Gingko nutty coffee not espresso

It was to Gingko I came today with high hopes and aspirations. Smooth, good tasting coffee with a sweet light aroma but not the brightness or verve I would have come to expect from Alakef's arabica beans. Nutty yes, caramel yes, espresso no. But if I closed my eyes I could pretend I was at work where they brew some pretty good Folgers in the library.

The half veggie sandwich I had was pretty good though...