28 July 2007

zip tied

Last night I slept in the 4th bed of this vacation. Thankfully I woke up this morning to remember this is my last full day away from home.

But an evening with murky kids last night was probably what I needed to regain some strength and return home. The black and white color schemed duo known as Katie and Zachary (and more popularly dubbed as zacharyzachary.com) stole me away from family doldrums yesterday afternoon. Zachary appeared in what i later realized was a new fresh "do"... complete with a ninth street temp tattoo on one side of his head and a double Z shaved in the other. I'm sure the pictures will appear soon enough. After eyebrow waxing and a few tears in a boy's eye, the monumental car tour began, where another christian thread running through our government became clear to me in seeing that they own two of everything every made.

jokes. something like zip ties causing greater issues than they solve.

katie and goodrow poured mouth latte art yesterday. more like hair, shirt, dress, body, floor latte art. then saw this when I woke up. I think it's where the phrase "hand crafted drinks" comes from.




lack of decent sleep and nutrition has driven me to unnecessary mood swings and a gaping hole where my character once resided. bring me home, please.

26 July 2007

third wave at home - a letter from Columbia (Maryland)

While in Portland, I purchased a 3cup Bodum press and a half pound of Stumptown's Panama Don Pachi for my aunt and uncle with whom I have been residing with here in Columbia Maryland. My uncle, Christopher, is a foodie of sorts and enjoys coffee in all ways. Knowing ahead of time that he owned a small Braun coffee grinder, I felt the press would be a nice addition to their collection. Well, it ended up being just a smaller addition to the 12cup they keep around the house as it is. But there's always a catch... and this time it was a simple one. They never use it. Thankfully that's changed this past week.

No offense to the golden cone, and maybe a little offense to the canned coffee, but it's great to see them heating the water, gently stirring the crust, and pressing the coffee right as the four minute timer goes off. Not to mention watching their palates light up as we make different pots of the samples I brought back from PDX. So far Chris has found a lot of Orange in the don pachi, but has a love for the Hine's from Nicaragua.

Two mornings ago they broke out their ancient espresso maker. I watched my fourteen year old cousin, John, pull a two-minute shot running clear at the last drop and filling up 3/4 of his coffee mug. I "steamed" his milk, but to no avail produced only a hot and watery creamlike substance. It was beautiful watching him drink every last drop of that beverage. Drinking coffee for the sake of coffee.

John began drinking coffee because he liked creamer. Just plain creamer with maybe a pinch of sugar. I think his mom told him to throw a few drops of coffee in there for flavor a year or two ago, and now he's addicted to the stuff. Even his sister Emily, the pickiest of all, enjoyed a mocha as she picked me up from the airport. We were at the mall yesterday and half way through our scavenging I stopped for a cup at the Nordstrom "espresso bar." She slugged a vanilla latte (extra syrup) with wide eyes.

I know I'm something of a huge influence on her, but I never knew coffee would be one of my nuances that stuck. Who know's if it's "cool" in her private catholic school to drink Starbucks, but she says she loves it. Something that is only now occurring to me about third wave coffee is its affect on the younger generations. When coffee and tea houses are a central location for underagers to hang out, shouldn't it be obvious that their palates too should start attending to this specialty coffee revolution?

Emily asked for a Starbucks giftcard for her birthday from one of her classmates. I'd like to see the day when she and kids like her are spending a dollar more to go to a third wave shop simply knowing that the heart in the top of their mocha means something more than it's shape.

23 July 2007

three time zones later..

at this point what's left behind is a pocket full of gum wrappers and a backpack stuffed with coffee samples... and who knows when I'll be there again.

My last day was eventful. Lunch with Margaret and Billy at Paradox Cafe where ketchup comes with a side of potatoes. Delicious. I was so impressed throughout my entire stay with Portland's mass amount of vegan/veggie options. Or maybe I've just become less and less impressed with Atlanta's lack thereof. And I wonder why we cook so much at home... no complaints.

After lunch was more shopping, including buying a french press and a half pound of don pachi for my aunt and uncle, and a cup of the gondo on the clover. mmm. despite the amount of caffeine I consumed on this trip, I managed to take "power naps" of two hours long every afternoon... after this one though I managed to round myself up for a trip downtown with M when she went to work. Jeremy and I met up for a drink at The Living Room to see Inconscientes (Unconsciousness). A beautiful space, but definitely more ritzy than I imagined... A jazz band was performing as we left.

A martini at Masu and an afterparty at the Doug Fir Lounge.. a busy night but a great way to end it all. Despite Doug Fir's douche-quality of a croud, I couldn't help but think I was at the Great Northern of Twin Peaks, but with a 50's era twist. Speaking of which, my plane flew over Twin Peaks on the way to Baltimore.

Columbia, MD is my home for the next week. And it feels like home. Sandwiches brought to us at the pool, TV after dinner, myspace.com blocked from parental controls.

the eve of a thirteenth bithday has never been so refreshing.
pictures to come in days.

19 July 2007

portland (deux)

hellos alls. I am reporting via telepathic wireless brain wavery (aka WiFi) at Crema in ye olde Portland. This is just one of the several shops I've been in and out of this past week, all supplying me with more caffeine than I can handle, which only sends me towards lunch spots, pastries, and the finery breweries this city has to offer.

and now, the recap:

- The Albina Press
This has been my local spot since I've been here. Only a few blocks from Margaret's and amazing baristas, I can't help but hit this place up at least once a day. It reminds me so much of Aurora (VaHi) - partly due to my own visiting frequency and partly because of the great staff. I've already created some solid relationships... Rita has been a dream to hang out with, and Josh an excellent barista.

- Coffeehouse NW
Downtown small spot offering great latte art and a barista overflowing with knowledge/information on his interpretation of his own palate...

- Stumptown @ Ace Hotel
Wow. Visited twice. The decor is amazing. An incredible space, seemingly posh due to its super cleanliness and dark wood... the baristas seemed out of place though. Hard to explain... In any case, the TWO machines to serve the two baristas so that they can both make drinks was impressive. Not to mention limited seating, allowing for a more traditional "drink it at the bar" experience.

- Stumpton - Division Street
The premiere shop of the Stumps, and a fine experience indeed. After a cup of the Ethiopia Misty Valley, Jim invited me to check out the new location for all of the roasting equipment. It used to all go down right there, but now they're coming back to the original spot right there in the space behind the shop on Division. Jim roasted some small batches and I looked on with awe. This is the same guy from the Annex who knew what Honey Coffee was (he'd been there!) and has even spoken and met with my soon to be teacher, Izake Katshuide. A small world, indeed.

- Crema - coffee house and bakery
"Single origin espresso" and delicious in-house pastries and other baked goods makes for a nice visit. The best part about the place though is the space. It's been here for a minute and it shows some age, but cloudy-blue and cream colored paint with the light birch wood gives a clean and open-air feel. The garage-style windows are a nice trouch, too.

M and I have been having an awesome time hanging out... tonight we're going for sushi at her restaurant and then seeing The Field and Strategy at a club (Haloscene, different but similar to MJQ). I'll probably see you all again on this hater-web-net when I get to DC on Sunday. Until then, keep in touch. I miss you all so much.

16 July 2007

I knew I shouldn't have waited until my 3rd day in Portland to write what I've been up to so far. I was worried that 8 days here would be too much, that I'd get bored with the city or not meet cool people and just stay in and watch movies all night long...

but no! it has quickly become just the opposite. It's a flood of information coming at me from all sides. The Katrina of Coffee Love has hit me and I'm swimming fast, keeping my head up, and waiting for the next wave. My plan for an eight-day coffee crawl has now become smattered with books stores (Powell's, so far I've just been to the small one in the SE, but good things indeed), movie houses, Japanese toy shops, local brews, house shows, and of course--amazing new friends.

Here's a run down on what I've had to taste so far:
- Espresso from Fresh Pot on Hawthorne.
The shop itself is connected to the small Powell's book store. A single row of two top table runs parrallel to the bar, stuffed with laptop bound internetophiles. Reminded me of the back wall at octane for a second. Somehow the Barista picked up that I was of his kind, and a quick chat led to a fantastic shot of espresso (Stumptown's Hairbender, of course). Sweet and mild, a great start to my journey.
- Espresso from Stumptown on Belmonte
Talk about impressive! The shop itself is a stunning work of architecture and design. Light grain wood with antique brushed silver accents, but not the cheesy ikea feel you can get from that combo. Think more along the lines of post WWII. Gorgeous. Oh, and the eight (I think it was eight, could be wrong) group machine is nothing but brilliant. Baristas- humble yet knowledgeable. Lead me to the annex next door for a chat with their Megan
- A cup from Stumptown Annex on Belmonte
Megan gave me a round up of the coffees available that day, about fifteen total. Since the opportunity was available, I had a cup of Colombia La Esperanz (COE #1) from the Clover. Delish. The decor in this facility, too, was phenomenal. Pictures to come, you drooling visual nuts.

And then there was this morning's cupping at the Stumptown Annex. Azia and Jim set up the cupping, and Stumptown's Director of Coffee, Aleco, along with one of their roasters, Bosco, joined in on the morning's event. I can't help but to exclaim at the viceral feeling of tasting coffees unlike anything you've experienced before, especially now that my palate is finally developing. I was particularly impressed with the Panama Don Pachi. If my memory serves me well, Aleco says it is the same varietal as the Panama Esmerelda. Beautifully floral with such a pleasant brightness, I was blown away. It stood out remarkably against the other coffees on the atble. Looks like I know what I'm picking up to bring home...

I'm off to switch headquarters. I've been in the south east for a few days, but the rest of my trip will HQ in the north, right close to Albina. The more friends I make, the less free time I have, and the richer the trip is turning out to be. Every corner in this city grows another treasure.

08 July 2007

The Octane party of the summer goes down tomorrow, and all rest quietly before the festivities. Alyssa is passed out at the moment, I imagine still tired from her flight home yesterday morning from San Francisco and getting the house ready for the shin-dig. She arrived back with a bag full of magical goodness, most of which hailing from Ritual Roasters and Little Otsu. Yes!! It looks like we're going to have a small cupping (w/ neighbors m'lissa-tat and chris-tat) tomorrow afternoon of three of the coffees she brought back from Ritual. We even sipped on some of the Columbia La Virgina yesterday, which was thoroughly enjoyed I might add.

I haven't been home to the Bay since Thanksgiving of last year. I'd only been working at Octane for two months and still learning what it meant to be "third-wave." Tony pointed me towards Ritual for a visit sometime within my family festivities. If it wasn't already tempting enough to move back after my meeting at UC Berkeley, visiting Ritual gave me more to look forward to. Maybe it was the smell of the eucalyptus at night combined with the smell of a fresh cup, but my childhood home screamed for me to come back.

I returned to Atlanta depressed and moody after that trip. What did I have to look forward to? I felt Atlanta could never be home, but maybe that was because I was scared it was becoming so. I left the west coast in '97, and now we were on the brink of '07... ten years gone by, I am no longer simply that California girl I had prided myself on for so long.


"..from the Bay to the A..."

03 July 2007

one third of a better person

M'lissa was intimidating and intense, I was sweaty and shaky, it was all of the suspenseful attributes of any Barista certification. But I emerged victorious and kicked certification's ass! Well, at least the first third.

The Coffee Boss hovered over me with her clipboard as I set the grind from random to perfect in three pulls, consistently dosed between eighteen and nineteen grams of espresso (with 1.2 grams of waste to spare!), and displayed my (still growing) abilities to throw down a heart in a macchiato, and a rosetta in a cappuccino and a latte. Next up: written exam (please, no scantrons), and a mock competition.


I can only hope I have started the trend at Octane to get certification under way. I want at least half of the staff to have the first part of BC finished before I return from my travels. It's great to see everyone getting excited about coffee, especially after our first Octane cupping yesterday evening. Granted, it was a "dress rehearsal," but M'lissa did a fantastic job at hosting her first cupping. Next Monday starts public cuppings at the shop, 7PM sharp. We're not only sipping on some delicious Counter Culture coffees, but other foods, drinks, and smelly and tasty items to work on that palate and sensory vocabulary we all have deep within our souls.