Coffee French Bulldogs Data

A Blog about coffee, frenchbulldogs and data

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Where do I start

It is so surprise, people are starting to take their coffee a lot more seriously than they did a few years ago. I’m talking about more than just buying a Keurig. I’m often tasked by friends to get them started on their coffee adventures. While I love doing it, I also realize people are not willing to drop major amounts of cash just for some coffee in the morning. I’ve built a few models on where to start, and added reasons when to get each step.

The Filter:

This is by far the most important thing you can buy. There are several shapes and sizes, all of which actually matter. I normally suggest the Hario V60 (02). I say this because the filters are cheap, they make a plastic one for under $10, and its basically the bare bones of where to get started. Although the Kalita wave is a better device, it has weird filters that can be pricey, and do not store as well as the V60s. They also only make them in metal and glass, which increases the price.

The Grinder:

So you could get your coffee ground at the grocery store, but it really is not a great idea. Cross contamination with french vanilla, caramel and other coffees can really throw off your coffee. Coffee also loses most of its “goodies” (i.e gases and acids) within 24 hours of grind them. {An aside, some say minutes, others say hours, all that matters is that you want that bean intact until right before brewing}. The biggest mistake people make is getting a blade grinder, the only thing a blade grinder is good at is showing you what a burr grinder is. Burr grinders are pricer for sure, but they are still manageable. You can get a capresso one for about $32-$42. My first grinder was a capresso, and it did its job for about 5 years. Another big mistake people make is getting a hand grinder. Yes, they are cool, but you will hate grinding 1oz of coffee every morning, trust me. It is worth the extra $10.

These two will hold you over for a really long time. The pro’s will disagree, but n reality it will really boost your coffee program. Obviously the following add on items make a huge difference, but if you aren't trying to win any awards, the two above will make you pretty good coffee. 

Filter : $10

Grinder: $40 

Total : $50

The Scale

You could get away without having a scale, but good coffee is about ratios. Scoops do an entry level job, but you have to remember that different coffees have different density. This is like how salt water, milk and tap water will all way differently even if you put them in a volume (1.cup). You want to make sure your coffee weight is around 1oz, and your water is around 17 oz. The scale is pretty cheap, one around $10 will do the trick.

The Kettle

This one is a really hard sell. I would say that most people already have a tea pot, or some form of kettle. The last thing they want to do is buy another one, one that is not that cheap. The goose neck creates a steady flow rate, something that is crucial when brewing coffee. The electric ones will also set to a particular temperature, (recall that coffee is brewed below boil). This is probably outside the gift range, but worth doing if you can. 

$40-65

The Decatur

Ok this is pure luxury, but the handle and glass really class up the coffee experience. There are actually reasons why you should use glass, and why you want to brew into a decatur, but that is for another post.

$20

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Surfs up

 While I was abroad ranting that Brussel’s third wave coffee scene is lacking a true Belgium vibe to it, I received several questions about whether that was a good/bad thing and then what were the waves of coffee. I’ve become so accustomed to using these terms I forget that their origins and use are still not totally clear.

As of writing, there are currently three waves of coffee.

First Wave

The first wave of coffee is a debatable topic. Before coca cola, a lot of people use to drink coffee, even during dinner meals. However, somewhere in the 50′s and 60′s coca cola went after the youth market and got loads of children drinking pop rather than coffee. The downward spike below is around 1950.

That era could be considered first wave coffee, but a more general approach would say first wave coffee was any time prior to the 90′s and early 2000′s. Coffee drinkers used coffee for utility, and that was about it. There was little emphasis on where you drank the coffee or how good the coffee was. The coffee was generally so bitter that consumers would cut the coffee with milk and sweeten it with sugar. This really deluded the natural coffee flavors. The key to the first wave of coffee was the invention of the modern coffee maker. The modern coffee maker was first invented in 1954, then popularized in the 70′s when Mr. Coffee released their first product. Before the Electric coffee maker, the process either required an expensive machine (espresso machine) or required attention during the entire process (french press and moka). First Wave coffee is really the foundation for the following waves, it made people interested in a very unique product. Some examples of first wave products are Dunkin Donuts, Folgers, Maxwell House and Chock full O’nuts.

Second Wave Coffee

When second wave coffee occurred, I doubt they thought it was the second, or that there would be a third. Second wave coffee places a lot of emphasis on where the consumer enjoys his or her coffee. This places a lot of emphasis on the cafe. Starbucks is the most notable of this group, making all of their cafes have large windows and very noticeable branding. Coffee went from being something you brewed in your home to something you needed to be seen with. In 2016 it seems silly to think that someone walking around with a Starbucks mug made them a power player, yet at sometime it did. Secondly it became a pace you hung out with friends and socialized. This turned coffee from a utility to a semi-luxury, consumers began to pay for more than just the caffenine. Starbucks were not alone in this venture, Peets and Caribou coffee were both pushing second wave coffee. There are a lot papers,books and articles devoted to the birth of second wave coffee and how it propelled third wave coffee. I think it is mainly important to note that without viewing coffee as a luxury, which Starbucks convinced us to, there would not have been a third wave.

Third Wave Coffee

The wave you have been waiting for, third wave coffee. This blog exists because of third wave coffee. Third wave coffee exists because of the science and understanding of coffee. Those involved with third wave coffee treat it as an artisanal beverage. The sources (generally single origin, but some blends too), the roasting and brewing all can vastly change the flavor profile of the drink. This makes those involved super careful about sourcing the producting, roasting it so that profile of the bean comes out, and also using the brewing technique that is best suited for that bean. The emphasis here over the other two waves is formats is simply quality. Quality and taste are the two biggest factors of a third wave coffee shop. Its why there is such a big push to not add milk to your coffee. Milk hides the flavor of coffee, and third wavers took a lot of time and energy so you didn't have to do that. Some third wave coffee shops include Blue Bottle, Stumptown, Gimme Coffee, PT’s, Counter Culture, Ceremony, Siteglass and Verve. All of these roasters (amongst many more) place a lot of effort into the first two steps of the coffee. It is why Blue Bottle will not grind your coffee. Third wave exists only because coffee became a common beverage, and that beverage was seen as a luxury. I’m not too sure what the fourth wave will be; but I have guesses.

Fourth Wave Coffee

To be clear, this is not a thing. This is my best guess on what I believe the next classified step will be. Personally I think fourth wave coffee is all about home and speed. I think it will be getting the quality of a third wave cup, at a fraction of the time and automated. This is why K-cups do so well, and so do the Nespresso devices. I see more and more people buying the Jura devices, and trying to take a complicated system and make it easier. This will be a challenge for third wavers, but should be an interesting one.

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Vero Caffè

I continued my hunger strike, or rather quest to find food in Bruge. It was a hike to find food, and nothing just seemed to be open. The thing about Bruge is that it is really small. I mean you can do a walking tour of the entire thing in about 2 to 3 hours, and that includes bathroom breaks. There is a lot to see do not get me wrong, it is all just packed within this little city. Walking from one end to the other takes little time. I was looking for food, but settled for my third cup of coffee. This time at a much more modern cafe, Vero.

It had a look a feel of an American coffee shop. The did only offer table service which I completely ignored when I ordered my pie (I told you I was hungry) and coffee at the bar. They then informed me to sit down and they would bring it to me. This coffee shop was probably the most popular one I visited in Bruge, offering little remaining seating. The exposed white brick seemed to go for that homie feel that American coffee shops strive for. It also had a back room where you could compute or play card games. They were very much a sit and take your time coffee shop.

I decided to have a little pie and cappuccino. Once the pie arrived to my seat I just whispered to myself, ‘Oh No’. The pie was littered with almonds , so I had to offer up my pie to the person sitting behind me. It was told that it was quite good. As for the coffee it was good as well. They had by far the most advanced coffee program of the three. They had a weekly roasting menu that included some good African Coffees as well as one from Burundi. I winded up getting a sample of the Kenyan and it was quite good. I was not familiar with the roaster, but it surely was good.

After my three coffee shops in Bruge, and my two in Brussles I noticed something about Belgium coffee shops. They always seemed to give you a treat on the side. No two coffee shops were the same, and this one gave you a weird piece of bread. There was always something though, always a little snack or treat to have while you enjoyed your coffee. To my knowledge, very few American coffee shops do this, even when you have it for there. The only one I can think of is the Wydown with their tiny cookie, but even that is not consistent. I really enjoyed this piece of Belgium culture. Something about it just seemed like they cared, and said ‘Hey friend, have a treat on us’. I could be playing this up, but I do admit I liked it.

This was my last coffee shop in Bruge, and boy what a weird city. I winded up eventually finding some food at a dodgy place. I asked where everyone was and the waitress informed me that with a mixture of snow and it being January the town is quite dull. This made a lot of sense, but still it was almost too empty.

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Espressobar - I Love Coffee

When I decided to pick out the coffee shops, I began to wonder about English names for a coffee shop. Something about having the word coffee in a foreign place just seemed off, so I was very skeptical of this place. Mainly that it was not as authentic as say Koffie. That being said, I went to this place anyway, figuring what is the worse that could happen.

Well what is worst? Being Hungry and going into a coffee shop. I was suppose to stop and get food on my way to this coffee shop. However it was around 3:30, and god forbid any sensible eating location be open. Ok to be fair, there were like two places open. One of which was this pasta box place, and I sure as Hell did not travel to Bruge for some Pasta in a box. 

It was quite interesting when I arrived because the menu was pretty unique. Sure it had your espresso,Americano and latte. However, they added a new milk choice I had not seen prior, Coconut Milk. The body of the latte was a lot thinner than say a 2% Latte. However it was not overbearing with coconut flavor that I would have expected. It had a hint of coconut, just that a hint.

They also added a nice little treat to the experience. They had a chocolate mouth placed on a heart plate. A lot of the shop had this somewhat open mouth. The branding was weird, and I still do not think I full understood it. There was lots of this branding though, and a lot it involving someone yelling about coffee. I must admit, at least it was all on brand. 

One of the coolest things about this coffee shop was the handle. Both sides of the door had this portafilter handle. It was not actually a portafilter but had the same feel and look as one. It just seemed to be a little more sturdier than one you put on a machine. I liked this a lot and it was a subtle way to let you know that you were in a coffee shop. I would say it is not for every coffee brand, but it is something I wish to see replicated in the future. It lets the people entering know, we take coffee serious here, so be prepared.

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Li-o-lait

I decided to take a day trip just a little north into proper Flanders. Belgium is divided really into two areas (Ok I’m simplifying this, but it is a coffee blog, not a politics blog, for that visit politicsfrenchbulldogs.com). The northern side of the country has a lot more of a dutch influence, where as the south is much more French. With this in mind, and little homework (ok I just watched In Bruges with Colin Farrell), I headed on the train to Bruge. This coffee shop was the first one I stopped at.

It was after a long tour, with little food so my patience was tested. I arrived at this lovely little spot with a hungry mind and eager to have some coffee. I did my best Flemish (which sounds a lot like my english) and ordered a cappuccino and a chocolate moose brownie. I paid with my Euros and took my seat. This is one of those moments when you realize how out of place you are. Listening to the language spoken by others was great. It reminded me of the background noise in a movie, enough to let you know people are talking, but not enough to pick up on conversation.

The food was absolutely amazing, just the right texture and good amount of chocolate. Yes, I’m aware the Belgians love their chocolate, but I did not realize to this degree. The coffee was quite good as well, and I’m beginning to be less surprised by this. The world has some pretty good coffee, and I think that is by design and not by mistake. They gave these little waffers that were a nice treat as well.

This clock just reminded me of a subtle hint of hustle. I do not know of too many coffee shops that have a clock in them, and none as large as this one. It had this feeling that it was trying to remind you to have a good time, not a ‘time is up’ clock that you would expect from such a small shop. The decor was also very homemade, and they probably did not consult a designer. It had a feeling that it was someones house that was trying to make money by selling coffee.

The shop was quite good and the location was pretty important. It is just off the main shopping strip. I’ve seen these before in European cities, but they remind me of outside malls. They seem to only attract tourist or native visitors (meaning Belgians in the surrounding area). I would not say it was where the Bruge teenagers hang out, but that was just an assumption. 

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My Little Cup

Sometimes looking for a coffee shop in a new city is a lot like playing darts (or bowling, you choose the metaphor here). You aim to get exactly what you want, but for a majority of the time you get close enough. However, every once in a while you hit the spot right on, and My Little Cup was exactly that. I walked up to the well cornered coffee shop and noticed how white and pure that is. A lot of coffee shops go for rustic with a dirty vibe to it, this one went in the opposite direction, white and pure.

Following the policy of the blog, when I see something I’ve never had I order it. The trick here was that there were two things I’ve never had before. The ‘Dope Yo!’ and the ‘Lungo’. I had to choose the one that just seemed cooler, which naturally was ‘Dope Yo!’  The coffee was from Belleville, a Paris based roaster. The coffee was quite good, even for a double espresso.

What really made this place was the Barista. The guy was on fire (and nice). He would keep the guests happy, even if they had an extended stay while blogging about the coffee shop they were in. He offered pieces of bread, and other little goodies. He also started lining up about 10 plates and glasses of espresso. I was wondering what he was doing, until 13 hr passed and about 10 people walked in to get their daily fix of espresso. It must have been like clock work for this guy.

He also wanted the place to be lively. There were a few regulars who were doing crossword puzzles, but there were also new people (blogging about coffee shops I’m sure). He played some really good music, and insisted on signing along to hit songs like ‘Under the Sea’ (in french of course), Phil Collins and the Eagles. The music was spot on, and made sure of that. I’ve argued before that a barista can make or break a coffee shop, and this guy really made this coffee shop no doubt about it.

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Names are hard

When I travel I opt out of the foreign data plans. Not because I want to remain disconnected, but mainly because I’m fruggle. You may be wondering why I’m writing about this. I normally write the instructions of where I need to go down in a notebook, and I generally plan out my day when I leave the house. The slightest little thing can make that go all to hell. Changing a store name is one of those things, changing the name makes me think I have the wrong coffee shop.

In case you were wondering (which I know you werent), “The Lab” is now “Cafe Capitale”. This location was not what I was expecting. Normally when I travel I try to see what the local spin on gourmet coffee is, rarely do I expect a transplanted coffee shop in a new city. This coffee shop was pretty much that!

The dead give away for me was the ‘Brooklyn Indian Pale Ale’ sitting on the window for sale. I didn't ask how long it was there for, but either it was so old you didnt want to drink it, or why they hell are you ordering an American beer in Belgium (but I digress). The coffee shop has a lot to offer, including siphon, areopress and assortment of pour over devices. I ordered the Kenyan, but as too often the case, they were out. So I went for their sweet espresso in a cappuccino.  I think what surprised me the most was that it was just so American third wave coffee. The filters, the language used, all made me feel like I was at a coffee shop in the US.

Despite the good coffee, I would probably not choose this as my favourite coffee shop in Brussels.

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I sense a pattern here

Pattern coffee was a new one for me. I’ve been to quite a few coffee shops in the Kings Cross area (I take the train to Scotland more than I should). Pattern is not new per say, but it was new for me. It also is not a chain, and by no means corporate; honestly it is quite in the other direction.

The interior is quite interesting, and somewhat reminds me of an old english ladies house. I’m sure when they took over the place (from an old lady) the land lord said : “What can I remove” and the owners said “ Nothing, this is quite perfect”. There is a lovely fireplace and lots of old books. Again, when I mean old books im not talking about ones you probably read, ones that just are old in age because someone forgot to donate them or toss them.

I opted out of the food at this location and went straight for the coffee. They do offer baked goods, which I fully trust. The coffee is from Bristol (Extract Coffee Roasters) and has a sense of goodness to it. Often small roasters have a tendency to under or over roast, but this one was a spot on medium. Nothing really to complain about. I would recommend this coffee to even the locals!

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On the road: In a Caravan

As I mentioned in the previous post, this year we are taking the blog to more coffee shops. This year we are going to London! I needed to take time to travel, and that I did.

Caravan Coffee

My plane arrived in London at the ripe hour of 6. This left me with 6 hours before my train to Brussels departed. I am a terrible plane sleeper, so I basically just watched Ted2 and the Martian the entire time. (What can I say I’m a huge fan of Mark Wahlberg). Tired, and needing to stay awake, what not a place to visit than a coffee shop. I’ve heard good things about Caravan Coffee so I headed over to their Kings Cross location. 

The restaurant is located next to an art school (of course it is). Outside is this neat little water art display. I believe as the day goes on, the height of the water gets higher, but do not quote me on that one. The art building is located somewhat off the main strip, and the signage is kinda of limited. If you are a tourist (guilty as charged), it can be easy to miss.

This is not a four seater coffee shop, it is more like a bar and restaurant that just happens to sell really good coffee. It is odd in my opinion, to emphasize the quality and making of coffee and make that behinds the scenes. Part of the experiences can be seeing the baristas make the drink, which is somewhat out of sight here. The vibe was very much interesting. It reminded me if they tried to make a Victorian style cafe, but they tried that in the 60′s. So image two different styles of fashion. One really old, then one somewhat old.

I at first went for the roasted tomatoes toast, but stopped the waitress and said “Yolo, I’ll take the avocado toast”. Yolo indeed, because the amount of avocado on this toast surely could have made guacamole for a Spanish village. The food was amazing, and the sourdough was on point. The coffee was good as well, but I honestly expected that. The menu was very clear that they take their coffee serious.

The last time I was in London, about 3 years ago the coffee game was picking up speed. Right now, it is in full swing. There are a ton of gourmet third wave coffee shops. Finding good roasters is no longer a challenge, and it is somewhat expected. For a country that is so obsessed with their tea, the coffee is starting to catch up, and I think the world is taking noticed.

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2016 a year ahead

I walk to work. The trip is just shy of a mile. On that route, I can buy a cup of coffee from over twelve different places. I pass a Dunkin Donuts, two indie coffee shops and a bunch of corner stores that I’m almost certain would sell me a cup of coffee.The honest truth, I only buy a cup of coffee from one of those locations.  Coffee is a mixture of utility and luxury. Some people drink coffee just to stay awake, others drink it because of it’s unique character. A lot of the things we do in our lives have this complexity. Sometimes we just need a pen to sign our name, we do not care if it is monte blanc. Other times we just need to know the time, we do not care if it is a rolex. Over the past year a lot has changed, and some times you have to pause and recap! If you let it, life can be just simply a cup of coffee, but if you stop and take the time, it can be that luxury item.

The Kalita Switch

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When I first started getting into craft coffee, nearly every shop had a hario v60. In the past year I’ve noticed a massive switch to the Kalita wave. There are some boring details as to why the switch happened, some of which I will try to simplify. The Kalita wave is far more forgiving if you screw up. The three holes on the bottom make for a even flow rate. Basically, the Kalita wave makes a constient cup a lot easier than say the V60. We as baristas and people need to realize that forgiveness is not something to take lightly. Certain tools will allow us to make mistakes, and will still produce really good products. Sure the V60 can make a really good cup, but at what expense. A few terrible cups may eventually lead to a great cup.

The 185 to the 165

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A few coffee shops have not only made the switch from Harios to Kalitas, they have also changed the size of filters they are using. The size of the filter does not really matter. However, it forces the barista to be patient. With the 185, it allows the barista to pour too much water causing over extraction and thus bitterness (albeit,slight). The 165 holds less water, so it forces the barista to be patient and to pay attention. It allows for more care of the pouring, and makes sure the coffee is extracted at much better rate.  Somethings in life require patience, if you rush them, they will just become bitter. The other important thing the 165 taught us is to not rush, be aware that the best things are well crafted and take time.

Adventure

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Think about your favourite coffee shop, or something you really like. Now think about the day before you discovered that thing. Without risk and adventure we are leaving out so many of the wonders of this world. I can promise every reader that there is something you will find in the future that will become your favorite. Be creative and think about how to try new things, while making the things you have even better. In 2015 we toured NYC,Philadelphia,Baltimore, and NJ. This year we are stepping it up and going international. The exact locations are still being figured out, but expect some good stuff in 2016.

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Counter Culture

I’ve referenced Counter Culture quite a few times while writing here. I think it is about time I explain what it is and why I keep referencing it. This post is about coffee as a concept, not a particular shop. That being said, it is pretty important to know what a Counter Culture shop really means.

Counter Culture at its core is simply a roasting company. They are located in Raleigh, NC. Their facilities are pretty big, and they often host barista events. However, calling Counter Culture simply a roasting company undercuts what is the true purpose of the company. Counter Culture is a big brand name. In the Washington DC / Baltimore area they are exclusive in 67 shops, thats pretty insane. In Washington DC the following coffee shops were Counter Culture shops (as time of posting) : Tryst,The Coupe,The Dinner,Open City, Big Bear Cafe, Peregrine Espresso, Pitango Gelato, Bayou Bakery, Northside Social and that is literally just a few. They are pretty much everywhere.

Why am I making a big deal about this? Counter Culture has a neat little contract that is often overseen by consumers. Counter Culture will be your go to Coffee Bro if you sign an exclusive deal. Think about this like dating, if you sign up with CC you get all the benefits, but all the commitment. This means that if your espresso machine breaks, out comes Counter Culture to fix it. If you hire a new barista and want to teach them the basics of making espresso, you ship them to your local Counter Culture training center.  Counter Culture is like your free consulting service.

So why should you care? For the average consumer this is not an issue at all. You go to your local coffee shop, probably get a cappuccino,latte or cortado and then go home. You probably are not sitting and talking to the barista about the coffees on the bar, and are probably not so concerned where your coffee is sourced from. This is ok if you are not looking for anything special, or anything seasonal. The problem is that if you go to Tryst the coffee will probably taste the same as it would at Northside Social. That is because they both use Counter Culture’s default espresso. That takes the creativity of the coffee out of the shop, which is ok if your coffee shop replaces that with great food or good environment. 

I’m a big believer in multi-roasting coffee shops, and do not like when someone only sells Counter Culture. If a coffee shop is taking that risk, personally I think they should be rewarded. Counter Culture offers middle of the road coffee, and produces very few natural processed coffee and very few interesting coffees. Normally when a coffee shop selects to go Counter Culture, it means they are choosing the safe route instead of trying to sell innovative coffees.  This is not the end of the world, and I do not mean to be too critical. I actually like some counter culture shops, but I prefer shops that offer unique coffees. I want to go to that coffee shop because  I can not get that coffee anywhere else in the city. With Counter Culture shops, that simply is not the case.

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Colony Club

I’m a big football fan, and watch most Norwich City matches at a pub just up the street from Colony Club. I had heard about it months ago, but it had slipped my mind recently. I was at the Wydown (review pending), where I got into a chat about this shop. One of the Baristas at Colony Club dropped off some Lofted coffee for the Wydown. Lofted Coffee has a unique story, which I’ll leave for a in person meeting with me to explain. The TL;DR is basically two guys roast coffee in a NY loft where a cat roams around. Its basically straight out of central casting for a Hipster Coffee Roastery. With the shop fresh in my mind, I decided to stop by to see what this place had to offer.

The Shop:

The place was really pretty, and I mean really pretty. They thought about a lot of the space. Its part bar, part coffee shop. There is a lot of space, but does not have a warehouse feel to it. They also have a beer garden outside for the warmer months. To make it more awesome, they have a ping pong table upstairs to challenge your friends with. Everything in the space seemed pure. the bright white lights, white counter tops, European Birch counter tops and even the cups felt modern. The side wall is painted white brick, and the floors are simple concrete. This blog is by no means an architecture or design blog, but for all intents and purposes this was designed really well. The space just feels like some where I could spend eight hours and no one would notice or kick me out. 

The Coffee,Beer and Food:

What, beer? In Brooklyn (yes, I lived there, #typical), this type of coffee shop was very common. I can not explain truly why, but I’ll provide my hypothesis. Since there are so many coffee shops, and space is so limited, each shop needs a way to drive more revenue even outside of coffee drinking times. In DC, there are not too many of these. Chinatown Coffee shop does offer beer and wine during certain times, but nearly to the effect that Colony Club does. The place practically becomes a bar that also sells coffee. But due to the space, if you wanted something quite, there is still space for that to happen. The coffee is from Ceremony (yay!) with a few guest roasters. If you ask nicely, they might sell you some lofted coffee. The coffee was spot on! I got a cappuccino and Kalita brewed ceremony Ecuador. They also offered Aeropress and chemex as a method of brewing, but I stuck with the Kalita. There is no doubt about the coffee or baristas, they even had one nearly win the thursday night throwdown last month (he came in second). The food is not the best, but I probably would not come here to eat anyway, stick to the coffee and booze.

Overall

Very few coffee shops do I walk out of and say I have to come back here, its just perfect.

This place is amazing. Maybe I’m bias because when I walked in they were playing Chvrches, but thats ok. I think this coffee shop will do well. Its location is bit off the main beat and path, but it wont struggle to attract good customers. I love this space, I love this coffee, and I’ll probably go through one of their punch cards before the new year.

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Bayou Bakery East

For while there were only a few reasons to go to Arlington Virginia, one of those was Bayou Bakery. The coffee shop who calls Louisiana its native home, offers some of the best food and best coffee. Recently, the VA shop decided to cross the river and build a shop near barracks row. I knew they opened a shop, but really knew nothing else besides that. I trust Bayou Bakery, and really believe in their product, so I had to give this one a shot. I met two of my long time friends there to catch up on life. 

The Space:

Oh man did they nail this one on the head or what. The space is hard to describe, but you’ve definitely seen something similar before. Imagine a guest house outside of mansion, and then converting that into a coffee shop. It has a few private (well small) rooms that make it feel like a good friend invited you over for coffee rather than a manufactured experience. The slanted ceilings with large windows provide a ton of light. They have laptop zones, which probably helps with churn. There is an upstairs loft that is really nice as well, but we stuck with the large windowed room. Its located outside of what use to be a hospital but has since been converted for the ‘Hill House’. This space just screams for a good first date or meeting up with friends. They do however have limited space, and are pretty strict about strollers (a worry I do not have, but wanted to share). It might have been that I was visiting in the fall and it just felt comfortable.

Coffee / Food:

If you’ve ever been to Bayou Bakery West (aka Arlington), you would know that they are known for their great food. The east location has a kitchen, but the food offering was not as obvious to me. The menu was somewhat hidden, and honestly I did not know what to order. I stuck with a simple pastry, and it was basically that : simple.The coffee was an interesting one, and some what of a critique. I ordered a latte, and the cashier was moderately confused. She thought I ordered a basil mint latte, which I did not even seen on the menu. She informed me they only make that as an iced latte, but would try it as a hot latte. After ordering, you receive a buzzer (which is probably due to the unique space and not the time it takes). Buzz Buzz, and I walked up to pick my drink. The Barista said, and I quote : “ We do not make this hot, so if it sucks I blame you”. I agree with him, that the risk was purely on me, but no need to make that obvious! The drink was actually really good, which I credit to myself. My other friend got a regular coffee. They give you this unique Louisiana coin as a free refill coin, I admit that was cool. As an aside for those coffee nerds, both Bayou’s are Counter Culture shops.

Overall:

Barracks Row is a good spot for a coffee shop. I’d say its a very good location. The outside is great for the summer, you could drink your iced beverages on the grass. In the winter you can nestle up inside where there is a warm sense to the place. Its not a destination coffee shop for its coffee, that was rather run of the mill. Then again, not every shop is going to be award winning and that is ok. I’d suggest a friend go here if he/she was in barracks row. 

[coffeefrenchbulldogsdata]

Buy,Drink & Repeat

Humans are creatures of habit, we like certain things and do not want to verge too far away from what we are use to. Its why we have favourites,and why we order the same thing and more importantly go to the same coffee shop over others. I get into this really bad habit of only going the same coffee shop for reasons that are hard to explain. A lot of that stems from a coffee shop doing something once that made me angry and I’ve not really given them a second chance. So I’m doing my rounds and going back to old coffee shops and seeing what has changed (or has not changed) over the past year. Below are the first three, but more to come (assuming I can keep blogging).

Maketto : This coffee shop is not even that old, but I’ve kind of made it an after thought for most of my coffee experiences. Located on the island known as Hst (DC joke), its quite hard to get to more most of the city. Not only is it located on Hst, but it is nestled in the back of a multi-use space. The coffee shop is also a retail space and full service restaurant. As I mentioned in the previous post, Maketto recently stopped selling siphon coffee, which is probably a good thing. They were not bad at making siphon coffee, it just allows them to focus on other core customer needs. They also removed the seats by the bar, so you’re never really near the baristas. I purchased their Guatemala which is roasted in MD (not dc sadly). It was a good cup, and the presentation was really nice. The mini tray, side cookie and water really made it a personal touch. The coffee is always above average. I always recommend this coffee shop to people on Hst. It has a very Hst sense to it and thats what I like about it. I’m glad I went back, but I probably will not make too many special visits there. The location is very destination, but the product is very convenient (meaning you go for convenience). 

The Coffee Bar: After hearing that the Coffee Bar would be opening a second location, I thought I must stop by the original location. I always found TCB to be a unique place, with frustrating features. In coffee, you generally have two major philosophies about offerings. Some tend to offer a unique coffee with unique experiences ( A $5.00 kenyan pour over) vs a simple menu that is done really well ($3.25 cappuccino) with a good vibe. Of course there is some balance between the two, and some shops try to do both. What is so unique about TCB is that it tries really hard to do both, but simply misses on key aspects of each. TCB has a very good offering, honestly some of the rarest coffees you will find. Cait is an experienced coffee person and has a lot connections with people in the industry. She has managed to be the only shop to offer Handsome (RIP since Blue Bottle bought them out), Bespoken,Verve and Publik. There is no other coffee shop in DC that takes these risks and offers such great coffees. My qualm, which is still true after my recent visit, is that they only offer these coffees during certain times.This means if you want a Verve pour over at 9am, you are out of luck. TCB only offers pour overs after 11am everyday. I get why, it is just frustrating. If you’re going to be a gourmet coffee shop, you can not really pick when you are going to do that. I get that adding another person for pour-overs sucks and is expensive, but its part of the cost for going gourmet.

Make no mistake, this coffee shop is amazing. It is always staffed with great people, and knowledgable baristas. They are clever, really clever; they make the most unique drinks in the city hands down. They brought the Ameri-cola to DC, they are one of the only shops to sell a Cardamon Latte, they sold the Honey-badger for a while. Seating is really hard to come by, but still reasonable. The free wifi helps with work, but hurts with seat churn. I’ll continue to go here, it is too good not to; I’ll probably just never get a pour over from them :/. Eh maybe I will because I really love myself some Verve.

The Coupe: My age shows; ok maybe it doesn’t, but I remember a time in Columbia Heights before the Coupe. There was a small shop called  Columbia Heights Coffee located across the street, but it did not compare to the Coupe. I could say some sassy facts like : ‘The Coupe makes average coffee really well’ (which is true). Instead, I’ll highlight some things I’ve forgotten that the Coupe does that I really like. They are a counter culture shop, as all Tryst shops are. However, they will sell you fractions of a pound of coffee. When I lived on 11th st I would go there weekly for 1/4 lb of coffee, that way I never had stale coffee. Counter Culture espresso ranks in my top three espresso’s I’d have on a weekly basis. The Coupe’s iced latte always has the right crisp taste, and the seating is pretty unique. I always find the separation of restaurant, coffee shop and bar to be quite confusing. The actual coffee shop seating is pretty limited, but unique. It is not your normal coffee shop with simple table and simple seats. This is more like a college lounge with fancy chairs and fancy tables.  They now, or at least I just noticed, sell single origin coffee via Aeropress (can’t name another shop where this is their only option). The coupe is a great place to catch up with an old pal, or to grab a cup of coffee to go.

[coffeefrenchbulldogsdata]

The death of siphons

I first became aware of siphons while watching an episode of Breaking Bad. It was Walter White’s sidekick Gale who brewed his coffee using the most scientific process, siphoning. At the time I was going through my hoarding phase of buying and using every type of coffee device I could find. For my birthday a friend purchased me my first siphon, a Yama Tabletop siphon. It came with this terrible alcohol burner, which I soon upgraded to butane (pro tip, do not even bother with the alcohol burner, it takes forever to brew). This began my obsession with siphons, and more importantly, going to coffee shops that offered the siphon brew process. You probably are unaware of siphon brewing because so few places actually do it. In fact, that number is getting even smaller.

During my trip in New York, I went to a bunch of new coffee shops. But as an act of tradition, I went to the big name shops as well. My first shop was Stumpto(w)n. Their west village location had this little nook in the back where coffee nerds could assemble and get very unique (albiet expensive) coffees and coffee technique. This was where they first released nitro coffee a few years back, before basically everyone did it. This little space was more like a bar than a coffee shop, you spoke with the barista and really got to learn about the process and coffee you were drinking. I opened the doors to Stumpto(w)n and went straight back to the nook. I was devastated to read the sign ‘The Coffee Bar is closed, and will soon become a training center’. How could the coffee gods do this to me! In a complete fluster, I walked back up to the main ordering stand and asked for their cold brew cherry spritzer. It was not the coffee I was looking for, but I new there were more shops to go to.

With one shop down, I was determined to drink a scientific cup of coffee. I walked up to Chelsea, where surely Blue Bottle Coffee would have a siphon setup. When I was single in NYC I would take dates to this location and show off how much I knew about a coffee. (Another pro tip, girls really do not care about how much coffee knowledge you have). I opened the door to the relatively small coffee shop and headed upstairs to their coffee bar. I get to the top of the steps and it looks more like someone just moved out of an apartment than a functioning coffee shop. Again, another coffee shop without a siphon! At this point I had mixed feelings of sadness and confusion. How could two of the biggest Third Wave coffee shops not have siphons anymore. These two were suppose to be on the forefront of coffee, and were here to teach people about good coffee.

After two months of wondering what happened to siphons, I walked into the only coffee shop in DC to ever have siphon coffee makers : Maketto. Maketto has a coffee shop on the second floor, where the roaster of Vigilante set up a coffee program. The siphons here always had me really confused. The heat lamps were always on, and the base always had some amount of water in them. This is not typical, and frankly does not add anything to the experience. Most people requesting a siphon do not mind waiting another 2 minutes for the barista to heat up the water. They would also prefer a measured out amount of coffee instead of eyeing it in the base. Regardless of these errors, the siphons were gone. A coffee shop that was under a year old had removed probably its most appealing feature. Siphon equipment is also really expensive, so it made little sense to get rid of them.

Siphons are hard

When I lived in New York I became obsessed with siphons. In fact, for about six months it was the only coffee I would make at home. I became obsessed about every factor of the siphon, the heating source, the distance from the heating source, the temperature of the water pre and post immersion, and the grind size. The amount of factors was something that made most people cringe. I once chatted to a roaster about his experience siphoning, and he warned me. He mentioned going down a rabbit hole of tinkering, trying the smallest change and having everything going to hell. To understand a little bit about why siphons are so hard, I’ll explain a few of the factors.

Heat Source : This is generally a butane flame that is very sensitive to wind. If you are siphoning near a window, you’re already doing it wrong. If that heat source drops below a certain temperature the coffee will ‘fall’ before it has fully extracted. Think of this as your oven going from 350 to zero while baking an apple pie; you’re probably screwed. With my old NYC stove, this happened a infuriating number of times. Most pro shops actually uses these really expensive halogen laps, they are really cool.

Extraction: You need your extraction temperature needs to be 202 F / 94 C. This is a giant balancing act between not losing too much heat that causes the early drop, and not having too much heat that causing a burning cup/ over extraction. We are talking easily 10/15 degrees either way, and trust me that is a fine line you’re dealing with.

Time : This is probably the easiest piece to all of this; but still quite difficult. Total brew time is between 135 seconds to 150 seconds, any more over extraction (bitter cup) any less a dull flavourless cup.

So why bother, why would anyone do this? This is the debate I often had during my rabbit hole days. I tell this story to most coffee people I meet, that I spent six months only drinking siphon coffee. They normally say ‘God Bless your soul’. Making a siphon coffee is like playing the lottery, every once in a while you will hit and get the best cup of coffee you’ve ever had. The small notes will explode with flavor, the temperature will be just right, and you will be inducted into the coffee gods hall of fame (still waiting for that invite guys/gals). A lot of it is smoke and mirror, it just simply looks cool. Most coffee consumers have never seen anything like it, nor really understand what is going on. It becomes a conversation piece while you make the coffee, explaining this science approach to making coffee. Now that most coffee shops have pour over, people are getting use to seeing those, but very have seen a siphon is unique.

Coffee shops simply can not take that risk though. They need every cup of coffee to be excellent. They are not making coffee for their friends, they are making coffee for their consumers, a much different group of people. Staffing is also a pain for coffee shops. Because siphons are such a process, you generally need someone who is dedicated to doing siphons, which adds to the costs of running a coffee shop.

[coffeefrenchbulldogsdata]

📷 @frenchbulldogs 

[coffeefrenchbulldogsdata]

Coffee Tour Shop 11

I’ve loved box kite for quite some time, so calling this a tour stop is kinda of cheating. Box Kite Coffee is nestled into a little box on St. Marks St in the East Village. I believe the shop has 10 seats in total. The East Village location seems like Buckingham Palace compared to their upper west location. I have a soft spot for smaller intimate coffee shops. It allows me to speak to the barista and get a better understanding for what the coffee shop is all about. There are few squatters, although it is possible with their complimentary wifi.  

Box Kite makes coffee into an art, and not just latte art. When you become so “Deep into the rabit hole”, you learn about these things called Barista competitions (I’ll write about these I promise). Steven Latham,the main barista at Box Kite competed with this drink called the Unicorn. According to the website, the ingredients are “bourbon-barrel aged maple syrup with cream, smoked sea salt, and cold brew coffee”.

The drink is probably what I recall most and love about this coffee shop. I think most people drink coffee as we’ve so been taught. We generally use additives to hide the problems in coffee instead of pairing it with taste profiles. Some coffees live better in cream, but its important to know which ones and why.  Coffee can bring out amazing flavours, and can be treated as a unique ingredient. 

On this visit I had a one and one, but the other one was a beer. It was late in the day, and I needed something to get the night started. The shop, despite being the size of Janitors closet, offers a wide range of food and drink. They have two taps and four bottles of beers, not to mention the bottles of wine. The espresso was MadCap’s third coast. The beer was dark lager.

The menu is so unique that they hand write it on a large brown paper, something from elementary school. They have no mercy when it comes to coffee, offering only the best. They shelves include some of the best espresso from  MadCap (only ones in NYC to do so), Ritual,Heart and Four Barrel. I think thats what attracts me to this store. They spare no expense, and literally live to give you the best experience. The first line in the about us section is like my coffee manifesto, i pasted it below so you can view.

As a multi-roaster shop, Box Kite is not wedded to a narrow range or one style, but is able to offer coffee drinkers amazing choices every day, choices that change on a daily basis, choices of beans from different parts of the world, all roasted by the leading roasters, and extracted with precision by highly trained baristas who are given the latest equipment and latitude to experiment. If you know of another shop that offers anything close to what we do, please let us know and we'll go there with you. We love coffee.

I’ve posted some amazing photos by them via their instagram. I obviously highly recommend this place, and wish I could visit it weekly.

Our shelves are stocked with @coffeecollectif and this week we will brew their entire lineup in the cafe. In addition, retail Nyeri, Embu and espresso #2 are available for sale. Get it!

A photo posted by Box Kite NYC (@boxkitenyc) on Jan 20, 2015 at 5:56am PST

Custom serving boards for espresso and beer flights

A photo posted by Box Kite NYC (@boxkitenyc) on Jul 26, 2013 at 9:14am PDT

Our happy hour special: shot n' beer flights for $8. Photo by @wagtouicz

A photo posted by Box Kite NYC (@boxkitenyc) on Sep 10, 2014 at 10:07am PDT