There
aren’t many things that I need consistently to start my morning off right but
coffee is for sure one of them. No matter where I am in the world or what time
I wake up a proper cup of coffee is necessary for my migraine brain and the
physical safety of those around me.
Coffee
isn’t simply a cup of Joe to me. I cannot buy Folder’s (I assume they still
make this) off the self in a grocery store and claim “it is the best part about
waking up”. Gladly my father no
longer does either. Actually his habit was worse. I grew up seeing cans of
“Chock Full of O’Nuts” on my kitchen counter. I am scarred from that yellow
can. In its place there are now similar yellow colored cans but at least they
say “Café du Monde”.
I don’t
know what it is exactly about the French that draws me into their web but I am
hooked. I love the food, the country, the people, and even their bulldogs.
Something about my soul is inexplicably French and I am proud of it.
So it is
no wonder that when I visit one of my favorite domestic cities, New Orleans,
that my first stop is to Café du Monde. When I took my family there for
Thanksgiving in 2008 I got my father hooked too. For a long time we were
shipping the coffee to Brooklyn from Louisiana. Now I am happy to report stores
like Whole Foods and others sell them locally but I am pretty sure Amazon has
those prices beat. I don’t remember right off hand but every Father’s Day,
birthday, and Christmas I am reminded as my brother and I give him the gift of
caffeine.
You may
be saying to yourself, “what is so great about New Orleans coffee?” I would
have to say many things but specifically their Chicory blends. Since 1862 Café
du Monde has been open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week closing on
major holidays only. They serve their coffee black or au lait (mixed half and
half with hot milk). In 1988 the Café began selling their iced coffee. While
shipping it is good in a pinch there really isn’t anything like sitting in that
infamous market sipping their piping hot (or cold) coffee trying to eat a
beignet without getting white powder all over yourself. I now realize my blog
about New Orleans is LONG overdue.
I bring
up my love for New Orleans and their coffee because that was the inspiration
for my visit to Blue Bottle for the first time this past weekend. The shop was
originally opened fifteen years ago in San Francisco. Now it has become so
popular there are shops popping up all around us. Luckily for me there are two
in Brooklyn within close proximity to my home.
Creator
and owner James Freeman had a simple plan for success: “I will only sell coffee
less than 48 hours out of the roaster to my guests, so they may enjoy coffee at
peak flavor. I will only use the finest, most delicious, and responsibly
sourced beans.” He goes so far that the coffee is tasted every day to make sure
it meets the standards to which his customers have become accustomed to.
On my
first trip to Blue Bottle I have to say presentation is everything. There is
only a blue bottle on the outside signifying the name of the shop. The inside
is small but well situated. The counter displays a few small snacks with the
coffee menu off to the right. On the left, towards the door, are the materials
you need to perfect your beverage (i.e. sugars, spoons, etc.). The staff of
three I encountered was helpful but it seemed a bit much considering the space.
Naturally
I ordered the New Orleans Style Cold Brew. I had been reading about it
everywhere and I couldn’t wait to see what the fuss was all about. This coffee
is described as “stout and creamy with caramelized flavors of chicory root”. It
sounded good enough to try. I also bought some kind of fudge/coconut hybrid
cookie.
The
coffee was good. Not too strong (at first) and not too sweet. I could tell it
was different than a typical coffee you could get at any Starbucks or local
deli. I had a small but after a little less than half my stomach gave it up. It
became too much acid for me to digest. I didn’t even save it for later because
I knew there was no time in the future where I could have sucked that down.
There was so much richness in that little cup. It is the first experience like
this I have ever had with coffee. I guess now I can relate to those who have
one caffeinated drink and start trembling. The cookie was okay but warrants no
separate analysis. I was left thinking this was a coffee I needed to train for.
Meaning I would need a little every day to build up my tolerance but I can see
why word of mouth is so good.
Top Chef
and former “Best Thing I Ever Ate” panelist, Chris Cosentino, has been singing
Blue Bottle’s praises for several years now. As a San Francisco native he is
well aware of the best and brightest his city has to offer.
Chris
said: "Blue Bottle is my regular stop. I cannot live without the
Kyoto-style iced coffee. It almost has barrel age notes to it as if you’re
drinking aged bourbons and whiskeys. You experience flavors drinking it like
you would find in wine or spirits that you don’t normally gather from coffees.
It’s like somebody saying, ’That’s a full-bodied red.’ This is a full-bodied
iced coffee."
As a San
Francisco lover myself I can attest that it is definitely a foodie destination.
As a Blue
Bottle customer I can say this is not coffee for the faint of heart.
With my
first Blue Bottle experience behind me, I am now proud to say it has been
crossed off of my 2016/2017 to do list (http://thequeenoff-ckingeverything.blogspot.com/2016/04/for-year-6-20162017-to-do-list_19.html).
It is a
mystery to me no more.
For More
Information:
Comments
Post a Comment