cafe love: nash baker

no this is not a cafe but one of my favorite things to enjoy at a cafe. these pastries, and many more, are served at readers cafe and at the summit. i did not previously think much of croissants. i didn't really understand the fuss, except that they sounded french. i'd tried the pastry before but did not really understand the allure until trying nash baker's. with a gibralter it is perfection, the sweet milk and espresso mixing with the crunchy flakiness of the bread to form the perfect start to a day. i've had customers come in and compare these treats to the likes of Tartine, the standard itself here in San Francisco. i think you'll agree that they're the best and feel that this is one more reason to come by in my last week at reader's cafe.

cafe love: blue bottle

while i've already shared these photos here, it was not part of my cafe love series and i wanted to share them again. because i like them that much. its true. i also love blue bottle that much. they are the first third wave cafe that i experienced and hold the standard for delicious coffee, attention to coffee farmers and coolness. {vien, my blue bottle trainer, travelled to japan to learn how to brew siphon pot coffee, that says it all}

we sell their coffee at readers cafe, where i work, and constantly get great feedback. i also loved their training. i've gotten very consistent with latte art.

they have cafes at many locations in the bay area and brooklyn with rumors of a larger expansion. fingers crossed that they'll stay true to their quality and standards.

cafe love: sightglass

i promised you in this post that i would visit sightglass for this series so when jacob and i were in the neighborhood last week we made sure to stop by. its still a new cafe, they are creating the large espresso bar in the back, which means that the entryway is where you sit, order coffee and chat with the baristas. this open area is a beautiful combination of cement and wood panelling. i can't wait till they reveal the full space, which should occur sometime in june. the coffee leaves nothing to be desired though. i've tried the chemex here in the past but jacob and i went for the v-60 pour over this time. we tried the Genesis and the Berlin. they were both crisp, and full bodied. yet i loved the Genesis. it was a darker roast and had a syurpy texture with peach notes that resonated throughout my mouth. as we sat and sipped we asked the barista about their espresso. its a blend from all over the world whose different flavor parts make it sing. we also discussed the differences in cost of those beans from last year to this. its increased dramatically, many of the beans doubling in price. i've known that prices have risen due to weather and increased demand but it was interesting to see how it directly affects this cafe. no wonder cafe prices have risen lately, something to keep in mind when you visit a cafe. the passion of sightglass is obvious and they will continue to purchase and eat most of the costs of that bean because its the best. and that's what makes sightglass and other third wave coffee houses great is that passion for coffee, coffee farmers and consumers comes first.

cafe love: home

so there are many things to love about brewing coffee at home. you can make it many different ways and to your own perfect taste. and its only a few feet from your bed, the best place to drink coffee. it can be confusing though and it can seem like you need alot of gadgets. but this is not true. there are many options for home brewing and many price ranges. as well as as things that are essential and non essential. i have french pressed coffee for the past few years, and love the rich, oily flavor. but since working at readers cafe i have learned more about the clean, crisp taste of pour overs. a standard grocery cone is about 5 dollars and with a regular kettle a good cup of coffee can be enjoyed. most recently though jacob bought me a chemex and i can't get enough. its sweet, complex flavor has been a wonderful breakfast staple and we are both enjoying mastering the technique. the best way, i've found to learn about new methods and gain skills, outside of becoming a barista is the brew methods website. many roasters have instructions on their websites but this puts them all in one place, and has every method under the sun. how do you like your coffee?

happy weekend!

i am looking forward to this weekend. golden gate seminary's graduation is tonight and i feel like a lot of people are transitioning like us, which makes me feel better. i also can't wait to celebrate my friends' graduate school successes. jacob and i are hoping to hit up sol food as well while we're there.

Also this weekend, i'm preparing to put some photographs up at jacob's starbucks. i'm a bit nervous about curating, printing and framing them, as well as how people will respond. if at all. but i think its a step that moves me closer to feeling like a photographer. another way i'm trying to stay on top of that aspect is updating my flickr.

in the coffee realm,

stuff like this, excites me about moving back to texas.

this recipe was as delicious as i hoped, i'm planning to spend some time in the kitchen with my heart of the artichoke birthday present. i hope your weekend is full of things and people you love.

cafe love: four barrel

four barrel is a brilliant cafe for many reasons. they offer options and simplicity. not an easy balance. in the world of specialty coffee one of the hardest steps is conveying your product to the consumer. explaining why your coffee is more expensive than starbucks, why there are contraptions everywhere and what to order based on the customers taste without being snobby is not an easy mission. but with four barrels well designed cafe you can choose either simplicity and speed with a french press basic coffee or other espresso drinks. Or for those with curious taste buds you can also try one of six pour overs or single origin espressos. the slow bar barista is also excellent at explaining the brewing process and the taste sensations it will produce while preparing your cup. customers are treated to vinyl records while watching the roaster expertly perform his duties on the german probat behind the bar.

the barista at the slow bar called us over and i could not resist the ethiopia leka wato. as i sipped, cherries and lemon zest flitted over my tongue. we took our place at the bar enjoyed the creative atmosphere created by the masters at four barrel.

cafe love: ritual coffee roasters

i heard about ritual when i first moved to san francisco. it was the cool place to be. there were only a couple of other third wave cafes at the time and ritual was the first. i met the owner a couple of months ago at the cupping they offer every friday at 2. eileen was sweet but you could tell she was tough. she opened ritual when everyone said that it was no place for a cafe. that there was no money in the mission. those people missed the boat. eileen wanted to be where the next literary movement was and thought with 826 down the street, this was quite possibly the place. i love her vision. its not just about the best coffee but the community that the best coffee provides. i enjoyed a latte, made with the sweet tooth espresso, when my dad visited last week and was impressed as always by everything ritual offers.

cafe love: contraband

i heard about contraband through a friend a couple of weeks ago but when he mentioned it again and said that they had the kone i booked it there this week. located in nob hill at 1415 Larkin St, it wasn't where i envisioned quality coffee but i was in for a treat.

contraband offers multiple single origins brewed in chemex and pour over as well as a choice of espresso. they roast their own coffee in oakland and they had the most interesting espresso grinder i've ever seen. it allows multiple different espressos, they have three, to feed into its chamber. the disk that spins to start the grinder in motion is captivating to watch. i tried the peaberry in the chemex kone at the barista's suggestion because she said it was sweet. that was very true, it was juicy with a ripe cherry flavor. it was bold but well balanced. i really love the body that the kone offers, its right between a french press and the paper filter pour over. very smooth but still crisp. i read, while many seemingly neighborhood patrons came in and out, studied and chatted. it has a really sunny, community vibe that i soaked up.

i sipped a gibralter, my signature drink, before leaving and was surprised by the earthy, bright taste of the ethiopian yirgacheffe espresso. it was distinct and unique, almost a little too sharp for me but sweetened by the milk it was the perfect stimulus for my walk back down polk where i meandered amongst the shops and sunlight.

cafe love

i've decided to incorporate more of my love for coffee into this blog. i've been thinking it for awhile and really appreciated yall's response to my post about coffee blogs. i'm putting this out here now because i was reminded of my love for visiting cafe's and exploring new coffees on Sunday and want to hold myself accountable to get out there more, especially when i have so many amazing options around me and write about my experiences for you, atleast once a week. so there's the new idea, here's what it will {potentially} look like:

It starts a bit farther back than sunday though. i have been checking out coffee blogs more lately and found the cafe, coava, in portland. its pitch perfect. they take meticulous care in sourcing, roasting and preparing their coffee beans. they also created the coffee kone. this is the state of the art equipment when it comes to coffee. it eliminates paper filter waste and allows the most and best flavor to be extracted from the coffee, according to them. i couldn't wait to experience this cafe, but figured i'd have to wait till we went to portland this summer. until, we came across Local 123, a coffee bar in berkeley.

they sell coava coffee*, which they prepare using the kone!

i spoke with the barista as he prepared my ethiopian coffee and he divulged their process and the difficulties involved with the kone. well worth it, i assure you though. because the flavors and complexity and richness were brilliant. even with my cold i could tell it was a step above other coffees i've had.

the mocha emily got was delicious and beautiful as well. we sat on their back patio and enjoyed the live music and conversation. it was a wonderful surprise to happen upon in the bay area.

*they also brew sightglass which is a local roaster. i'll stop by their cafe sometime in may

coffee

blogs. pretty much the best combination ever. here's a couple of links that will tell you everything you need to know about the changes that are occurring in the coffee industry.

dear coffee, i love you

{they have even more links on their site}

i love coffee

and incredibly enough at the last TED conference there was a coffee common. A grouping of the best baristas around the world brewing the best and most interesting coffees and brainstorming how to make the coffee industry better and improve what they do in their shops. i can't wait to see how it develops. TED only gets better and better. you should check it out if you do nothing else.

blue bottle tour II

these film photos are in addition to my last synopsis of our blue bottle coffee tour. i tried to capture the cool, yet serious, vibe that emanates from everyone and everything at blue bottle coffee. when i first came out to san francisco 2 1/2 years ago, they were the coffee place i was excited to try. i looked up their website, found them at the farmer's market and dreamed of working there. though that's probably not in my future its awesome to see the heart of the roastery and to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

La Marzoco

La Marzoco espresso machines are amazing, the pinnacle of espresso machines in cafes, if a cafe has one its normally a sign of greatness. they put on a geek fest of coffee accouterments this week including pretty much every stellar roaster/cafe in the bay area and every way of brewing coffee possible, including a bike powered espresso machine. i pulled shots for HI-Q coffee and got way too caffeinated, it was a dream. i think i might have talked a bit too much but i really enjoyed connecting with people who share the same passions and drive.

we also ate lunch at Gather, which was in the same building as the conference. perfection in a pizza, its true, crispy and chewy, eggs, bacon and carmelized onion. it was brilliant and i throughly enjoyed the whole experience.

blue bottle coffee

as monday was mlk day, reader's cafe was closed so we went on a field trip , blue bottle coffee gave us a tour of their facilities and conducted a cupping with our crew. it was wonderful. the roastery is so full of light and space, its beautifully designed in oakland's warehouse district. i loved trying the different coffees they offer since we only sell one espresso and one house. maybe we'll branch out now that we've tried some of the other amazing options. this kicked off what i am now referring to as "coffee week". more updates to come.

readers cafe

honestly readers cafe might be my favorite job so far. i mean how could it not be. books, blue bottle coffee and great coworkers. not to mention awesome lighting to experiment with my film camera. its an amazing combination.

boot coffee

jacob roasted 3* lbs of coffee this week at boot coffee consulting. it was pretty awesome. we ate some pie and chatted with jodi and i had a kinda epiphany. we'll see where it goes but i feel i have a little more direction now.

edit: make that 36 lbs of coffee. i was apparently too busy talking.

blue bottle

so i've entered the sacred place that is blue bottle's headquarters and returned to tell about it. i've imagined what it would be like many times and it lived up. i got a little lost on the way there but i successfully maneuvered the bart and oakland to find them. it was beautiful and smelled even better. we learned about the intricacies and sensitivity of espresso. by the end mine were decent but i've got a long way to go. which is nice, i need a challenge and we have five more days of training left!

cafe velo rouge

jacob and i stopped by this cafe yesterday afternoon after the free day at the de young. we enjoyed the bike theme and the delicious blue bottle coffee. i had been there before for breakfast with bekah a while back but had been jonesing to return for a while. it was as good as i remember and we split a breakfast burrito whose flavors combined perfectly for a wonderful and satisfying meal.
they have live music on friday nights and sunday afternoons.
it might be the perfect after church lunch spot.

cheap

when it comes to coffee i hate spending money on it i don't know why because its something that is greatly affected by how much you pay.

yet i think i hate the realization of how fast it goes.

i also usually get it for free from friends and connections and get spoiled.

i can't maintain this attitude though.

this is unacceptable when my whole paper is about quality coffee and spending more for the best. i can't tell people to spend more when i won't spend money on it. i feel this will change when i actually make money but its true that attitudes i have now will become habits.

i need to prioritize and spend money on what i value.

money is what speaks and so i need to speak louder.

christina drinks coffee in the city

this should be the new name of my blog it would seem.

while i search for the perfect amount of pressure motivation i can often be found at the many local coffee shops in the area,

as i'm sure you've noticed from past posts.

most recently i returned to an old favorite and one i've been wanting to try.

Friday found me at cibo with april. they are in sausalito, directly across from a not so great coffee shop i used to work in, drama. but they have more than replaced the former. its in a refurbished brick building and they sell blue bottle coffee.

we enjoyed cappuccinos outside and discussed the future and our capstone progress.

this morning i was walking from van ness to first baptist and i passed by the mercury cafe. they began last year and i have wondered if they were any good for some time.

so today i stepped inside.

they had a list of coffees that they fresh brew for each cup, i tried the ethiopian, my usual favorite. the man behind the counter was very friendly and we discussed how often single origin coffees don't need anything else and how we enjoy it black.

they get their coffee from a roaster called de la paz.

which i've heard of but haven't looked into.

now i'll have too.

fair trade

last week i went to a cupping, coffee tasting, at Four Barrel on valencia. i always feel a little intimidated but that's the world i want to work in so i put on my professional, too cool for school look, its excellent i assure you and i sidle up to the table.

the cupper has begun explaining the flavors already from the ground beans and she's not the usual cupper i am used to but she seems nice. its me, another couple and then about five minutes later a new guy joins us. he is trying to be very friendly and doesn't seem to know what's going on, so of course we talk. he asks about the flavors and has an interesting, as in very quiet slurping technique. he hasn't done this before and he asks if i'm in the coffee industry. so of course i give him my whole speal about my paper and coffee and the woes of the coffee farmer. he then asks what i think about fair trade. i say well hmmm not a big fan.

why not?

i explain that they only work with coops leaving out the smallest farmer and he dismisses me and starts talking ending with oh and i work in the coffee department of TransFair, the big Fair Trade NGO in oakland. oh wow, well great, glad i could talk your ear off. i know nothing, sorry....... he was still friendly and genuinely wants to know why the smaller specialty coffee companies aren't buying Fair Trade. he had the day off for ceasar chavez's b-day.

maybe he listened to my small farmer talk. that's the key but who knows. we exchanged emails so i'm hoping to get some input on the paper.

lucky coincidence, thank you ceasar chavez