Really Good Coffee

Archive for the ‘Espresso’ Category

Who would guess that guest housemate Abe Leibhaber, cellist for the Sarasota Opera, would turn out to be a world traveler and fellow coffee connoisseur.

Abe shared his global coffee travel experiences with former Seattle espresso cafe owner Michael Barrett while the two chatted at the Bayshore House in Sarasota, Florida.

Of course the topic – one of their mutual favorites – coffee – Really Good Coffee.  We thought Abe’s story was interesting enough to share this video with our readers.

Enjoy!

It’s amazing how important really good coffee is to western culture. Abe’s discussion of coffee brewing techniques in Eritrea is quite interesting.  And I’m definitely going to Pompei for espresso the first chance I get…

Really Good Coffee is Boca Grande

If you happen to be in need of a tongue teasingly delicious cup of espresso and are standing right in front of Cafe Boca, the newest and best place for coffee in Boca Grande, Florida.

Boca Grande is the sort of exclusive island resort that you would never know about unless you had reason to be there. Breathtakingly beautiful, the water is truly aqua green and cleaner than the Caribbean.

The people who vacation there have every reason to expect the only REAL coffee shop in town to be the very best for many miles around and it most certainly is.

It may even be the best coffee in the entire state of Florida, from what we have tasted so far.

Owned and managed by a unique boomer couple; Patty, The Personal Growth Diva, and Buzz, the Barista who is a former construction professional of many years and a “never say die” musician and singer, Cafe Boca is a great place to hang out in charming downtown Boca Grande.

I would not say that if it were not for the fact that it is the very best cup of espresso and the very best latte’ we have had since we came to Florida two years ago.

We were stunned and completely surprised.

Naturally, we had to investigate the coffee immediately and found it to be one we had never tasted, and now will never forget, called Counter Culture. The Counter Culture Espresso La Forza, in the style of  Southern Italy, is so delicious that Michael is going to do an entire blog post on that, but in the meantime, his comment about the dopio Buzz pulled for him was:

“This is the kind of espresso that makes me want to have a really long tongue just to get all the crema from inside the bottom of the cup.”  - Michael Barrett 

OKAY! Well, how does it get any better than that? Since our stay in Boca Grande is over, we are still thinking about that incredibly delicious espresso and latte’. I would love one right now! I did get a little video of the Cafe Boca and I hope you can get the sense of how charming the area is.

It costs five dollars to enter the island but what a wonderful place to go shop, have lunch, submerge yourself in beachy luxury, and have a divine cup of really good coffee at Cafe Boca. Ladies and couples…go for it! By the way, everyone drives their golf carts there, hangs out chatting, and walks everywhere, so do plan to take your time and ENJOY!

I am Alexandra Barrett and I love Really Good Coffee.

In 1990, Torrefazione was synonymous with really good coffee in Seattle.

In particular, it was the old Perugia blend that was the biggie. I used to love that coffee. Smooth and sweet on the front end, a snap on the back end with a great finish and after taste.

Perugia was not only really good coffee, it was excellent.

When I first moved to Seattle in 1990, I had not yet acquired a taste for a good doppio. That development was still a couple of years out and when I opened my espresso bar, I chose to use Torrefazione Italia, Perugia blend as my house espresso blend. Although I had not learned the palate nuances in espresso at that point in time, I loved Perugia every time I drank it.

Only there was a problem…

Torrefazione Italia was the ultimate coffee snob as far as wholesale coffee went. At least that was what it seemed like from my perspective and in my personal experience as a retail operator in the espresso business.Torrefazione had become the only game in town and they knew it - in terms of quality – and the company itself had developed an attitude towards newcomers in the business.

The specialty coffee business in 1990 was a very political WHO KNOWS WHO “micro-niche” that was hugely profitable and successful. And in retrospect, Seattle itself was that way when it came to outsiders. Second and third generation money was acceptable – not broke newbie entrepreneurs with lots of drive and creativity and no contacts.

When I took over an existing shop that had been run into the ground by an incompetent operator, it was hard to get a return call from Torrefazione – much less a visit from a sales rep. So after numerous attempts to place an order and speak with a rep, I finally gave up and called SBC.

As I have matured and live in a completely different business environment than the one that existed in Seattle, I have often wondered if I would have developed a personal friendship with Umberto Bizzari – the founder and original roaster of Torrefazione Italia – given the opportunity.

I think so because of my passion for coffee and ultimately a very defined and developed palate. It occurs to me occasionally (when I ponder the past) that Umberto would have appreciated my understanding and love of coffee and would have mentored me because of it - in some capacity. He also would have grown to know how much I admired his expertise as a coffee man and roaster.

The specialty coffee world in Seattle subsequently shrank, contorted, shifted, expanded and was in an overall state of flux for a number of years while I played coffee there. Starbucks emerged as a marketing powerhouse who tipped the odds in the coffee card game.

After Umberto quit roasting for Torrefazione, the coffee was never the same. It must have been difficult for him – on some level – to watch his brand and quality deteriorate. It certainly was for me.

In the mid 80′s Umberto Bizzari and Jim Stewart (the founder of SBC – formerly Stewart Bros coffee) formed a mini Puget Sound coffee conglomerate and later made a bunch of money and spun off various labels to P and G for the retail grocery distribution business and ultimately sold the Torrefazione label to Starbucks.

In the chain of events that followed, Unberto’s son Emanuele Bizarri started his own espresso business Cafe Umbria – with the anchor store in the very same location as his father’s original Torrefazione location.

Fondly and with respect, I will always remember and savor (in my mind) the wonderful flavors of the original Perugia and Torrfazione Italia.

I AM Michael Barrett and I Love Really Good Coffee

It’s been two years since the post Where Do You Go For Really Good Coffee…

That’s almost hard to believe – yet, alas, it has been…

Maybe you’re like me. It seems as if things have changed so much since then – that sometimes there is a sense of being disoriented – or out of phase, somehow. Yet throughout it all, amidst all the transition, the movement, changes in life, the economy and the world, there remains at least one constant - one anchor that keeps us connected to a sense of belonging, of comfort, and something familiar amidst so many things that are un-familiar.

There has been really good coffee everyday.

Remembering really good coffee moments, maybe you can relate…

Peets Coffee and Tea – Seattle

Enjoying that hot, fresh doppio at Peets in the Seattle Fremont district looking out the window from the mezannine – watching the traffic go by – silently – in the world outside, hearing the sounds of milk being steamed for lattes and the grinder – consistently, intermittently running - filling the room with the luscious smell of freshly ground beans, hearing the soothing, gentle murmering sounds of voices and coffee language from the counter at the espresso bar - the way we used to hear our parents voices talking as we fell asleep as children…

Lighthouse Roasters – Seattle

Sitting down to a fantastic, freshly drawn espresso – extracted consciously by the expert barista crew at Lighthouse Roasters on Phinny Ridge (one of my personal favorite micro-roasters in the whole country) - creating palate magic before my very eyes and then being able to verify that coffee resonance AGAIN – as with every other time before this one – and fully enjoy the essence of the bean with every living tastebud – on the front of the tongue, at the back near the throat followed by the burst of lingering, condensed after taste that permeates its way throughout all the coffee sensing tools within the human body for at least a half an hour afterwards…

Homemade French Roast

Perhaps it is the time, grabbing a deep rich cup of melita drip Fresh Roast – in the favorite procelain cup – on the way to a very important discussion, pondering the outcome and experience of the meeting to come and fully taking the time to enjoy that cup of really good coffee – from start to finish in the privacy of the car while driving to the meeting – without interference, or interuption and in spite of any time considerations.

Over the last, five years we’ve had really good coffee in West Vancouver – BC, Scranton - PA, Sarsota – FL, Dallas – TX, Atlanta – GA, Palo Alto – CA, Berkeley – CA, Los Angeles, Whistler - BC, Morley – Alberta, Hamilton – MT, Richmond – VA, Plymouth Meeting – PA, Egg Harbor Township – NJ, Goochland – VA, Portland – OR, Spokane – WA, Missoula – MT, Sedona – AZ, Siesta Key – FL, Boca Grande, Fl… and many other places.

Somehow a good cup of coffee always brings me back to a moment – a memory or feeling – of unshakeable warmth and safety and connectedness. Each of us coffee lovers relates to coffee in our own way.  Share your experiences with us and let us know about your favorite coffee places – and why you like them. We want to share this with other people who don’t know where to get a cup of really good coffee when they travel. Share your favorite spot, or your favorite baristas – or blend or style of coffee with us.

What is your favorite place for really good coffee?

Have a fabulous day…

I AM Michael Barrett and I love coffee…

Who would have thought – really good coffee in Scranton?  Go figure….Northern Light Espresso is awesome.My wife – Alexandra – my closest and most diligent coffee apprentice – found Northern Light and took me there last weekend. She gets the prize this week.A blue ribbon…Here’s a view from the loft – looking down on Mandy Doria – a barista at Northern Light Espresso.If the ‘coffee snobs’ I know were going to talk about places to get really good coffee, more than likely they wouldn’t talk about  Scranton, Pennsylvania.But they would be wrong – and I know this because that was my impression too – and I stand corrected.By the way, when I use the term coffee snobs, I am using poetic license – kind of tongue in cheek. If you’re not familiar with real coffee snobs this is my definition:

A “real” coffee snob has a palate that is more developed than the average coffee drinker. In spite of  a more complete understanding and more experience, they do not belittle people who have less coffee knowledge. They just move on quietly to a better cup elsewhere, without saying anything about it. An intolerant or unkind coffee snob is not a true coffee snob. People like that are just wanna-be coffee snobs.

Here’s a picture of Alexandra – upstairs at Northern Light.First, the ambiance…The place has an eclectic sense to it – kind of reminiscent of a campus coffee house in Berkeley in the 60′s. But it also has a modern flare with a  well designed use of space, light and color. Nice coffee house. If you want to tuck away quietly upstairs with your laptop or watch unnoticed from above you can.The staff…is young but well schooled in the art of espresso. They are attentive first and foremost to quality not speed – and they are meticulous in the preparation with an unusual mechanical set up.Here’s a picture of Alexandra and Mandy.Positioned in front of the Mazzer grinder – on the counter – is a circular machined piece of white plastic.There is some type of a locating pin recessed in the counter to keep this plastic from moving. Here’s a picture of me and Mandy.It’s function is to hold the portafilter while the barista tamps the freshly ground espresso prior to extraction. I like the concept because it stabalizes the portafilter to get a really consistent and even tamp without requiring a lot of strength or force. My guess is that it also provides for consistency in the extraction. Cool idea I haven’t seen before.Whomever thought that one up really knew what they were doing.The counter is designed for flow and easy positioning for the staff. The espresso machine is a Mirage 2 Group Semi-automatic. To quote www.visionsespresso.com:

The absence of group-solenoids, pump and most electronic controls makes this a very reliable and easy to service espresso machine.

I was a Visions customer for several years and they have been in the espresso machine game for a long time. This is further evidence to me that the owner who set up the Northern Light coffee bar really knew what they were doing. The key here is not high volume – more like medium volume with a high quality focus.

The coffee…

Yummo.Northern Light gets their coffee from Gimme Coffee in Ithaca, NY and they use the Levitation Blend. I don’t know Gimme Coffee, but they are awesome roasters. Here is a description of their blend from their packaging and Alexandra (who says – “her favorite”):

• deep cherry aroma
• fully developed ripest cherry taste
• buttery smooth body
• sweet tobacco aftertaste

To me, the flavor is rich, sweet and complex – with a delightful and lingering aftertaste.The Extraction…The standard extraction is a a “triple ristretto”. The grind is calibrated to pull a 36 second shot.This a full bodied medium dark roast, similar to a “full city roast” in Seattle.Personally, I am not a latte drinker – I prefer doppios. However, I have to say that the dark extraction and the rich, deep blend is absolutely perfectly fomulated and extracted for lattes. I think that is one of the finest lattes I have ever tasted.And I have had a few over forty years.I loved the straight espresso too. Very thick and full of body. Excellent actually.If I were working the bar – at Northern Light – I would modify the grind for straight espresso so that it poured about 25 seconds – a bit lighter, to tweak the tastebuds a bit more for my own taste preference.But in all fairness, this espresso shop is a quality operation and they produce a quality product.If you ever get to Scranton, you have to stop and have a latte. And if you do, tell them we sent you.See you next time.

I AM Michael Barrett

Where Do You Go For Really Good Coffee…

I came across a blog today that I thought was cool – written by a guy raised in Southern California.

He’s asking people where they get really good coffee in Japan…Where Do You Go For Your Cup Of Jo? (Sorry had to remove this link – original reference blog no longer exists)Moreover, having lived in the Pacific Northwest in the US for 8 years before coming to Japan, I’ve become a bit of a coffee snob so I figured, before coming here, that I’d have to learn to live without really good coffee. …

Being raised in northern California, having my first cup of Peets at age 14, then living 9 years in Montana and 15 in Seattle (where I got in to the business of really good coffee); thought there might be some similarities in our appreciation of coffee.

Kinda weird seeing a picture of a great bigStarbucks in Japanthat he describes as possibly the busiest Starbucks location in the world.

And here’s a site that provides all the supplies, instructions and table top equipment needed for roasting small batches of your own really good coffee…

Roast your own coffee at home

Nice idea. This is a neat site. I’m kind of spoiled by the rich flavor of dark roast Melita drip or pungently luscious freshly extracted doppios. Personally I prefer the complexity and flavor profiles of drum roasted blends in small batches.And one of the thing I really like about home roasted coffee is how fresh it is.And this blog shows a map and the picture of a storefront of The Coffee Plant to get really good coffee…

Funny thing is they don’t give an address:Let’s assume it’s great coffee, try really good coffee at Coffee Plant if you can find it.

If you’re in the Portland area, head out to:

Longbottom Coffee in Hillsboro for my very favorite – really smooth – air roasted coffees .You can also check out Michael Baccellieri’s blog here The Coffee Mariner

In Seattle… be sure to find this little place on the south end of Phinney Ridge not to far up the hill from the Fremont district…

Great doppios and excellent roasted – on site – espresso and lattes…Lighthouse Roasters

If you have other suggestions – for great coffee haunts in your town, let us know and we’ll stop in and check them out when we’re in your neck of the woods.That’s it for today.Where Do You Go for Really Good Coffee?

Dr. Ernesto Illy

Dr. Ernesto Illy – a Really Good Coffee Pioneer

In the early nineties, they started Coffee Fest in Seattle and that’s where I first saw Ernesto Illy.

What a class act. This man was such an elegant speaker, a real intellectual, a scientist and what seemed to me to be the “high priest” of espresso. He commanded respect but did not abuse it  – he was gentle and kind in his interaction with others and was particularly tolerant with those who had less coffee knowledge. I was in awe as a newbie “coffee wannabe” in my new store struggling to get the business off the ground.

Here was a man, “THE MAN”, who had spent most of his life in the espresso industry – a PhD in Chemistry – who knew more about the acids in coffee than probably  anybody else in the world – talking about flavor and aroma and the art and “science” of coffee.

He wasn’t just a lab guy either. He was a real gentleman and a supporter of the arts. While most Americans were still under the impression that ‘espresso was that nasty bitter black stuff they made in Italy’, Dr Illy was sponsoring Fellini festivals in New York City and creating designer collectible cup collections, that were art in and of themselves.

Dr. Ernesto Illy was also an innovator and created a brilliant design and engineering team in his production facility – not to mention a group of “cupping” experts at the top of their class worldwide, including himself.

Illy did everything for a reason – like smart scientists with integrity do – a good reason.

The Amazing Illy Cafe Roasting Operation and Production Facility

I remember reading some brochures “about Illy Cafe” when I was first considering using the blend. We did subsequently use Illy Cafe at a mobile espresso cart location we had for a while.

The brochure described the roasting facility – fully automated with CNC controlled roasting equipment and infra red scanners that scanned beans approaching the roasting machine on a conveyor system.

Infra red scanners sent the scanned data to the computer and if the beans did not meet quality control specs, an air jet came on and blew the bean off the conveyor into a “reject” bin, where it would subsequently be sold on the commercial coffee market to another roaster.

Bear in mind this was in full operation in the early to mid 90′s (~92 or 93?).

In addition, each batch of coffee had control numbers for the labels. Into the control numbers were coded all the data collected about actual length of time in the roaster, max temp reached, date and time of roasting, etc… These codes were printed on the labels of every package of roasted coffee for inventory control purposes. In the event of a flaw or a production problem, they could identify and remove all of the rest of the batch from inventory.

They were also roasting 40,000 lbs per shift at the time.

WOW…

Illy and his cupping experts developed relationships with the finest growers and plantations worldwide and developed a 9 bean blend. The reason they did this is because varietals change flavor profiles through different seasons and with 9 beans in the blend they could minimize the flavor variations and maintain a highly consistent flavor profile year round – even though some of the varietals themselves varied considerably.

Dr Illy’s Amazing Packaging Solved the Problem of Keeping Beans Fresh During Worldwide Shipping

As I remember, Illy sent out specs for quote to all the major existing packaging operations – when he was looking for package suppliers – requesting quotes for cannisters that could be pressurized with inert gas to seal in the freshness of the coffee beans after they were packaged and sealed. They were to hold about 5 lbs of coffee.

Apparently none of the manufacturers had the capacity to produce or supply the cannisters to his design. Illy finally called his engineers together and designed, and then built all the equipment they needed to make their own cannisters to spec on demand – right there in their facility.

So they designed the automated cannister fabricating equipment and the built it themselves and integrated it into the overall production process.

Now that’s ingenuity.

As a result of this technology, Illy  Cafe (whole espresso beans) can be stored in their factory pressurized containers in nitrogen for three years without going stale and the amazing thing is that after they breath a while and adjust to the environment, the blend is exceptionally smooth and always consistent.

The crema is rich and sweet and extracts like fresh roasted espresso – because it is – even though it isn’t.

Awesome technology solution.

There are many things about Dr. Illy that made him special. He was a man who truly found his purpose in life and excelled to new heights by establishing precedents in technology, quality and expertise. He set the bar high for future generations to exceed.

He was a great contributor and leader in the industry and the industry will be hard pressed to replace a man of his caliber and excellence. He was a man of singular accomplishments and intelligence.

A Touching Tribute to the Espresso Giant

Here is a picture of and a touching tribute to Dr Ernesto Illy – a Really Good Coffee Pioneer by Mark Prince, Coffee at the Moment, writing for CoffeeGeek.com. Reading this article brought tears to my eyes because I felt the sincerity and the love Mark had for Dr. Illy. I too share that admiration and respect.  Dr. Ernesto Illy was a scientist, an artist , a humanitarian and an innovator rolled into one.

Truly a great man…

Did you try Lighthouse Roasters while in Seattle for Really Good Coffee because if not you better go back to Seattle ASAP!

My partner, in this coffee lovers romance, has his own tale to tell about Lighthouse Roasters in Seattle but I am getting the jump on him and telling you mine first.  It’s one of those love affair stories that one tells over and over for the sheer satisfaction of the memory.

It’s like this; we pulled into Seattle after driving across country from the east coast about three weeks earlier.  We had worked two back to back week long events in L.A. for a T. Harv Eker seminar called Train the Trainer II and it had been a grueling but life changing two weeks. After that we drove up the coast to San Francisco then on to Washington via Mount Shasta. We had been on the road all night and  I was really excited and looking forward to my first sight of Seattle.  I didn’t know what to expect but I felt like a seven year old in anticipation of Disney World.  Just for the record, I was not disappointed. My first sight of Mt. Rainier was orgasmic.  I am a mountain loving woman. 

Now everyone knows that Seattle is synonomous with coffee.  It’s a fact.  Like many people from the east coast, when I think Seattle and coffee I usually think Starbucks, right?  That’s a tale for another time, but on this occasion I got my comeuppance from a real self made barista. He started driving the back roads of a neat old neighborhood that led us to the smell of coffee roasting that made my body leap for joy in anticipation. 

"Wow!  I smell coffee and I can’t wait to get my hands around a cup!", I all but shouted as we got nearer to the Lighthouse Roasters.  " How do they make it smell so good from blocks away?" I asked. 

"Lighthouse is a microroaster." he said,"you’re in for some really good coffee." Thus began my coffee education in February of 2006.  I think that must have been about two centuries ago. 

Anyway, I was craning my neck looking for an impressive, large, Starbucks type structure when we pulled up to this little coffeehouse that looked like a small neighborhood bar. The scent of the coffee lured me out of my car and into the building where we promptly got into a long line of highly educated caffeine addicts.   I was drinking with my nose as I stood in that line soaking up the scent of freshly roasted coffee beans.  This is heaven, I thought. 

The place wasn’t much to write home about. At that time, it was actually kind of funky to this patron of a hundred Starbucks who was spoiled by big comfy leather chairs and hip coffee art and coffee supplies of all sorts to choose from.  I like Starbucks and I count on Starbucks but this was something different and unique.  I wanted to buy this place and move to Seattle immediately!  I do have love affairs with places and I was in love! 

I felt as though I had discovered – well been led to – a secret treasure hidden in the heart of Seattle for real coffee aficionados and my Honey had just brought lucky me into the loop of the secret inner circle.  I felt really good as I stood there checking out all the people in the packed coffeehouse and waited impatiently for my cup-a-joe. 

Actually it was a rather large latte that they placed in my hands and the first taste was something to write about in my travel diary.  In fact, as I sat there making love to that latte, I wrote in my journal about Lighthouse Roasters and how I would never ever forget this first latte there.  True to my word I have not. 

Sadly, I have yet to get back to Seattle for a rendezvous at Lighthouse on the corner N.43rd and Phinney Ridge in the Fremont District. When you are in Seattle I beg you, dare you, to take the time to check out Lighthouse Roasters and their special brand of espresso, latte, coffee anyway you like it cup of joe.  Oh my. 

I can only say you are in for a treat and you will need to take some home.  In fact, I am due for a shipment of Lighthouse Roasters brand of Really Good Coffee and I am antsy with anticipation.  

Who is Really Good Coffee dot Com?

Maybe you’re asking yourself:

Who are these guys?

What do they know about coffee anyway?

Maybe they’re just coffee snobs who think they know what’s going on.

Actually, this website is one of those warm and fuzzy projects I’ve had in mind for years because I love really good coffee and have since 1966.

In the 90′s, I was co-owner of a little espresso shop called The Morning Shot for 3.5 years in Seattle. That experience taught me a lot about the specialty coffee business and espresso. We also had an espresso cart at two different locations.

After the sale of the shop, I pioneered Oscar’s syrups and the Cappucine line in the Seattle market as a broker – calling on espresso operators to drive distributor business.

Peets Was a Very Good Business Model

Prior to that, my interest in the specialty coffee business was prompted by a 1988 article in Fortune or Forbes (can’t remember which). As I sat in front of the Peets Coffee (across the street from the Claremont Hotel in Berkeley, California), drinking a cup of Joe from Peets, I read that in 1987 Peets had been the most profitable retail operation in the United States – on a

[ $ / square foot ]  basis. That really got my attention.

In 1990, I began researching the espresso business in earnest and creating a business plan. And believe me, I did my homework. In addition, as a retail owner in the business (and later a broker) I got to know a lot of other operators and vendors in the business – primarily Micro Roasters and independents.

Over the course of thousands of hours on the espresso bar – with diligence as well as trial and error – I figured out how to make really good coffee. But not before chasing a lot of good customers away with bad coffee – first.

There’s a lot that goes into producing a good cup.

Of course the blend and the roaster is where it all starts.

But it’s amazing how many "espresso operators" can take a perfectly good bean and ruin it. This isn’t really a reflection on the people personally – and most of them really want to do a good job – like I did. But the difference is that I stuck with it until I figured it out. Lots of operators just don’t have a clue and the simplest way to verify that statement is to taste their coffee.

Today, I can tell what’s going on in an espresso shop about 2 minutes after I walk in the place.

Trial by Fire

As an espresso bar owner – on the commuter flight path into downtown Seattle during rush hour – I learned how to survive first and then thrive in a highly competitive market. The pinnacle accomplishment of The Morning Shot was being written up with a full page in the Sunday Seattle Times Pacific Magazine by the food critic, John Hinterberger.

BTW, a lot of the accolades go to my co-owner, a classically trained French chef, an incredibly hard worker, an all around fantastic lady and my best friend for 15 years, Lori Taylor. Her culinary expertise, hard work and exceptional customer service skills made the place what is was – day after day.

But I was the coffee guy…

The espresso business, by the way, is a blast. I’ve often said it has all of the best elements of owning a bar without the drunks.

Over the course of 3+ years, 6 days a week, 10-14 hours a day working on the espresso bar, I learned a lot about:

• people
• how to make really good coffee
• how people think about coffee
• perceived value

My intention is to create a really interesting blog and to inform people in a manner that appeals to the intellect. There are a thousand and one stories that I can tell as I dust off the mental archives and tell my espresso story.

And we’ll be reporting live from around the country (in our travels) about:

• neat little places we find and
• things we learn about coffee along the way

We’d love to get your feedback and we’d love to be know it if we make a mistake. My other half, Alexandra – the love of my life – is my co-author. She has risen rapidly from the ranks of a Dunkin Donuts coffee fan to a quasi-virtual coffee snob, in a mere two years (under my tutelage).

Besides that, she can write.

Together, with your feedback and participation, we are going to create a great blog and resource.

Look forward to hearing from you.

And we hope you enjoy your really good coffee today.

We are coffee lovers and Dunn Bros really is Really Good Coffee.

Incidentally, while on a first time business trip to Kansas City, Kansas, we set about locating a place worthy of our coffee palates and much to our surprise on Metcalf Street aka Hywy. 635, we stumbled upon a sweet and cozy little shop called Dunn Bros. 

Here is a video of a store opening in Minnesota.

Mind you, in all our travels neither one of us had ever heard of Dunn Brothers Coffee before.  We thought we’d found a rare gem of a coffee shop and it was everything we’d hoped for.  The moment we walked in we knew we were in for a treat. Our eyes lit up as we gave each other a knowing smile. 

You can’t fool coffee connoisseurs.  

The Crema Was Superb and the Aftertaste Sweet and Exceptionally Tasty

The staff was college age and well trained. They were friendly, helpful in answering our questions about the area, and knew how to make a great cup of joe!  My latte was perfect and creamy, and the espresso perfecto. They took pride in telling us that they roast their own coffee beans which  come from all over the world (divine French Roast) and we knew it because the smell was heavenly.  I was ready to move in and set up an office there.

I loved the ambiance and the KC(Overland Park), KS store truly had an inviting one.  The large multisided brick fireplace in the center of the store was surrounded by really comfy, seductively inviting, oversized arm chairs and lots of little tables with newspapers, magazines, etc… They had WIFI which we really  needed  in order to maximize our time there.   We had a few different cups of coffee just to check them out because we love it.  On one of our visits I even ate a sandwich which I never eat in coffee shops because I go there for the coffee but I just didn’t want to leave to go eat lunch.

All the furniture was arranged around the fireplace and I felt as though I were a guest in someone’s home so I really relaxed (short of putting on my jammies and slippers).  There were also plenty of tables and chairs along the large storefront windows so the natural light was excellent for reading. Honestly I didn’t want to leave and we went back several times during that trip in November. 

The crazy thing is that for months we had no idea it was a coffee chain that started in Minnesota.  Recently I found the above video on YouTube and several others too.  There are Dunn Brothers Coffee shops in half a dozen states in the midwest and it seems that the crowd is all ages.  Apparently there is a growing coffeehouse atmosphere among the Dunn Bros stores and the musicians love to play there adding even more desirabilitiy to the coffeehouse reputation.

Great coffee and inviting ambiance combined with lots of acoustic guitar and folksinger talent.  Unbeatable and winning combination. And if you are traveling the country and want a great cup of coffee in the midwest here is a Dunn Bros store locator.

I have become a real devotee of Dunn Bros Coffee and I am looking for a reason to go to any state that has a Dunn Bros Coffeehouse in it. 

Take it from us-Dunn Brothers is Really Good Coffee.