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 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
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:
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:
