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I used to spend many an hour at SPoT Coffee down on Delaware & Chippewa while I was in College. It was a great place to hang out late at night. There were also always the regulars. You hadn't the foggiest idea who they were, but they were always there, and you expected them. You missed them when they were gone.
Around here, the bars are open until 4:00. At that time of night you've basically got three types of people.
1. The largest group - people who left before closing.
2. The second group - people who stayed until the end, but then moved off to an all-night diner, like Denny's or Pano's. These restaurants are off the strip, and thus require some driving. This means that most of the members of group 3 have conked out long before arriving.
3. The last group - the drunken morons who screw up everything.
Spot being right at the end of the Chippewa strip, it was an easy target for group 3. They decided they didn't want to deal with them, and so ceased staying open 24/7. Since they were now closed, we had to find other places to go, usually just ending up at Denny's.
As much as I loved going there, there was something that always bothered me. I always thought of myself as a coffee person, but no matter how much I drank it, there was just something about Spot's coffee I didn't like. Since I tasted the same thing at pretty much any other specialty coffee shop, I figured it was just me.
My first clue that it wasn't just me, was this broadside against Starbuck's attributed to Jackie Mason.* A few more sources later and I discovered the issue - instead of purchasing good quality beans, places like Starbuck's will buy cheap beans and over-roast them. This burns out the essential oils, leaving it bitter. Strong coffee does not mean bitter coffee. Bitter coffee means bad coffee.
Regrettably, good coffee is difficult to find. Most coffee shops either buy crap, or turn their beans into crap. I've found that the most enjoyable coffee I drink is found either at Dunkin Donuts or a nice greek diner.
Today, I stumbled upon this very important post over at Manolo's Food Blog.
Take the time to read it**. ES1 & I will be trying the coffee mentioned in the article.
*I have yet to see definitive proof that he wrote it, though it would not surprise me at all if he did.
**Ironic that I should put it that way, considering this post is almost as long as that one.
Around here, the bars are open until 4:00. At that time of night you've basically got three types of people.
1. The largest group - people who left before closing.
2. The second group - people who stayed until the end, but then moved off to an all-night diner, like Denny's or Pano's. These restaurants are off the strip, and thus require some driving. This means that most of the members of group 3 have conked out long before arriving.
3. The last group - the drunken morons who screw up everything.
Spot being right at the end of the Chippewa strip, it was an easy target for group 3. They decided they didn't want to deal with them, and so ceased staying open 24/7. Since they were now closed, we had to find other places to go, usually just ending up at Denny's.
As much as I loved going there, there was something that always bothered me. I always thought of myself as a coffee person, but no matter how much I drank it, there was just something about Spot's coffee I didn't like. Since I tasted the same thing at pretty much any other specialty coffee shop, I figured it was just me.
My first clue that it wasn't just me, was this broadside against Starbuck's attributed to Jackie Mason.* A few more sources later and I discovered the issue - instead of purchasing good quality beans, places like Starbuck's will buy cheap beans and over-roast them. This burns out the essential oils, leaving it bitter. Strong coffee does not mean bitter coffee. Bitter coffee means bad coffee.
Regrettably, good coffee is difficult to find. Most coffee shops either buy crap, or turn their beans into crap. I've found that the most enjoyable coffee I drink is found either at Dunkin Donuts or a nice greek diner.
Today, I stumbled upon this very important post over at Manolo's Food Blog.
Take the time to read it**. ES1 & I will be trying the coffee mentioned in the article.
*I have yet to see definitive proof that he wrote it, though it would not surprise me at all if he did.
**Ironic that I should put it that way, considering this post is almost as long as that one.
posted by Obi-Wandreas, The Funky Viking | 2:38 PM
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