I’ll start right out admitting that I like Starbucks. And near my house there’s a Peets that has free wireless. I like them too. But last week, I met a friend in Santa Clara at a coffee shop called Bellano. I ordered a medium latte, and this is what they brought to my table:
I like my coffee pretty!
Okay, so first. THEY brought it to ME. It’s not a big deal, but I noticed. Second, it’s a real cup. Again, not a big deal, but it’s nice, the weight of it, the permanence. Drinking out of a real cup made me think about where I was instead of where I had to be next. And – super bonus – after I finished, they washed my real cup and reused it. No recycling required.
And finally, the art. What can I say? They brought my coffee with a heart on the top, and I got all mushy. I developed an instant crush on the barista who was around a hundred years younger than I am. I wanted to ask him if he could do a latte picture of my dog next. I lingered after my friend left. I liked being there, conscious, sitting cross-legged in my chair at my little round table, the sun streaming in from the window behind me…
It’s a silly thing, really – a few silly things. But next time I go to Starbucks or Peets, I’ll notice the little things they don’t do, and I’ll miss them. And I’ll be on the lookout for a coffee shop near me with real cups and steamed milk shaped like love.
You are so right about the little quality differences and what an impact they can make. So many times, we migrate to the fastest, cheapest solution, then lose site of why we liked “it” in the first place.
Like the time we stopped for lunch on a road trip and I got a salad with REAL blue cheese dressing. WOW! Totally bad for you, perhaps, but it was so much better than the low fat blue cheese dressing I use at home.
On NPR the other day, there was a story about a professional coffee taster whose company insured his tongue (and all his tasting olfactory devices) for 14 million dollars. As part of the interview, they had him taste a cup of coffee from the BBC studio cafeteria. His assessment? The color wasn’t too appetizing and because it had been in the disposable cup for over 5 minutes, he could taste the cardboard flavor in the coffee.
So I say, do it less often, but get real chocolate ice cream, get a real cup of coffee in a real cup in a place with nice surroundings and every once in a while, have some real blue cheese dressing!
I would have gotten all mushy, too(and possibly let that latte get cold, not wanting to drink the heart!)
I always prefer drinking coffee out of a real cup and rarely get coffee to go or go to Starbucks.
I had to scroll back to find this:
http://contentinacottage.blogspot.com/2009/02/coffees-on-me-this-morning.html
…and the fantastic “Content In A Cottage” blog for you. You’ll love it, I’m quite certain of that.
lookfortherealthing – i agree! i don’t eat it often, but i’m serious about dessert. ;-)
tina, wow!!!!!!!!!!! that was amazing! and the blog is great too. i played there way too long. thank you!
Loved reading this posting — I could just envision you sitting there at the table, eyeing the Barista — sure made me wish I could have been there too!!
i love everything about coffee – the taste, the warmth, the necessary caffeine and the homey smell (i’d probably even wear coffee perfume if it existed). and, like you, i’ve been known to get all mushy and take pictures of my latte art, too.
but, what i love most of all is the “coffee experience”. the cafe with the comfy, mismatched chairs, well-worn tables, the clinking sounds of ceramic cups and saucers and metal spoons, displays of art by yet-to-be-discovered artists, bulletin boards covered in home-made flyers advertising everything from political rallies to dog-sitting services, the din of voices as locals chat with each other, and best of all – the cafes within used books stores. coffee and books – it just doesn’t get any better! luckily, i had many cafe experiences in the east bay during college. sadly, most of those cafes are gone now.
no doubt, starbucks is convenient and tasty. and i probably go there more often than i should. (although, i prefer peets. it’s an east bay thing and i like strong coffee.) and yet, other than the coffee and their evil-y delicious pastries, starbucks is an empty experience. the same standards that make their hazelnut latte taste delicious and each location so identical that you forget what city you’re in, are also what rob us of a true “cafe experience”. hmm…. maybe the reason starbucks uses paper cups is so we can leave with our coffee before we realize what we’re missing?
ps – tina, really cool link! :-D
Carey, I wish you could have been there too!
JB, You said it all – made everyone want to find their nearest cafe, no doubt. Thank you!
I’m glad you found your way over to Rosemary’s blog and that video of the latte art. I can see, though, how you might have “played there for way too long”– her blog always makes me feel better in some way for having visited it .
Who is JB? I really loved his/her description/their writing. Dang, I wish I were having coffe right now and I wish it were morning already. Judy, I can probably find Coffee perfume for you!
tina, yeah, “played there for way too long” was a good thing. thanks for introducing me!
carey – coffee perfume… and then being around me will make everyone hungry for breakfast. it could work.
Thank you so much about the nice words about my family’s shop! I was surprised to come about your blog post when I googled Bellano.
Your kind words brought a warm feeling to our hearts like our latte art did to yours. :)
Carla, My pleasure! You are my friend’s favorite cafe, and I could see why! I’ll be back!
Great pic! I love all-things-coffee. JB sums it up best for me too. And since I work from home, I start my day with a home-made cappuccino in a cup/ saucer just like the one in your picture (so glad you shared). I haven’t tried the latte art though. Hmmm, I wonder if my skim would flow like that? (where’s Pollack when you need him?) There are few things in my life that can improve the quality of my day like a good latte in a real cup, whether at home or at my local coffee house among my neighbors.
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My favorite writing spot is a table at the back of a small chain coffee shop that uses real bugs and cups and makes latte-art. Also with the free internet. Also with the super-indulgence and patience since the news about writing my manuscript there got out. There are massive windows providing gobs of indirect light, and there’s a Cheers vibe. Not “a bunch of drunks whining” so much as, “everybody knows your name”.
This reading old posts is cool…
It sounds perfect.