It's time to discuss instant coffee...specifically, the acceptable and the will-get-you-beaten.
And just a tip here: if someone's choice in coffee offends you to the point of violence...just go get something you like better. Someone brings you a cup that's just...awful? So what? Have them hold down the fort while you go get something better. They have some awful instant coffee in their cupboard? Don't beat them; buy them some Clasico.
Since we're on the subject, Clasico is really the only kind of instant I'll consider. Remember that camping trip I took a few weeks back? I'm totally capable of using a percolator over a stove or fire, but it's kind of a pain. So I went looking for a package of instant. And not just ANY instant. The Nescafe Clasico.
This stuff is great. I'd had instant a few times before meeting Clasico, and it was...lacklustre, to say the least. Weak and bitter, no matter what I did to it. I swore off instant for several years.
Enter Juan. I used to work at an international fast food chain, and while there I met an incredible guy named Juan. I could write a whole blog about how great Juan is/was, but since this isn't the Juan-Blog I'll limit the discussion to his contribution to my coffee repetoire.
It was Sunday morning, just before open. The work was pretty much finished, and I was thinking about unlocking the doors early for the hell of it. Juan was smarter than I: he was making some coffee that smelled amazing. I followed my nose to see him mixing up some instant coffee.
"Juan! Instant? No bueno, amigo." I started to turn away.
"Oh no, Jone-a-tan. Es MUY bueno. Here," and he offered me the cup, already mixed up con leche style the way I like it (that is, a lil coffee with the milk and sugar). Before I could protest, he was mixing another cup for himself.
So I drank it. And swore that first thing after my shift, I was going to buy me some Nescafe Clasico, even if I had to travel to Jungle Jim's to get it. Joe came in not long after this, and also took a free sample...and immediately asked Juan for another cup.
Juan's a good guy, and gave Joe the second cup. Like I said, Juan is amazing.
Long story shorter than it could be? If you need instant (and yes, there are situations that call for it) coffee, make sure you have some Clasico on your shelf. It's freeze dried...so...it'll keep. Long as you need it too, I reckon.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Heavenly Cup Espresso
I got it into my head that I wanted to do coffee shop reviews sooner, rather than later. If I wanted this blog to get even a little traction, I had to provide value for the time invested...which means more than pimping Folger's Black Silk. So I decided it was time to strike out, and unearth some of the lesser known gems in the caffeinated world.
So I punched in my address on Google Maps. I told it to look for coffee shops nearby. I got back, quite a few Starbucks. A ridiculous amount. There was a sprinkling of Tim Hortons, a couple Dunkin Donuts, and more Starbucks. To paraphrase the Talking Heads, these were not the gems I was looking for.
So I kept going down the list. And I found this promising name: "Heavenly Cup Espresso." I clicked on it, found out it was in uptown Westerville (just up the road in my fair village).
The website was nice. Someone put a lot of effort into it, put a lot of information out there, and I appreciate when someone does that for me. I personally found the greeting page to be a little cheesey, a little too welcoming. I read it a few times and started to feel a lil intimidated about visiting the shop. But I did go, and I'm very glad I did.
If you're not familiar with uptown Westerville, you find Heavenly Cup Espresso by pulling off I-270 onto OH-3 North and keep driving. Soon the suburban sprawl slows to a 25 mph zone, and you're in a Rockwell downtown scene. Walls of two story buildings line both sides of the street, with shops selling antiques, flowers, and even insurance flashing their wares at you from pictures windows on the ground floor. In the middle of this oasis of Mom and apple pie, we find the espresso we came for.
You enter the shop through a door cut into the corner of the building, and before you even step in the building looks cool. It used to be a hotel, and now it's part Heavenly Cup, part art gallery, and part gunshop. The space Heavenly Cup calls home is small. After you get past how small the room is, you start to realize it's hip. Heavenly Cup is a neat mix of old timey charm (the walls, floor, counter etc all look like they would fit in with the original architect's plan) and cool modern vibe (menu done up in multi-colored chalk, tables and chairs mis-matched with tile mosaic tops, the walls covered in art on loan from the next door David Meyers gallery). If you've ever been to Burlington, VT or Manitou Springs, CO and enjoyed yourself, you'll feel right at home.
You'll also like this place if you enjoy baked goods. The front of the counter is covered in cookies, bagels, biscotti, muffins, cake, and cinnamon rolls that make you forget about the coffee...almost. Their website speaks highly of the pumpkin cookies with cream cheese icing...Sarah and I tried one, and it was well worth the $1.50 we spent. If that cookie is any indicator of the overall quality of Heavenly Cup's bakery, then this is a perfect place to pop in for a light breakfast or afternoon snack.
I'd never heard of the blend of coffee Heavenly Cup serves (Kaladi Brothers Coffee of Alaska) but after trying it, I can call myself a tentative fan. I didn't go for a straight espresso drink, because after I saw the selection of Torani syrups my sweet tooth wouldn't let me. However, the coffee asserted itself through the flavor, and it takes a serious blend to make itself known over Torani flavoring. And yes, the shop DOES smell like coffee.
I tried a small "frosted shortbread" latte ($3.25 for 12oz) which had vanilla and cheesecake flavors; absolutely delicious. Sarah had the "pumpkin cheesecake" latte, and after a few sips she remarked, "I could totally drink this every day." And Sarah, for the record, can't stand coffee. $4.50 will get you the 20oz large, which is good to me when you consider the quality. They offered everything on the menu in decaf, as well as hot chocolate and cider options for the non-coffee fans. They also had a selection of sugar-free options when it came to Torani drinks for those of us keeping an eye on the sugar intake.
Like I said, the space is small...but they do offer free wifi, and have three 2-person tables where you can camp out and knock out your homework or coffee blog post. When we walked in there was a tutoring session going on in one corner, with a pair of ladies catching up in the opposite corner. Both groups looked as if they'd been settled for some time when we arrived. The lady friends decided to leave after more people arrived behind Sarah and I, a sign that I took to mean regular patrons are sensitive to sharing the limited atmosphere. Maybe not the place to drag the whole posse, but perfect for a date or meeting up with a friend or two.
If you're ever in the North of Columbus, I'd definitely make a stop in to Heavenly Cup Espresso, and enjoy yourself a tasty treat in a truly neat space!
So I punched in my address on Google Maps. I told it to look for coffee shops nearby. I got back, quite a few Starbucks. A ridiculous amount. There was a sprinkling of Tim Hortons, a couple Dunkin Donuts, and more Starbucks. To paraphrase the Talking Heads, these were not the gems I was looking for.
So I kept going down the list. And I found this promising name: "Heavenly Cup Espresso." I clicked on it, found out it was in uptown Westerville (just up the road in my fair village).
The website was nice. Someone put a lot of effort into it, put a lot of information out there, and I appreciate when someone does that for me. I personally found the greeting page to be a little cheesey, a little too welcoming. I read it a few times and started to feel a lil intimidated about visiting the shop. But I did go, and I'm very glad I did.
If you're not familiar with uptown Westerville, you find Heavenly Cup Espresso by pulling off I-270 onto OH-3 North and keep driving. Soon the suburban sprawl slows to a 25 mph zone, and you're in a Rockwell downtown scene. Walls of two story buildings line both sides of the street, with shops selling antiques, flowers, and even insurance flashing their wares at you from pictures windows on the ground floor. In the middle of this oasis of Mom and apple pie, we find the espresso we came for.
You enter the shop through a door cut into the corner of the building, and before you even step in the building looks cool. It used to be a hotel, and now it's part Heavenly Cup, part art gallery, and part gunshop. The space Heavenly Cup calls home is small. After you get past how small the room is, you start to realize it's hip. Heavenly Cup is a neat mix of old timey charm (the walls, floor, counter etc all look like they would fit in with the original architect's plan) and cool modern vibe (menu done up in multi-colored chalk, tables and chairs mis-matched with tile mosaic tops, the walls covered in art on loan from the next door David Meyers gallery). If you've ever been to Burlington, VT or Manitou Springs, CO and enjoyed yourself, you'll feel right at home.
You'll also like this place if you enjoy baked goods. The front of the counter is covered in cookies, bagels, biscotti, muffins, cake, and cinnamon rolls that make you forget about the coffee...almost. Their website speaks highly of the pumpkin cookies with cream cheese icing...Sarah and I tried one, and it was well worth the $1.50 we spent. If that cookie is any indicator of the overall quality of Heavenly Cup's bakery, then this is a perfect place to pop in for a light breakfast or afternoon snack.
I'd never heard of the blend of coffee Heavenly Cup serves (Kaladi Brothers Coffee of Alaska) but after trying it, I can call myself a tentative fan. I didn't go for a straight espresso drink, because after I saw the selection of Torani syrups my sweet tooth wouldn't let me. However, the coffee asserted itself through the flavor, and it takes a serious blend to make itself known over Torani flavoring. And yes, the shop DOES smell like coffee.
I tried a small "frosted shortbread" latte ($3.25 for 12oz) which had vanilla and cheesecake flavors; absolutely delicious. Sarah had the "pumpkin cheesecake" latte, and after a few sips she remarked, "I could totally drink this every day." And Sarah, for the record, can't stand coffee. $4.50 will get you the 20oz large, which is good to me when you consider the quality. They offered everything on the menu in decaf, as well as hot chocolate and cider options for the non-coffee fans. They also had a selection of sugar-free options when it came to Torani drinks for those of us keeping an eye on the sugar intake.
Like I said, the space is small...but they do offer free wifi, and have three 2-person tables where you can camp out and knock out your homework or coffee blog post. When we walked in there was a tutoring session going on in one corner, with a pair of ladies catching up in the opposite corner. Both groups looked as if they'd been settled for some time when we arrived. The lady friends decided to leave after more people arrived behind Sarah and I, a sign that I took to mean regular patrons are sensitive to sharing the limited atmosphere. Maybe not the place to drag the whole posse, but perfect for a date or meeting up with a friend or two.
If you're ever in the North of Columbus, I'd definitely make a stop in to Heavenly Cup Espresso, and enjoy yourself a tasty treat in a truly neat space!
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Creamer
I just want to make one thing clear up front:
I. Hate. Powder. Creamer.
And I mean, with a passion. I haven't hated anything as much as powdered creamer since LONG DIVISION. And if you knew me in the fourth and fifth grades, trying to figure that crap out, you'd understand how serious a statement this is.
I'm not sure what it is, but it totally ruins the flavor, much like artificial sweetner does. But that's another story for another day.
Powder creamer is the reason I learned to drink office coffee black with sugar. I used to volunteer at the Cincinnati Museum Center, and they provided the breakroom with powdered whitener. I skipped it, pouring in extra sugar to compensate. That was hard to get used to, but I like it well enough now. Black and sweet is how I like my coffee, just as I like...well nevermind that.
And really, that's a lie. I don't like black coffee as a general rule, with or without sugar. I'm a half and half guy. My grocery list almost always includes Kroger half and half, in the plastic bottle please. In a smallish bottle so it won't go bad before I can use it all, since I don't drink quite so much coffee these days.
I must be getting old.
Anyway, I'm kinda rambling (and I blame the second cup I'm currently drinking).
I'm currently out of half and half, and I deliberately ran out because I went camping a few weeks back with Joe. While I do own a camp kettle with a percolator, I find it to actually be tastier to bring Clasico instant coffee. I also bought some International Delight vanilla creamer. I chose this stuff because a) you don't need to add sugar it's so sweet b) it's too thick to freeze and c) it won't go bad. And I mean, ever.
While it tastes good, my mouth is used to a dairy creamer. It feels like I'm picking up every last chemical in this stuff. It's sweet, but it's got an artificial sweetner flavor to it. And that last point up there, about it never going bad? That kinda scares me. Things that don't go bad prolly shouldn't be in my body. Who knows when I'll be able to flush it out of my system?
So ultimately, my standard choice is half and half. If I want something more tasty and rich, I go with heavy whipping cream. That'd prolly kill me faster than International Delight, but I think it'd be almost worth the trip...no Splenda taste.
So what goes in YOUR coffee for whitening, hm?
I. Hate. Powder. Creamer.
And I mean, with a passion. I haven't hated anything as much as powdered creamer since LONG DIVISION. And if you knew me in the fourth and fifth grades, trying to figure that crap out, you'd understand how serious a statement this is.
I'm not sure what it is, but it totally ruins the flavor, much like artificial sweetner does. But that's another story for another day.
Powder creamer is the reason I learned to drink office coffee black with sugar. I used to volunteer at the Cincinnati Museum Center, and they provided the breakroom with powdered whitener. I skipped it, pouring in extra sugar to compensate. That was hard to get used to, but I like it well enough now. Black and sweet is how I like my coffee, just as I like...well nevermind that.
And really, that's a lie. I don't like black coffee as a general rule, with or without sugar. I'm a half and half guy. My grocery list almost always includes Kroger half and half, in the plastic bottle please. In a smallish bottle so it won't go bad before I can use it all, since I don't drink quite so much coffee these days.
I must be getting old.
Anyway, I'm kinda rambling (and I blame the second cup I'm currently drinking).
I'm currently out of half and half, and I deliberately ran out because I went camping a few weeks back with Joe. While I do own a camp kettle with a percolator, I find it to actually be tastier to bring Clasico instant coffee. I also bought some International Delight vanilla creamer. I chose this stuff because a) you don't need to add sugar it's so sweet b) it's too thick to freeze and c) it won't go bad. And I mean, ever.
While it tastes good, my mouth is used to a dairy creamer. It feels like I'm picking up every last chemical in this stuff. It's sweet, but it's got an artificial sweetner flavor to it. And that last point up there, about it never going bad? That kinda scares me. Things that don't go bad prolly shouldn't be in my body. Who knows when I'll be able to flush it out of my system?
So ultimately, my standard choice is half and half. If I want something more tasty and rich, I go with heavy whipping cream. That'd prolly kill me faster than International Delight, but I think it'd be almost worth the trip...no Splenda taste.
So what goes in YOUR coffee for whitening, hm?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
