Saturday, February 25, 2006

The new Coffee Shop

After two months of being in the "NEW" space at my client, the espresso shop in the basement is FINALLY open. Now, when I can, I like a post-lunch double espresso to keep me going until my "just got home" espresso before dinner (this is after the two "wake up" espressos before leaving the house... THANK YOU CAPRESSO).

So I went on Tuesday, got a great cuppa in a small 3-oz cup. Went on wednesday, got a great cuppa in a small 3-oz cup. On Thursday, I asked for my Double... and it came in an 8 oz cup.

Immediately, a short woman with a clipped british accent was at my side - apparently the manager in mufti - scolding the employee that she had used the wrong cup, and apologizing to me. Now, I'm pretty used to getting a double in a big cup - not many shops actually have the mini cups these days.

"Oh no, sir, an Espresso is a premium drink, and people who appreciate espresso are premium customers. You deserve the full experience!" I thanked her, but said that since the cup is already dirty, I'll be happy to use it. Then she took the cup and peered inside...

"I see that the espresso was well made, at least" eyeing the crema. She then told me "You let me know if you ever get an espresso with a less than perfect golden crema. True coffee fans appreciate the crema, and wouldn't dream of polluting the drink with milk or (shudder) flavored syrups....".

At this point, I realized I'm dealing with a lunatic the likes of which I hadn't seen since working for Ed Dunn in St Paul, who had very fixed ideas of what was appropriate for people to order: "There is no such thing as a LARGE CAPPUCINO, sir. CAPPUCINO is a drink with a doubleshot of espresso, a thin layer of thick frothed milk, and a dollop of the light froth. IT CANNOT BE MADE LARGER!!!!!"

The next day, the Brit was gone, but the espresso was served properly. I heard she was back to the corporate offices in New York. She had offered the Barista additional training in how to truly prepare exceptional coffee... and the company training center in Milan.

No comments: