Departures and Arrivals

Departure:
Columbus Coffee Review is undergoing a change in personnel. Bronwyn is leaving Columbus to teach English in South Korea! She is, however, staying in Seattle for a few days before setting down in Seoul, so hopefully we'll get some interesting field reports out of her. Damion will continue reviewing coffee shops and providing intermittent reports on producting countries (he's also got a tasting/info event in the works...stay tuned).

Fact: South Koreans consumed 3.9 pounds of coffee per capita in 2007. (src)

Arrivals:
Caffe Daniela is moving from Old Worthington to Downtown (Broad & High). While caffe is 50% their name, they seem to be more of an Italian eatery than purveyor of coffee. There is an espresso machine in a picture on their website, so who knows.

There also seems to be no new word on Urban Republic, the coffee shop that was supposed to be open at the end of July in the Seneca building, also in Downtown. Seems like a no-go, unfortunately.
(Here's a link and another link.)

Heavenly Cup

Heavenly Cup
25 North State St.
Westerville, Ohio 43081

This small shop is in the middle of Uptown Westerville, the close-quartered and idyllic center of Westerville that stands in stark contrast with the rest of the sprawling suburb. Within the tiny corner shop there are a few tables, some gift items for sale, and a counter crammed with candy bins, displays, and coffee pots.

Espresso

Machine: Two-group Rancilio
Beans: Kaladi Brothers

The espresso was pulled too fast and tamped too little, the end result being a bitter shot without much else going on in terms of flavor.

Positives:
Served in ceramic demitasse with saucer and a chocolate-covered espresso bean.
Decent shot volume.

Negatives:
Beans not ground to-order.
Grounds not tamped. (There was no tamper present, the barista used the surface built into the machine to press down the grounds before pulling the shot.)
Crema mostly gone by the time it was served.
No purging or preheating.

Cappuccino

When I ordered the cappuccino I was asked if I wanted a lot of foam or a little foam and I chose a lot of foam. I ordered a small but received a sixteen ounce to-go cup full to the brim with styrofoam-like froth.

The problem with the so-called "bubble-bath foam" is that it does not flow. It does not harmonize with the steamed milk and espresso so that, when you tip up your cup to take a drink, it clings to the sides and doesn't move. By the time the coffee/milk mixture is drunk the bubble-bath foam remains in the cup and gets tossed out whenever someone gets around to washing it. Properly foamed milk, the kind with the invisible bubbles, is dense and aerated so that its texture is different from regular steamed milk but retains the quality of fluidity that allows it to pass from the cup to the mouth where it is enjoyed and appreciated instead of thrown out with the dishwater.

Positives:
Served with chocolate-covered espresso bean.

Negatives:
Clingy, undrinkable bubble-bath foam.
Bitter, untamped espresso shots used again.
Poorly proportioned.
Served in to-go cup (right alongside the ceramic-borne espresso, oddly enough).
Lid was put on the cup by barista--a minor point but I'd like to see what I ordered.

Drip

The drip coffees are provided in airpots. The initial purchase includes a pair of refills that can be taken any time before the shop closes. The Peruvian Andes Gold was watery, weak, and too hot.

Upcoming Barista Jam

I heard a rumor from someone at Cafe Brioso that Kickstart (on High St in the Short North) is having a barista jam soon. I went down there to confirm this and, as it happens, they are having a barista jam on September 5^th, 2pm to 7pm. There will be a latte art competition as well as skill building clinics for local baristas at any skill level. (linkorama)

I took this as an opportunity to have another double at Kickstart. The friendly barista used whatever was already ground in the hopper, but he took care to clean the portafilter before pulling my shots. It was a pretty good shot: a little tannish and just this side of bitter, but it mellowed out into nutty flavors and had a fantastic smoothness. The lingering aftertaste (more of an aftersmell, really) was very much like smelling whole beans (they're still using Caruso's, by the way). Well done, Kickstart!