Finito!

So, now that everyone who writes for this blog has moved to Arizona or South Korea, it's unlikely that there will be any additional content here. Thanks to everyone who came out to our events, wrote comments, or emailed us for advice and tips. It was an awesome experience!

New Year

Looks like we're on a little hiatus here. Now that we're all done with the holidays and everyone can go back to normal, I just want to issue a reminder that groups like Coffee Kids can still use your help. Keep that holiday good cheer going by checking out their blog and helping out any way that you can. That said, we'll see where the new year takes us...

Spore Event

Last night's tasting at Spore Infoshop was a success! We drank three types of 100% Colombian coffee (Kroger brand, Stauf's Colombia Supremo Bucaramanga, and an organic Sierra Nevada that I roasted at home) and tried to guess which was which. It wasn't too difficult and everyone who participated guessed correctly. What really made the event a success was that a lot of good information was shared (and not just by me, I learned some new things from several people) and that we raised $50 for Coffee Kids, a charitable group that works with coffee-growing communities and families. The turnout was pretty good, but if you missed it you can have a look at the packet I printed for participants by clicking the link below.

It is also worth mentioning that there are some changes in store for Columbus Coffee Review. Not huge changes, but changes that will, I hope, make the site a little more useful and interesting to all of us in the Columbus coffee scene. Stay tuned!

Colombia Packet
CoffeeKids.org

October Events

1: Columbus Coffee Review Colombian Coffee Tasting @ Spore Infoshop. Three coffees: Grocery Store, Local Specialty Roaster, and Home-Roasted organic. A blind tasting of each to test our palates while we discuss the ecological effects of the coffee trade. October 8th, 7pm. Free (suggested donation to Spore Infoshop and Coffee Kids). Link to Directions

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Colombia
CAPITAL: Bogota
SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT: Unitary Multiparty Republic
AREA: 1,138,914 Sq Km (439,735 Sq Mi)
ESTIMATED 2000 POPULATION 38,324,400

Distance between Medellin and Columbus: 2,378 miles.
Distance between New York and San Francisco: 2,570 miles.

Time Zones: Midnight in Columbus, 11:00pm in Medellin.

In general, there are two main seasons, (1.) the wet season from March
to May and September to November with (2.) the dry season from
December to February and June to August.

From this climate, and over this distance, come coffee beans from
Colombia. Grown in the Equitorial highlands, the beans are roasted and
consumed in the United States where they are thrown away after a
single brewing. These grounds contain thousands of chemicals and are
rich in nutrients. Rather than be reused and reincorporated into the
local environment and, in a larger sense, global chemical cycles, they
are sequestered in sanitary landfills. Locked away for the foreseeable
future in Northern dumps and literal waste-lands are powerful organic
fertilizers of tropical origin. The goal of this talk and tasting are
to increase knowledge about coffee trade and efficient use of what is
around us; to increase our ability to get the most out of what we
consume in a way that profits not only the consumer but those chemical
aspects of the global ecology that are influenced by international
trade and agribusiness. And also to drink some amazing coffee and put
our palates to the test in guessing which coffees were traded fairly,
which not so fairly, and which were roasted locally or mass-produced.

2: The Columbus International Film + Video Festival presents "Strong Coffee", a film that tells the story of Café Femenino—a revolutionary idea that is helping people in need all over the world. Café Femenino beans are the first coffee beans grown entirely by women farmers. October 20th, 7pm @ Studio 35. $5 at the door.

Vic's

Vic's
251 W. 5th Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43201

This is the place where, back when it was called Victorian's Midnight Cafe, I cut my teeth on coffee and cafe culture when I was in high school. Back then it was just an espresso machine and a big drip brewer. Over the years the owner, Greg, transitioned his cafe into something that resembled any old bar. Now, under new ownership, it is more like the trendy Short North hotspots on High Street than the quirky vortex of weirdness it once was. Wine tastings and 60 beers compete with a relatively small assortment of coffees. My nostalgia notwithstanding, I gave it another go after a long hiatus.

Espresso

Beans: Cafe Apropos (just a few blocks away on 3rd)

Positives:
Served in demitasse.
Ground per shot.

Negatives:
Shot volume (about 6 ounces) was twice that of a normal double espresso.
Dissipating, faint crema.
Sour taste, hints of kalamata olive (This sourness is a problem at Apropos, as well).

Cappuccino

Positives:
Appropriate proportions.
Foaming of milk was very quiet.

Negatives:
Skim milk used by default.
Milk foam clung to cup; visible, albeit tiny, bubbles.
Sour espresso.

Drip

The organic Sumatra was great. Medium body with positive toasted nut/rice flavors. Very good indeed.

>Don't forget about the Barista Jam at Kickstart on Saturday!

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!

Brennen's

Brennen's Cafe
High St. and 15th
Columbus, Ohio 43201

Brenen's is just across from the OSU campus. They offer food and a study space¹ in a two room, Olive-Gardenesque atmosphere. While the food descriptions looked delicious, the coffee itself was terrible. The details about how it was made are largely limited to what we could hear as we could not see behind the bar. However, many times one can decipher whether or not the barista knows what they are doing just by listening.

Espresso

Machine: Rancilio
Beans: Caruso's

At least 4oz of undrinkable bitterness.

Positive:
Served in ceramic cup.

Negative:
Shot was way too fast which, in turn, results in a watery, bitter shot.
No crema.
Rubbery taste.

Cappuccino

Brennen's offers what they call a Cappuccino and a Euro Cappuccino. Neither drink matches up with any accepted standards. The Euro Cappuccino is made with "equal parts espresso and foam" while the Cappuccino is "one part espresso to steamed milk topped with foam." A true cappuccino, Euro or otherwise, is one third espresso, one third steamed milk, and one third fine milk foam in a 1:1:1 ratio. This is easy for properly trained baristi² to eyeball and, besides, precision is always valued over accuracy. The palate measures by taste. The variations presented by Brennen's create enough slack in the industry standards that precision is irrelevant. These just aren't cappuccinos.

We ordered the Euro Cappuccino and the drink we received did not match up with even Brennen's standards. We were given a double shot of espresso with twelve ounces of bubbly milk foam, like an exaggerated macchiato.

Negative:
No ceramic cup; served in 16 ounce styrofoam cup.
Incorrect ratio of espresso, milk, and foam.
Transparent bubble bath foam.
Undrinkably bitter, tire fire rubber taste.
Loud milk frothing, looked like barista was shaking a baby.

¹ The study space was a separate room without the music that played in the main dining area. It shares a wall with the kitchen at the neighboring Jimmy John's, so all the classic rock on their radio and clatter pans were plainly audible.

² Many times the baristi working behind the counter are doing the best with what they're given. This is likely the case with Brennen's, since the owners decided to go rogue with their cappuccino stylings. Although the role of barista has been heightened lately in the Specialty industry, employees are only as good as their training. It would be like a car repair shop that spends thousands of dollars on tools and marketing and then expects the first Tom, Dick, or Harry off the street to be able to work miracles on broken vehicles by doing nothing more than handing them a $50 wrench. In general, the best shops are those that understand training and education as an important aspect of quality-in-the-cup and belong to the Specialty Coffee Association of America (scaa.org). You can also check out the 2009 WBC competition standards for cappuccinos (§2.1.2) here.

Kafe Kerouac

Kafe Kerouac
2250 N High St
Columbus, Ohio 43201

Kafe Kerouac is a little shop selling books, cds and vinyl, alcohol and coffee to the college kids of Columbus. Located on North High Street on the corner of Northwood, this campus hangout holds various events including cigar and poetry nights (held separately), and offers a quiet space to study while drinking, unfortunately, not so great coffee.

Espresso

Machine: Faema Due
Beans: Chief Cooker

Overall, a thin, bitter shot that was undrinkable.

Negative:
Watery
Shot came way too fast
Did not preheat cup
No saucer or spoon
Tan crema that dissipated quickly

Positive:
Cleaned portafilter between shots (with micropore towel!)
Purged between shots
Ground per shot

Cappuccino

A bubble bath foam with watery espresso. They only had two percent milk, but the barista offered to make whole for me by mixing half and half and two percent (thanks, lady!). Unfortunately, while this was a very nice offer that we appreciate and took advantage of, it did not enhance the beverage by much.

Negative:
Bubble bath foam

Did not have proper size, but the barista did make a smaller cappuccino because we asked, so thank you!

Same sad espresso as above
Inappropriate ratio

Pulled shots before steaming milk, leaving our shots to spoil before they even had a chance to prove themselves

Drip

They feature a "Private Reserve" blended especially for KK. It was pretty good but did not stand out in any particular area.

Espresso Cafe

Espresso Cafe
250 Civic Center Dr.
Columbus, Ohio 43215

Espresso Cafe is a little shop on the Riverfront in Downtown Columbus. It features not only coffee and espresso beverages but also breakfast and lunch food. The patio has very nice chairs and a great view of the river. Two computers and a printer are available for the office worker that has neither laptop nor coffee. While Damion tried to score a view of the barista's activity, he missed the action as much of the machine is obscured because of how it is situated on the counter. This did not matter much, as the product told us everything. They also offer a soda fountain and a "French vailla latte" machine like one might find at a gas station.

Espresso

Overall, a pretty terrible shot. It was served in a styrofoam cup...a 16 ounce styrofoam cup full a good third of way with espresso. It was extremely bitter. Let's review: a 5-6 ounce "double shot" in a 16 ounce STYROFOAM cup.

Positive:
They use Ohio's own Caruso's Coffee, Volare blend, for their espresso.

Negative:
Served in styrofoam cup (they have no "for here" cups whatsoever).
Thin; very watery.
Tan, dissipating crema.
Very bitter.
Beans were not ground per shot.

Shots had body like they were brewed in a French press. Which is fine (if it were brewed in a French press).
Before our drinks were started there was dried, crusty milk left on the steam wand from a previous customer's order. On that basis, it is safe to conclude that the machine is not cleaned or wiped down at all between uses.

Cappuccino

The cappuccino had some surprisingly well-steamed milk but, when coupled with the terrible espresso, it was undrinkable. The ratio was way off (it was quite heavy), not to mention the volume. There were only 16 or 20 ounce sizes available.

Positive:
Well-steamed and foamed milk.

Negative:
Incorrect ratio
Same terrible shots as above
Used 2% milk
Wrong size (again, the smallest possible option is 16 ounces).
Served with grounds on the lip of the styrofoam cup.
Tasted like a Cafe au Lait. Which is fine, if what we ordered was a Cafe au Lait.

Drip

They said they had Caruso's Awaken blend brewed but none of the signs on the self-serve airpots said anything about that. I got the last bit of what was marked as "100% Colombian" and filled the rest of the cup with "House Blend." It was flat, weak, and cool.

Global Gallery

Global Gallery
3535 N. High St.
Columbus, Ohio 43214

Global Gallery is a local set of shops that sell hand-made jewelry and household items using a "trade not aid" business model that benefits people in developing countries. To this end they also sell small organic and "ethical" food items like chocolate bars and, most importantly, coffee. Global Gallery now has its own cafe in Clintonville in a building that has also been used as a garden store and a locksmith shop. Its eclectic history is reflected in various architectural idiosyncrasies, nooks, and crannies which make it a very interesting place to enjoy a coffee.

Espresso

Machine: Three-group La Pavoni

Positive:
Ground per shot.
Barista knew ristretto terminology.

Negative:
The crema dissipated quickly.
Body was too thin.
Volume of liquid in the cup was too great for a ristretto.
Did not purge group prior to or after the shot was pulled.
The espresso tasted sour and too fruity (like cough syrup, almost).

Cappuccino

Positive:
Used whole milk, so the froth held up well.
Well proportioned foam:milk:espresso.

Negative:
The serving size was too large. They have no cups smaller than 20 ounces.
Tasted sour, like the solo espresso shots.

The drink was served too hot. Damion took a regular first sip and used all the normal precautions one takes when unsure of a given drink's temperature and was still so overwhelmed by the heat that he spat it out immediately. It was pretty rough. A lot of cursing was involved.

Drip

The drip coffee (a blend called Justice) was served out of an airpot and tasted fresh, with positive grainy and sesame flavors and a slippery mouth-feel. This and the ambiance were the best part of the whole experience.

Upheaval

There is a lot of coffee in Columbus but none of it grew here. This is another installment in our continuing series of producer-country profiles intended to get a sense of what a massive undertaking it is to get coffee from there to here. While this is not a profile as such it will, I hope, expand our perspectives as consumers of coffee.

There have been two major revolts in Latin America recently:

Honduras

The president of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya, has been exiled to Costa Rica by members of the military. He attempted to add a third term to his presidency. This was ruled unconsitutional and the Honduran Supreme Court gave an order allowing the military to detain Zelaya.

WSJ, NYT, (via).

Peru

Indigenous Peruvians blocked roads and cut pipelines to resist corporate and governmental incursions into areas they claim rights to. At least thirty-five people died in the clash over proposals to open large areas of rain forest for oil drilling, logging, and hydroelectric dams.

NYT, (via).

More reviews of local coffee shops will be up after the weekend. Have a happy Fourth!

Coffee & More

Coffee & More
Corner of Gay and 3^rd Streets

This small operation features bar seating that allows customers to look out on one of Downtown's more interesting intersections. Forget that "coffee" is part of the name and drop by for a mango lassi made from scratch by the friendly and generous owner.

A Touch of Earth

A Touch of Earth
(in the North Market)
59 Spruce St
Columbus, Ohio 43215

Another pleasant surprise! A Touch of Earth is located in the North Market in the Short North. It offers a variety of local roasters' beans to buy by the pound and has a little coffee bar with stools for sipping your beverage. They offer two blends of espresso for their own drinks; Crimson Cup's Armando's Blend and Cafe Brioso's Milano blend. They also offer two great baristas, Shawn and Joy, who were a lot of fun to talk with while we drank cup after cup of coffee*.

Espresso

Equipment: La Pavoni grinders and a 2-group Brasilia Gradisca espresso machine. This model is unusual in that the group heads are positioned outside of the housing that contains the boiler and temperature controls. Some say this causes the groups to lose heat and negatively affect quality in the cup. As you will see, our experience contradicts any doubts about what this machine can do.

Wow! Another decently pulled shot! The shot began nice and slow, dark and thick, and was pulled directly into a preheated demitasse (with a spoon!). We first had Armando's blend, which is slick and very acidic. Not Bronwyn's favorite, but Damion likes it. Then we found out about the second option and went for the Milano blend. It was smoother, charcoaly, and thick-bodied. Although we asked for a double ristretto, the shot was pulled too long. Both had nice crema, however.

Positives:
Used dry towel for cleaning the portafilter between shots
Ground per shot
Served with saucer and spoon (and chocolate-covered espresso bean)
Dark crema on both espressos
Purged group
Preheated demitasse

Negatives:
Did not give us ristretto shots

Cappuccino

The cappuccino here was pretty good: well-done shots (we had the Milano blend for this one), great foam, yet it was very dry. It was served in a cup with a saucer and spoon, although we had to ask for the proper size and make sure we were all on the same page of what that is (6-8oz). The usually use 12 or 16 ounce cups. While both the espresso and the foam were great, the barista did not free-pour the drink; he simply scooped the foam into the cup from the pitcher. This contributed to an extremely dry cappuccino with non-standard ratios of espresso:milk:foam. It was still delicious though, and the foam made from Snowville Creamery whole milk was robust enough to enjoy with the aforementioned tiny spoon.

Positives:
Uses whole milk as their default
Sturdy melted ice cream foam
Preheated cup

Negatives:
Did not free-pour
Too dry

Drip

The drip coffees are provided in self-serve airpots in front of the espresso machine. Although I got the last 12 ounces of Crimson Cup's Peruvian coffee, it tasted fresh and had the rustic flavor and subdued acidity one wants in a Peru.


*Hopefully you guys don't mind being name-checked. We can always be reached at columbuscoffeereview AT gmail DOT com for any corrections, comments, or concerns!

Yemen

There is a lot of coffee in Columbus but none of it grew here. This is another installment in our continuing series of producer-country profiles intended to get a sense of what a massive undertaking it is to get coffee from there to here.

Yemen's history is closely tied to coffee. Yemenis were the first to popularize coffee, trade coffee, and establish a "coffee culture." Coffee may have evolved in Africa, but coffee as we know it started at the tip of the Arabian peninsula. Located just across the Red Sea from coffee's native Ethiopia, it was a natural launch pad for the small fruit that would become the world's rocket fuel.

Republic of Yemen

Distance from Columbus, Ohio: 7335 miles (11803 km)

Capital: Sanaa (or Sana'a)

Relative Size: Slightly larger than twice the size of Wyoming

Major Coffee Growing Regions:
Mattari (from Bani Matar), Hirazi/Harasi (from Haras), Haimi, Saihi, Ismaili, Sharasi, Dhamari from Dhamar), Rimy (from Raimi or Rayma).

Introduced from Ethiopia around the 6th century, full-scale coffee cultivation began in Yemen around the 15th century. The old port of Mocha (or Moka, or Mokka, or Mokha, or...) was formerly a major site of international trade and a point on the route of goods from the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean (before the contstruction of the Suez Canal). Mocha became synonymous with coffee, becoming a generic term for the drink early in the beverage's history. Abandoned, it has been replaced by the ports of Adan, Hudaydah, and Mukalla.

Today, the coffee trade in Yemen runs a lot like it has for centuries. People grow it casually at home or on small-holder farms and sell the dry-processed beans through a byzantine system of traders and exporters. Of the small amount of arable land in Yemen (2.91% of Yemeni territory) there are 330,000 coffee farms and an estimated 1,530,000 people working in the coffee industry.

Yemeni coffee is dried on the ground before the bean is removed from the fruit and mucilage that encases the roastable seed (called Dry or Natural processing). This method, along with the terroir of the various growing regions, imparts flavors ranging from winey, wild, and earthy to fruity or acidy. Yemenis who grow coffee are coffee drinkers themselves and may also enjoy a tea-like beverage called qishr made from the dried husks and a mix of spices. A typical day in Yemen may start with coffee, switching later to qishr as the day heats up in the afternoon.

Sources: CIA Factbook, Sweet Maria's, ICO, CoffeeReview.com, Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.

Previously: Brazil

The Bexley Coffee Shop

The Bexley Coffee Shop
492 North Cassady Avenue
Bexley, OH, 43209

The Bexley Coffee Shop has blindsided us with its greatness! Owned by Paulette and Sean Sullivan, it is on the east side of Columbus in Bexley, situated on a relatively uncrowded commercial street next to a UDF. We were surprised and delighted with our coffees, both made quite well.

Espresso

The barista knew what we were talking about when we said we wanted a double short pull! Ordinarily there is a moment in which we explain to the person behind the counter what a ristretto is, but the self-trained owner, Paulette, went right to work. She gave us two beautiful shots that dripped slowly at first, dark brown, the streams thick like cooked spaghetti. Once in the cup, it was syrupy sweet, thick as cream, and tasted like the smell of coffee beans. It also had a great crema that stuck around for a long time. This is the way espresso should be.

Machine: Rancilio 2-group espresso machine (and Rancilio grinders)
Beans: Chief Cooker

Positives:
Barista knew what a short pull is, and even called it a "ristretto," it's correct name.
Used dry towel to clean portafilter between shots
Ground per shot
Used demitasse cup
Dark, speckled crema
Sweet

Negatives:
Portafilters not kept in groups
Did not preheat cups
Left freshly packed portafilters in groups for too long before pulling the shot
No spoon

Cappuccino

Like the ristretto, the shots used for our cappuccinos were amazing. The whole milk froth was just shy of the melty microfoam we were hoping for after the command performance with the espressos. Quibbles over the size of microscopic bubbles notwithstanding, this was a great cappuccino.

Positives:
Used whole milk
Good foam:milk:espresso ratio
Same espresso preparation as before
Free-poured
Served in traditional 8-10oz ceramic cup

Negatives:
Did not preheat cup
No spoon
Foam was not quite "melted ice cream"

Note: Bronwyn went back to the Bexley Coffee Shop and had the other owner-barista, who steamed her some excellent foam. Seriously delicious. The shot, on the other hand, started off great...and was looking good...then was still going, and going, and going... I did not ask for a ristretto, to be clear, but I did not ask for a lungo either. But the milk (which was soy) was amazing!

Drip

The light-roasted Organic/FT Peru was smooth bodied but offered a mild, tingling acidity. It was nutty and very fresh tasting even as it cooled.

In closing, our expectations were surpassed by this unassuming neighborhood cafe. In talking to Paulette it is easy to see that the Sullivans are excited both by the coffee they serve and the people they serve it to. Their hard work is paying off, as they have set the bar for coffee in Columbus (even if they are, techincally speaking, in Bexley).

Urban Spirit

Before we begin, we would like to thank everyone who came out to our Fair Trade/Organic coffee tasting at the Spore Infoshop! We had a great turnout and everyone really engaged in the cupping and presentation on certifications. Special thanks go to Amy, the Spore volunteer who joined us for the tasting and helped iron out some of the kinks encountered along the way. Hopefully we'll get to taste more coffees and meet more readers at future events!

Alright, on to the review:

Urban Spirit
889 E. Long Street
Columbus, Ohio 43203

Urban Spirit is located on Long Street in Olde Towne East. It carries Crimson Cup beans and boasts latte art on its advertisements. Apparently, it is much more than a coffee shop, as it offers services such as consulting, event planning and catering on their website. It is also a nexus of community involvement ranging from a weekly jazz night to political organizing. Their coffee drinks, though, are all offered with a "top hat," which means whipped cream from an aerosol can. While this is a kind service, it is not exactly what we're looking for in a coffee shop.

Espresso

Beans: Crimson Cup
Machine: Nuova Simonelli

Overall, the espresso was not as delicious as it could have been, but it was better than others. It was thicker than most, although still thin. The crema was a darker brown. The barista did not know which coffee was being used for the espresso, but we can only suspect Armando's blend...that's definitely what it tasted like (tart and syrupy).

Positives:
Ground per shot

Negatives:
Used small cappuccino cup for espresso; no demitasse available
Did not clean portafilter between shots
Did not purge group between shots
No saucer nor spoon
Shot was fast
Did not preheat cups

Cappuccino

Sadly, this was no cappuccino. It was a latte. And there was none of the latte art depicted in their advertising because there was no foam on it whatsoever (not even a little tiny layer that is quite appropriate for a latte). Bronwyn also thought it was a bit acidic for her taste. The complimentary “top hat” was declined.

Positives:
Proper size cup

Negatives:
No foam whatsoever! (It should have had at least as much foam as milk and espresso.)
Used 2% milk (whole is preferred)
Acidic
Same espresso as above
Did not preheat cup

Double-Action!

This one's a two-fer!

Suds N Java
1254 N. High St.
Columbus, Ohio 43201

Suds N Java is just South of Campus and is both a laundromat and internet cafe rolled into one. While it is a great place to do some laundry and surf the net, it needs some work on the coffee. Rather than freshly ground espresso, they use the same “coffee pods” one might find provided for guests in a hotel room. The pod was placed in the single group Nuova Simonelli machine and brewed for about a minute. Our “double shots” were about 8 ounces each, quite bitter and undrinkable. They have other redeeming qualities beside coffee. Go for the laundry and web surfing.

After the incident with the pod, we decided to switch gears and simplify.

Yeah, Me Too!
3005 Indianola Ave
Columbus, Ohio 43202

Yeah, Me Too! is situated near Studio 35 in Clintonville. It is a profoundly basic coffee shop, featuring one hot brew, one cold brew, and a limited supply of bagged roasted coffee. The Diedrich roaster they use is bolted down near the front window and bags of green beans aren't far away. The whole place is just a little bigger than a large living room but, unlike most living rooms, there are no chairs or couches. Or benches. Or stools. There are also no tables but, for as austere as it sounds, the place has a welcoming atmosphere.

The best part of Yeah, Me Too! is that all of their hot coffee is made with a French press and the beans they use vary daily. The coffee on offer was a blend of medium-dark roasted Brazil and Sumatra. The gentleman behind the counter started the press as soon as we ordered but did not ask for payment until later, and only after he served our toddies. Our first impression was that it was exceptionally clean. There was a nice, fuller body to it with a slighter acidity, and faint nuttiness. After her first round of critical sips, Bronwyn felt that it held up fantastically to cream. Overall, a delicious coffee, a great roast, and properly brewed. Nice job, Yeah, Me Too!

Coffee Tasting @ Spore

Saturday, May 9th at Noon:

Join us for a free blind tasting of locally roasted organic, shade and fair trade coffees. We'll be talking about what these certifications mean, how they are attained, and the social and environmental issues brought about by Western consumerism while bringing people together to drink and learn about coffee.

Please try and register for this event (so sufficient amounts of coffee are provided) by emailing columbuscoffeereview AT gmail DOT com.

Your hosts:
Bronwyn: formerly of Peet's and Ancient Grounds (Seattle)
Damion: Cup O' Joe, coffee enthusiast
(Note: like at the beginning of DVD's, the views and commentaries expressed herein do not represent those of COJ, Peet's, or anyone else but Bronwyn and Damion.)

http://www.sporeprint.info