Monday, March 18, 2024

Café chez Téta







Café Chez Téta

By:Gina Gangemi
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

https://th.bing.com/th/id/R.3499ea0fc
11db38335e2f1b2f77c14b0?rik=n1U
yOrot5JecLg&pid=ImgRaw&r=0

Initially, when I was choosing a cafe to try out in Montreal I chose Cafe Replika however, when I got there they had stopped selling food because they were about to transition into lunch. However, the nice man at the counter recommended the Lebanese cafe diagonally across the street. Café Chez Téta has a warm classic logo on the sign outside yet when you walk in it is completely modernized while still fostering a warm welcoming ambiance.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The inside of the cafe was bright and simplistic. The menus were in French but they had a QR Code you could scan at the bottom to get it in English which was a courteous touch.I chose to get a simple French

vanilla Latte with light cream and sugar and the

presentation was beautiful. When I tasted it,

cream and sugar aside it reminded me of the

original photo

                                                            Yemen Coffee we first tried, it was smooth and                                                                 had almost a caramel, mocha taste.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Dinning Area
https://secureservercdn.net/198.71.233.203/331.4bf.myft
pupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/IMG_5400-
1229x1536.jpg
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Walking into the cafe, I was greeted by kind and welcoming waitresses who explained to me and my sister how to order and where we could seat ourselves. She also told us where the water station was which was very visually appealing and just added to the welcoming atmosphere. The food I've tried thus far was the Brownie Halva, Poulet & Fromage(Chicken and Cheese).

The Water Station
https://th.bing.com/th/id/OIP.If44rkSgd6oXwDmPExIAVgHaFk?rs=
1&pid=ImgDetMain


https://th.bing.com/th/id/R.5bcfc8f9c8718c6591a091bc672b6e0c?rik=LMvTka
NwMJjhwA&pid=ImgRaw&r=0

                                                                         

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

On my way out of the cafe, I asked the hostess if she happened to know where the coffee came from. She said showed me the bags that they sell and they buy from 3 different places, a Columbia, Honduras, Brazil, and a small brewer in Montreal all of which are marked as "transparent trade". She went on to explain to me how close she is to the family that runs the restaurant and she explained to me that they sit down multiple times a month and try an assortment of coffees and when they like a particular one they put it on the shelf and see how it does. It is a way of keeping that tradition in their family. Its a bonding experience and the restaurant's mission statement is “To provide Montrealers with a typical Lebanese culinary experience derived from ancestral village practices by allowing them to travel through the flavors and ingredients of the culture.” Doing further research on their website I found their story and their inspiration for the restaurant. The founder states “After several years working in the restaurant and hotel industry in Montreal, the desire to have a project of our own began to take up a lot of space. An idea was born: to open an establishment offering third-wave coffees with a Lebanese touch inspired by our culture. My Lebanese grandmother's cooking has always been a source of comfort. The word Teta means "grandmother" in Lebanese.


The name of our café honors the childhood memories associated with my grandmother's warm and friendly welcome.”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The founder credits the family as a whole
rather than placing his specific name on the website credited to owning the cafe because it is a group effort to keep their Lebanese culture alive in honor of their “Jadda”(juh-duh).

(PS. All coffee is marked as transparent trade. :)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Proximity to the nearest Dunkin:
7.1 miles








Tuesday, August 15, 2023

Casa Monsenhor - Manaus

A Coffee Maven Review

This review of a café in the middle of the Amazon needs some context. First of all, most people in the Amazon live in urban areas -- this was the subject of my 1998 dissertation -- so we were in the middle of the rain forest but also in the middle of a city of over 2 million people. Manaus, in fact, is bigger than Phoenix and just a bit smaller than Houston, so it would be the fifth-largest city in the U.S. if it were here rather than in Brazil.

In fact, this café is so much in the center of a city that the proprietors include this fabulous map on the contact page of its website. Note that it indicates major landmarks -- such as the world-famous opera house -- along with its location inside a hotel and the directions of one-way streets nearby. This is probably the best café map I have seen. 

And since there is no familiar coffee chain in the city or the airport, the nearest Dunks or Starbucks is probably at least 500 miles from here. (Someone feel free to correct me -- this is a bit of information we usually include on GeoCafes maps.

It is in Brazil, though, and the relevant context here is about Brazilian coffee. It is consistently the world's largest producer and exporter, often supplying more than one quarter of all the coffee in the world. And as Sinatra sang, they drink an awful lot of coffee in Brazil. In fact, I have had coffee for free while standing online to buy coffee, while buying groceries, or while waiting for a bus. I consider it a utility 

Quantity is not the same thing as quality, of course. Brazil has a growing but still quite small number of producers in the specialty segment; in my experience, specialty cafés are even rarer than specialty producers, as the Brazil Specialty Coffee Association is focused on improving coffees from a few small zones with the appropriate soils and climate, rather than on domestic market development. When asked about Brazilian coffee in a media interview earlier in my visit, I replied that I come to Brazil with very different coffee expectations, and I do.

My first attempt to capture the decor in a photo was this
ill-advised selfie, with the tropical sun flooding in behind
me. Side note: for me every day in the Amazon is a bad hair day.

This glimpse gives a better idea of the visual landscape of the café. These 
baskets hung throughout, with many silk flowers and a few LED icicles --
we struggled to find a word for these, unknown in the Amazon for a million years.


As with cafés everywhere, wait staff are often pressed into service as photographers.
Here we are demonstrating the "third space" use of a café -- a place that is 
neither work nor home, but good for conversation -- in this case an international one
among four people from three countries.
And this shows off the café decor better than my initial photo does. 

Colorful chalkboards updated by staff are de rigueur for trendy cafés, wherever they might be.
I took this photo because I noted one English word ("ice") among the Portuguese, Italian, and
Starbucks words. I then explained "frappe" to my Brazilian and Peruvian companions.

The café menu was pink and included a frozen-drink section. I noticed a
Barbie strawberry frappe -- presumably in homage to the movie that was opening
around the time of our visit (which I watched the day after I returned).

Lagniappe

Something we discuss often with our adult son is that it is great to include museums in any kind of outing with friends -- we are glad that our son embraces learning in this way and that most of his friends agree.

Our visit to this Casa Monsenhor was occasioned by just such an impulse. I was in Brazil with an old friend, for a journey by river that was to end in Manaus. He suggested that while there, we should meet with a former student of hers and her sister. Not knowing the city well, he asked them to suggest where to meet, and we had a marvelous tour at the Museum of the City of Manaus (also known as the Liberty Palace Museum -- see photos from our visit). We were very fortunate that both of Miguel's friends know a lot about the city, and that one of them had taken an architecture class in the museum. 

The good news -- from a Coffee Maven point of view -- is that Alo K-Fe is an artsy and interesting café located just next door to that museum, and that its doors were open when we arrived at the museum. It was, however, after closing time: hence our exploration for another option. We circled much of the downtown before arriving ad Café Monsenhor -- less artsy but certainly a comfortable spot for a chat. I include a more direct map from the one to the other, in lieu of my usually-required map of nearby chain cafés. If I ever find myself in Manaus again, I will make a point of visiting both. 

Tuesday, July 18, 2023

Café Tipping

Barista Dylan Schenker
(photo credit: same)

As a growing number of retailers provide the ability -- and increasingly a bit of pressure -- to tip employees, resistance -- verging on outrage -- is growing. 

I have been hearing the frustration and even feeling it myself sometimes, as the option/expectation is emerging in unexpected places. My completely uncorroborated theory is that one factor has been the increase in contactless (or limited contact) devices at points of sale. I can envision one of those little flippy iPad screens being installed on a counter and the store manager saying, "Sure, why not?" when told that a tip prompt could be included. Maybe this never happened -- my only basis for thinking it did is that I have seen a lot more of these devices post-plague than I did before. 

In her story "Got tipping rage? This barista reveals what it's like to be behind the tip screen," NPR journalist Tracey Vanek Smith offers more reasons for the shift in tipping expectations. More importantly, she provides important insights into the growing frustrations on both sides of the transaction. This has everything to do with inflation generally and the pressures on businesses to pretend it does not exist. These are essential insights in the study of post-covid cafés, especially the independent ones that are the focus of this blog.

Finally, through her discussion with barista Dylan Schenker, listeners learn a bit about the challenges and triumphs of the profession.

Monday, May 1, 2023

Mykonos Café and Bakery

 

Mykonos Café and Bakery

49 Elm St, Millbury, MA 01527

 
     

Hours of Operation:
Thursday7 AM–6 PM
Friday7 AM–6 PM
Saturday7 AM–6 PM
Sunday7 AM–3 PM
Monday7 AM–2 PM
Tuesday7 AM–2 PM
Wednesday7 AM–6 PM
    
I have been going to Mykonos Café and Bakery for the past two years with my family and it's the perfect place to enjoy time with others or by yourself. The large seating area creates a welcoming environment that you won't want to leave! Booths, comfy chairs, and tables are found all throughout the café. I love coming here to do homework, and the hospitality of the owners just makes that all the more enjoyable. 


The coffee is decent, and they utilize a local roaster that operates out of Upton, MA called Red Barn. The cold brew is a highlight drink if you're a coffee drinker, but they also offer teas and local bottled milk. There's not a lot of information out there on how Red Barn sources their coffee, so you'd probably have to ask the roasters themselves to find out. 





While the coffee isn't bad, the real highlight of Mykonos is their baked goods. Offering a variety of Greek, American, and other European desserts, the choices feel endless. All the desserts are made fresh by the bakery and are reasonably priced for how delicious they are. 


The atmosphere, sweets, and amazing hospitality truly make Mykonos a special place to get a cup of coffee. I would and have recommended Mykonos to my friends and family, and you should definitely stop by too!

Proximity to a Dunkin' Donuts


Mykonos is about a 3 minute drive or a 5 minute walk to the closest Dunkin'.


Thursday, April 27, 2023

Prime Roast Coffee Company

 Prime Roast Coffee Company

16 Main Street, Keene, NH 03431

primeroastcoffee.com

(603) 352-7874




Business Hours:

Mon-Fri 7am-3pm

Saturday 8am-3pm

Sunday Closed
   

Prime Roast Coffee Company is located right in downtown Keene NH. It is a busy atmosphere, where most people take their coffee to-go. However, there are a few tables with chairs you can sit at. There were a lot of dark colors inside, and bright lighting creating a very cool, unique atmosphere. The staff was very helpful and friendly.




They have all different kinds of coffee that is labeled from where it is (such as: Guatemalan, Mexican, Columbian, etc.) They offer different kinds of coffee beverages, at different kinds of roast levels. There is also a super cool wall on the opposite side of where you order with a multitude of different kinds of syrups. I got and iced caramel coffee, and I really enjoyed it. There are also different food options you can get, that change day to day. The hot 'regular' coffee is self-serve. 


Prime Roast has their own roastery located at 660 Marlboro Road, Keene, NH 03431. The building used was built in the 1840s. 





The closest Dunkin' is 5 minutes away. There is also one sourced at 6 minutes away, and 2 more sourced at 7 minutes away.
















Vacuum Press

 A Coffee Maven Brew-At-Home Moment

This semester I was pleased to be able to conclude our Secret Life of Coffee Honors Seminar by hosting class at Cloverfield, a.k.a. Casa Hayes-Boh, a.k.a. our house very close to campus at 41º75’07” N 70º58’31” W. 

This allowed us to share old-house stories, Latin American art, and most especially a few coffee tricks that are a bit difficult to try at school. Having been thwarted in various, nearly successful efforts to install a roaster on campus, I roast most of the coffee for this class -- and all of my classes -- in a 1-pound countertop Behmor drum roaster. 

Before demonstrating that process, however, I dusted off my vacuum press. It is a crazy-looking contraption, slightly scary to use. But it makes remarkably smooth coffee. Here is a Bodum company demo -- note the preparer's fearless use of long-sleeved, white clothing. I use my vacuum pot so infrequently that I reviewed this video before the students arrived.

They had seen a similar pot in use -- improperly -- in the inadvertently hilarious 1961 video This is Coffee, in which the coffee boils vigorously and dangerously for far too long and is stirred with a metal spoon. 

Those who have seen the Coffee Maven in his natural habitat will not be surprised that I neither measured nor stirred the coffee yesterday. Usually I do stir with a wooden chopstick though, as I did both times that I used the pot today.  

Thankfully, one of my students took a couple of candid videos of my efforts yesterday -- these are not scripted as instructional, but you can notice a couple details here that you might not see in the Bodum video.

Part 1 (video by Anna Dykhof):

Part 2 (video by Anna Dykhof):  

My main motivation for creating this blog post was to share some photos I made during the visit, because of another omission during the brewing process. I forgot to show the students what the filter in this device looks like. In fact, it does not look like a filter at all. I am amazed that it works and even more amazed that someone even thought of this as an option. It is a little bit difficult to describe, but these three photos provide some idea.

First, the overview. This is a plastic disk at one end of a chain with a small spring at the other end. The idea is that the spring holds the disk snugly against the bottom of the "upstairs" part of the brewing vessel.


A close-up of the disk shows that the bottom has a series of very small grooves:


This disk rests against the smooth neck of the brewer. In this photo, I moved the heavy rubber ring down a bit so that the glass can be discerned:


These grooves allow coffee to be drawn down through the neck of the vessel without bringing any grounds at all with it -- as long as a suitable coarse grind has been selected (as it has). Not only does this work, but it does create a very effective filtration and creates a coffee that is full-bodied and smooth. I made a couple pots worth on the day after our class visit.

Roasting 

And now, the aforementioned roasting. 

We began with 15.9 ounces of green coffee -- right at the capacity of the Behmor and measuring about 2.5 cups by volume. 

I placed the coffee in the Behmor's basket. It could hold a lot more of course, but filling the capacity is only about 20 percent of the volume of the basket, because airflow is key to safe and even roasting.

We roasted for about 18 minutes, which is the default setting for one pound of coffee. At about that time, we got very quiet, so that we could listen for the sound of the coffee cracking as the roast completed and the beans expanded. This is a bit difficult to hear, but an important way to time a roast. One the crack was underway, we switched to the cooling cycle and the coffee continued to tumble in flowing air for another 12 minutes.

The result: 13.5 ounces of coffee (as moisture was driven off during the process) measuring almost 4 cups (as those beans had expanded). The whitish lines on many beans are sugars that are visible at this roast level.

Roasting/brewing/tasting some fine coffees left us all smiling!


BONUS: Tasting-event photos

Prior to the roasting/brewing demonstration at Casa Hayes-Boh (aka Cloverfield), our penultimate class meeting was a small but impactful variation on the end-of-course tasting event that has been the culminating event in this class since I started offering it in 2007.

I took a couple of photos from a distance. 



Jennifer MacCallum of our Honors Program took better photos up close. Thanks for sharing these, Jen!

Where does coffee come from? A lot of places, including
some that are likely to be surprising. We spent
a lot of the semester talking about differences and
similarities among coffeelands.

Coffee can be brewed in many ways, each with its own
appropriate grind level (coarseness/fineness).

A bit more detail on the grind options.


In this course, we always discuss the various ways that coffee
can be processed before it is exported. This semester's class was 
fascinated by the effect this has on flavor and made that a major
part of their research.


This was a small but motivated group who spent all semester
using geography to learn about coffee and coffee to learn about 
geography. (Not shown: one student whose contribution was
an interactive presentation on a laptop.)














Sunday, April 23, 2023

Empire Tea and Coffee

 Empire Tea and Coffee


  251 Thames St, Bristol, RI 02809


Business Hours:

Sunday: 6am - 4pm
Monday: 6am - 4pm
Tuesday: 6am - 4pm
Wednesday: 6pm - 4pm
Thursday: 6am - 4pm
Friday: 6am - 4pm
Saturday: 6am - 4pm

Empire Tea and Coffee is a small cafe, located right on the water in Bristol, Rhode Island. It has a main "bar" area where you can order lunch, snacks, and drinks (even boba!), a table in the back with cream, milk, and sugars, and a row of small booths, each fitting two people. 



The booths have 2 seats each and are elevated off the ground, attached to the wall and are a good 1 person wide. I thought they were very cute! Because of the small space and seating availability, Empire Tea and Coffee seems to be more of a "grab and go" style of coffee shop, although, if available, the booths looked perfect for studying!


The baristas at Empire were very kind and when I asked them about the coffee they served, they answered all my questions without hesitation and gave me all the information I needed without the need to ask follow up questions! This Empire location is a branch of the main location, which is located at 22 Broadway St in Newport. Their coffee is single origin (although they didn't say where it was from), and was roasted at their own roastery, which is part of their original Newport location. I also found out that their roastery had tours available! 

The closest Dunkin was 5 minutes away:

When I went, I ordered a cup of their medium Paradise blend. Mind you, I went at around 1pm, however the coffee was delicious, you would think the later in the day you go, the less fresh the coffee was, but regardless, it was really good coffee. My girlfriend, Kaelyn, went in with me and got iced tea with raspberry popping boba, and said it was some of the best boba she had ever had! 


I would definitely recommend dropping by Empire Tea and Coffee if you're ever in Bristol, its quick, cheap, and very tasty!