phaelon56

And you would have been correct. Having in the past dated several different women who were quite enthused about OG (yes it is a tragic fact well known here in the world of eGullet) I've been exposed to it on numerous occasions. And I have yet to ever try a single entree I coudl safely recommend to any reasonably discerning diner. But I've eaten at both Carraba's and Macaroni Grill and had decent enoughh meals at both.

Thanks for the update Curlz. I don't recall ever trying Kefta and will make it a point to do so in the future. If you should happen to Makeda or perhaps visit some other Ethiopian restaurant in the future be sure to find out if they offer the Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony (typicallly done just for groups of four or more people). It's a wonderful traditon and the coffee is predictably excellent. I'll also suggest, should they have this item on the menu, that you try Crispy Fish. Queen of Sheba on 9th Ave in NYC offers it and it's my favorite Ethiopian dish. It has a tantalizing mix of spices that's tough to identify, is served whole with head on, and has a beautifully crisp skin with moist flaky flesh underneath.

My experience is like that of IML. It varies in usage wherever I travel in the US and doesn't necessarily stick to any rule. But I find myself saying "coffee" rather than "a coffee" 75% of the time. This is a wild guess.... but it seems that "coffee" is often used when there's a group context and "a coffee" when it's a single person consuming. e.g. "Let's go for coffee"... or a question to a group of guests "Would you all like coffee?" in contrast I might say to an office colleague - "I think I'll go out for a coffee - would you like me to bring one back for you" or to a guest in my home who has just arrived - "Would you like a coffee?"

Your comments mirror those I've heard from others who also went there sober and in the light of day. That feedback dates from about three years ago if I recall correctly - sounds as though not much has changed.

Now that's funny I get to NJ only on occasion these days (typically only when I'm driving down to the city for a visit). I've seen no one making comparisons to other places in NYC but it sounds as though the overall quality and consistency of the meats is better than Dinosaur, R.U.B. and Blue Smoke. Is my surmise correct for those of you who've tried all these places?

When I read this statement.... I saw a list of all the things that typically contribute to espresso that is below average in quality or average at very best. Not trying to be argumentative here and I'll have to try their shots to offer an accurate assessment but all the best espresso I've ever had in North America comes from places that * use beans no more than 14 days past roast date - not Illy, Danesi, Lavazza et al which are almost certain to be older than that * grind every shot to order * click however many times it takes to get the right dose in the basket * use a separate hand tamper with 25 - 35 lbs of pressure * offer only double shots made with either a double or a "triple" basket and most often these are ristretto shots * wipe the basket clean of spent grounds after every shot before dosing for the next one I agree and acknowledge that the World Barista Championships are dominated by Scandinavians but having that ancestry or cultural lineage is not enough. Are you saying that they use the fairly fast and loose techniques you desribed yet are somehow producing espresso of a quality akin to that which would satisfy the stringent requirements of a WBC caliber barista or a WBC judge?

I don't question that they're nice guys and good milk texturing is hard to find in any city - especially NY. But Casa @ Cupcake Cafe serves far better espresso made with much greater attention to detail thjan what you describe. And they're well north of 13th at 40th and 9th. But that is a good spot to know for time when I'm in that part of the city - I don't recall ever seeing many options near there other than *bucks.

There is presently one cafe in NYC using Intelligentsia's beans: Blue Spoon at 76 Chambers Street in lower Manhattan. But I've heard reports that Intelligentsia has plans to open a retail location of their own in NYC. Nothing more tangible than that at the moment - just reports. There is also someone very notable from the Seattle Coffee scene (one of the guys formerly part of Hine Coffee) who is supposed to be launching an operation in Philadelphia. This is all good news - very good news.

I have not tried McDonald's new "premium" coffee but am told that they add the cream and sugar for you at the counter when you order it - a la DD. If that ain't a direct attempt to copy a unique business practice then I've never seen one. It's okay with me because the more heavily the big corporations push flavored swill... the greater the potential market is for gaining converts to truly quality specialty coffee from independent operators.

Might it possibly be a reference to the color typical of "peachblow glass"? Described as being Peachblow Glass and Ceramics

Good gosh Nick... can't a coffee magnate like you just spring for a Clover 1 and make her really happy? But thanks for that link - those are really good prices on the Fetco's.

More info on how the Clover works can be seen here - scroll down the linked page to the January 27, 2006 entry by Andy Schecter to seee the illustrated explanation of how the Clover does what it does. How the Clover works Pressure at sea level is 1.0325 bars. I find it quite interesting that as small a change as going to 0.8 bars would have a distinct impact on the quality of the coffee.

I linked the referenced page to a Gooogle language translation service. The Japanese to English version is in beta and is still rather primitive but I did glean some information that was of interest. If you're trying to detemrine whether other manufacturers or coffee technologists are studying coffee brewing under pressure but under less pressure an espresso machine uses I suggest looking at the new machine offered by the Coffee Equipment Company of Seattle WA The Clover 1 Coffee Machine It uses both steeping by immersion and also vacuum pressure to achieve excellent extraction in very short times and produces coffee by the single cup. I missed my oppiortunity to see a Clover demo in my area this past January as I was out on travel. But I look forward to checking one out when I next visit Portland OR or Vancouver WA.

Delmonico's is operated by the same group that has Delmonico's Italian Steakhouse in Syracuse and I don't recommend it. They actually have a prettty decent red sauce and the pasta is often cooked properly al dente but they tend to overbook, are very crowded and the steak ranges from mediocre to downright bad. But Syracuse, being much like Albany, seems to have plenty of folks who keep lining up for more - it's always busy. Here's another way to look at it: if your house special is a 24 oz "Delmonico" steak that sells for $14.95 what the heck is that cut of meat you're actually serving?

I've yet to have the pleasure of trying Intelligentsia's coffee but they do have a fine reputation. Look for them in NYC in the not-too-distant-future! As for DD - I'm convinced that they just don't brew their coffee as strong at their stores anymore. I've had DD coffee with a few friends who buy it in a DD store and brew it at home using an appropriate coffee to water ratio. It's far too mild and bland a flavor profile for my personal taste but at least when my friends brew it there's none of that tepid diluted watery characteristic that the DD store coffee seems to have. But it might be an issue only in some locations - I've tried it in only a few of their stores in recent years.

I heartily recommend preheating the cup. But the "hotness" in consideration here refers to brew temperature of the water rather than the temperature in the cup. Preheating the cup is a great idea but if the espresso machine brews at too low or too high a temperature it's a problem - even if the cup is preheated. Home espresso machines that use thermoblock heating devices (rather than a boiler) will tend to deliver a fairly consistent brew temperature but it may be a bit on the low side. Boiler based machines without an HX (heat exchanger) feature have an inherent shortcoming although it can be overcome. producing adequate steam pressure for steaming milk requires a high temperature - somwhere just over 212 F. But brewing, which draws its water from the same boiler, requires a lower temp (roughly 190 - 203 F is common). Thus the "temperature surfing" procedure. By drawing some water off the boiler that is quickly replenished with incoming cold water and then pulling a shot before the water gets back up to a high temp, the user can typically get within acceptable brew temp range or very close to it. HX machines allow steaming while brewing or immediately after brewing but they also require a bit of trickery for best results. The HX heat exchanger systems utilizes copper tubes for the incoming water that route the tubes through the steam boiler so the tubing is surrounded and heated by the hot boiler water. But if the HX machine has been sitting idle for more than 10 minutes or so the standing water in that tube is too hot - much closer to the 212 or higher internal temp of the steam boiler. On these machines the user typically pulls a "cooling shot" by drawing off water through an empty portafilter before pulling a real shot. Once again - this allows cool water to enter the heat exchanger system and be warmed to approximately the right temperature for optimal brewing.

200 to 203 F is the optimal brew temp for most espresso blends. Really! Do the foam cup test and you'll most likely be startled by the results. Gaggia makes some good machines for the money but consumer espresso machines in general have notoriously wide temperature swings. Most folks learn either intuitively by trial and error or through research and practice that "temp surfing" of the type you describe can get them close to an acceptable range. As a very broadly stated rule you can generally expect bitterness if the brew temp is too high and sourness of it's too low (there are other factors that can cause these taste artifacts but improper brew temp is oftyen the culprit).

From a purely chemical standpoint, I don't see how it would lose any caffeine. The taste difference is probably due to the fact that freshly-brewed esppresso is chick full of volatile flavor and aroma compounds. "Volatile" in this case means "don't last for long, so drink it quickly before they go away." ← I've experimented with frozen blended iced coffee drinks made with espresso, with extra strong coffee and also with a combination of the two. The combination seeems to be the best but just making extra strong hot coffee also works well in the frozen blended drinks. The addition of ice and sweeteners really creates a need for extra flavor kick. "slkinsey" is on the money about the subtlety of espresso when it comes to frozen blended drinks - I think it's a waste in that context. It will shock some of you to hear this but my best results in home brewed frappuccino style drinks resulted from using extra strong brewed coffee and then tossing about two heaping teaspoons of Medaglia D'oro "instant espresso" powder into the coffee to dissolve, prior to adding milk and ice.

There's a new Kosher Chinese cookbook released just this past fall. I'm aware only because the author, Don Siegel, is a prof at the local university and got plenty of good press coverage recently. I think it's worth looking into.... From Lokshen to Lo Mein: The Jewish Love Affair With Chinese Food.

Optimal brew temp for espresso is actually in the 199 to 203 F range depending on the blend in use. But you're unlikely to find a consumer machine in that price range which brews that hot. Runnigg a blank shot helps warm things up but be sure you leave the portafilter handle in the brewgroup at all times when warming up the machine and let it warm up for at least 15 - 20 minutes before you start pulling shots. That might help. To get a better assessment of actual brew temp do the "foam cup test". Cut a styrofoam cup short and stick a digital instant read kitchen thermometer through the side. Hodl it with a towel so you won't get burned by stray water and pull a shot into the cup whilst holding it up against the brew group. . If you get a reading of about 190 F or higher thean I'll speculate that your machine is running correctly for its type.

Are you referring to Itelligentsia? They have a very solid reputation nationally in the specialty coffee community. Their actual blend of beans is on the light and relatively neutral side - it's not robust nor is it full of distinct or interesting flavor notes. But I'm also fo the opinion that they don't brew it as strongly as they did years ago and that's why it tastes so weak. More water + less coffee = more profit Most of the people I know who like DD coffee love their coffee light and sweet with no strong coffee flavor. DD fits the bill on those counts. When I'm being charitable I just call it smoky (couldn't resist the pun). But yes - it's not just burnt tasting - it's burnt.

I have yet to try squirrel but will do so when the opportunity arises. In the course of discussing fried squirrel with a friend recently (she grew up in Central Florida farm country and squirrel was a regular menu item) she mentioned something interesting. One of her relatives insists that there's a qualitative difference between the meat from wild squirrels vs those that have spent their lives very close to populated areas (and therefore presumably accessing different food sources and a different diet). I can easily understand why a free range chicken might taste better than a factory bird but country squirrel vs. city squirrel? Is someone pulling her leg or might there be some truth to the assertion?

To some extent price is the only real drawback but there are a few other considerations. The appropriate models will be airpot brewers that are too tall to fit under kitchen cabinets, they take up more space depth wise than a Technivorm or other drip brewer and they usually require a water line. Typically they are designed to brew either 2.2 liter or 3 liter airpots although in some cases they can be configured to brew a half batch. If you're looking for flexibility in brew batch size they are not a good choice. I use a small Melittta pour-over filter cone at home and consider that coffee to have an edge over a Fetco in overall quality. But I use Fetco brewers in the cafe where I work and they're a great machine for both volume and consistency. IMHO you will get better coffee from a Fetco than from any consumer auto-drip maker. But if by chance you have $7500 (not a typo) burning a hole in your pocket you really should consider a Clover HINT: they make great gifts and your favorite eGullet Coffee & Tea Forum Host would love to have one under his tree next Christmas (I'll actually put up a tree for a change if there's going to be a Clover under it!)

The standard "coffee scoop" is usually the same as the SCAA (Specialty Coffee Association of America standard measure. Two tbsp or if the scoop is more or less leveled off - about 7 grams of coffee. That amount of coffee is generally considered appropriate for 5 to 6 oz of water depending on taste and brewing method. Some use more coffee to make it stronger on general principles and others add more coffee based on brewing method - e.g. vacuum pot and press pot usually require more coffee per oz of water. But it's always just a starting point - especially with a new brewing method. You'll have to experiment and drink the results. Not such a bad thing.

I have no personal experience with that brand but in short - you're buying a superauto espresso machine and paying a high premium for the built-in" aspect of it. The pros and cons of building in such a device have been discussed to some extent in this thread Home Builder, Thinking of Coffeee Bar Upgrade Superauto espress machines in general have limitations. For the $2K you're looking at for the Miele plus the cost of building it in... you could get an excellent "pro-sumer" espresso machine and a top shelf grinder. Such an outfit will deliver far better results than an superauto could - even the $5,000 units. But that assumes one has an interest in learning the proper use, process and techniques. If you'd be using the Miele to make Americano style beverages (an espresso with hot water added) it would make more sense to instead get a high quality pod machine like a Keurig or a Bunn and stick it in an appliance garage. The reasons you can't find any reviews of the Miele product include the fact that their espresso / coffeee equipment is not widely sold in the US and also that serious espresso enthusiasts would not consider using a built-in. If you do look for a super-auto unit in the $1,000 to $2,000 price range I think Jura might be a good place to start (and finish for that matter).