phaelon56

. Now if the mac'n'cheese is any good, my guy will be in heaven. ← The mac 'n cheese is way better than the average restaurant or diner serves, the cornbread and biscuits are very good and the fried chicken, as others have pointed out, is outstanding. I've had fried chicken there a couple dozen times and only once was it less than exceptional (but two other people at the table had it and theirs was fine - it was obviously just a fluke). Skip the Jambalaya, gumbo etc. Stick with the chicken and the sides. I really like their cranberry coleslaw also. The collard greens are interesting - a bit on the sweet side with some extra seasoning that I couldn't identify. Not really my favored style for collards but for restaurant collards they weren't bad. By the way.... Uncommon Grounds on Broadway does an excellent job with cappuccino's, latte's and coffee (at least they did when I tried them this past summer).

Here's one report from illustrious eGulleteer JPW Mr & Mrs. JPW visit Chez Sophie on Jazz Fest weekend "Docsconz" - one of my fellow NY forum hosts, lives in that general area and speaks highly of Chez Sophie. He says it's very good, very consistent and worth a visit. By the way... if you're looking for a casual lunch or dinner at some point during the wekeend, the wood fired pizza at Bruno's (across from the race track) is very good.

What Nero said. I actually didn't really drink in high school until I was of legal age but there was that "other" breath and lingering odor to worry about. We typically munched out at IHOP, a diner or a local pizza shop after indulging and it was never an issue.

Charlotte needs Wegmans. I've been to Bloom, Food Lion, Winn-Dixie, Bi-Lo and even "Harry Teeter" (my GF's misnomer for Harris-Teeter but I kinda like it). I should try to be polite but on this point I won't - they suck! Just curious... is there a traditonal Italian market in or near Charlotte? We tried ot visit the one in Matthews recently but they're now closed.

Looks interesting enough but it appears that they're a wholesale supplier of green beans for roasters. The place that really interests me because of their approach to quality coffee and their involvement in / promoting of the single origin varietal is Terroir Coffee Their sample roaster Peter has invited me to visit and participate in a cupping but my schedule won't allow it for another month or so. The approach that they have to establishing direct relationships with growers and creating incentives for higher quality beans is exciting and encouraging. Many of us who are either aficionados or actually in the business see huge potential in the "terroir" concept as it can be applied relative to coffee (I speak generically of the terroir concept as it applies to wine and also coffee - not of the company by name). We have many miles to go and years before it will even begin to touch on its potential but the prospect of greater variety and much higher quality coffees awaits us.

Signage - this is on Coroplast board and was intended to be temporary until we got the big blackboard up but the owner really likes this and may get permanent signage using the same font. This doesn't really look like the P22 Roycroft influenced face that Type Foundry has nor does it closely resemble the Chelsea that Scriptorium has. Any idea what it is? Letters Numbers Proposed exterior signage (font now updated to match the above font) The front of the building is not really green - it's a cinder block structure painted with the referenced Pantone purple on the sides and has a limestone facing on the front (small natural/rough cut pieces comprise the facade). It's a trifle undistinguished but pleasant enough on the exterior.

I haven't weighed in on this thread lately but my cooking has been rather pedestrian and minimal - on many occasions I've been eating bagged salad greens and grocery store rotisserie chicken (even ramen noodles!). It's the 14 - 16 hour days that are interfering with my routine but that's only for the next year or so I did take advantage of an unseasonably day last weekend and smoked some ribs on my trusty little electric cmoker. Purists will be aghast and insist that only lump charcoal or wood can really deliver but these ribs rock. They were truly spectacular. Kansas City style prepped spareribs dry, rubbed with Montreal Steak Seasoning (I've tried so many brand and even my own mixes but keep coming back to the Montreal product) and left in the fridge for 24 hours before smoking. We had collard greens with smoked turkey as sides and I don't recall what else because the ribs were so good I was in a daze (not to mention that my GF is so charming I often lose track of what we cooked and ate when she's visiting)

I'll try to snap a pic or two tonight when I do the water filter install for the Fetco coffee brewer. The font was quite a revelation to those of us who saw it and have an appreciation for such things (from an amateur's aesthetic standpoint). It may be old hat for you but it's totally appropriate given the decor and I have yet to see anyone else in the area using it. It doesn't look like any of the other Arts and Crafts influenced fonts I've seen including a few of the older ones that were used for display signage (I have a couple fairly old paperback books of showcard lettering and fonts for outdoor signage - always fascinating to browse through).

What's a grocery list? I live alone and routinely cook just for myself. An increasingly busy schedule has cut into cooking time even further in recent months. I think the only time I ever make a list is when I'm cooking a specific recipe for a dinner guest or guests. On those occasions I even use a regular shopping cart at the store instead of the little plastic handbasket. I should be ashamed but I'm not

Although I've begun visiting Charlotte intermittently and plan to relocate there in late 2005 / early 2006, I've done very little food exploration. That's mostly been due to limited time and limited budget (when I'm spending $200 - $300 airfare to visit for a three day weekend it cuts into the dining out budget). Relative to the NYC area where I lived from 1999 - 2003 Charlotte has a paucity of offerings. Now that I'm back in Syracuse (central NY state) I have a different reference point. Syracuse is predominately mid to lower middle class rather than upper middle class but like Charlotte is culinarily conservative and family oriented. Charlotte's abundance of discretionary income and rapidly growing ethnic communities seem to be driving more rapid development of good options but it seems that local folks are a bit less adventurous than people of similar social class are here in the northeast. I went to a "neighborhood" Christmas party last winter in my GF's upscale suburban development and saw cheese and crackers, mac 'n cheese and pulled pork being gobbled up while more intriguing/less traditional offerings were barely touched. That's not to say that change isn't starting to occur. I have a sense, perhaps unfounded but still a strong intuition, that much of the Charlotte community wants to become a bit more worldly and more adventurous. It will take some bold restaurateurs, who have established trust on the part of their regular clientele, to push this change forward but I think it will happen. Friends in the Northeast ,who think that little of interest (food-wise) other than BBQ occurs outside major metro areas, are dumbfounded when I tell them that Charlotte has four operations in Charlotte (a store, two market cafe's and a wine store). That fact alone portends a favorable change. I also have to think that the presence of the new Johnson and Wales campus will eventually result in some talented and innovative young chef's appearing on the scene and eventually opening their own places (this will take a few years). The geographic sprawl of the area still presents challenges for those wishing to pop out for a quick meal. My GF lives out in the University Park area, which is dominated by chain restaurants (although we have had some terrific brunch/lunch meals at Lava Bistro in University Commons). To reach some of the more interesting upscale eateries in areas such as Dilworth or to get to most of the ethnic offerings, requires a 30 - 40 minute drive. That can be a challenge when one wants just "step out for dinner". We'll quite likely relocate once I'm settled in there... perhaps to the Elizabeth or Plaza-Midwood area, but the bulk of the population growth in Charlotte is occurring around the periphery and chains continue to appear along with these new neighborhoods.

I cetainly hope the appeal will give any eGulleteers who may pass through the area a good excuse to linger for a coffee or an espresso A quick initial overview of Gustav Stickley and the Arts & Crafts Movement Lots of good info there. In response to the smoking question.... NY state enacted a law nearly two years ago that prohibits smoking in all public places including shopping malls, restaurants, bars (taverns) and coffeehouses. There are a few exceptions such as "cigar bars" and some bars have heated outdoor smoking areas but cigarette smoke and odors in dining and drinks establishments are now just a distant memory. I've become so accustomed to the change that it's a bit startling to visit other states where smoking is still the norm in public places. The cafe owner in this case is already very health conscious and used to onw a small chain of natural food/produce stores in Anchorage Alaska. Even if it were not the law she would not allow smoking in the indoor areas.

I think you're very close to success. The beans still look slightly under-roasted. Did you listen for the cracking sounds of first crack and second crack? Roasting time could be anywhere from 10 to 16 minutes and still deliver pleasing results but if you don't reach at least the completion of the first crack stage or better yet get to the start of second crack... you'll be under-roasting. If the beans taste flat and perhaps almost on the grassy side it means they still weren't roasted to the right stage. You may need to increase the heat just a small bit.

24-hour diners! ←

Artwork will be added as we progress and there will initally be temporary signage rather than a blackboard for pricing (we have a blackboard at our main location for pricing). The font and the overall aesthetic of the temporary signage is actually so striking that there is now discussion of using that as the permanent signage and also changing the outdoor building signage (which has not been created yet) to match. The font, one which I have not seen previously, is Ats & Crafts influenced and really cool. really. Music - stereo system being installed today - probably one with a 50 disc CD changer like the other place. We typically leave the radio on to NPR until about 9 or 10 AM and the barista's get to pick music for the rest of the day. The owner prefers "non-intrusive" music of the singer/songwriter mellow rock and world music genre. The barista's will play stuff that's a bit more edgy but try to change discs quick if the owner is spotted walking in the door Looks like I may have to get some of those funkly little half glasses for reading or a pair of transitional bi-focals. I di my first morning shift today and was shocked to discover that I had issues reading the fine print without taking my glasses (I usually just leave them off all day at work when I read or use the computer). I am not... repeat... not... getting old. It's just that my vision is not keeping up with the rapid changes in my life

I suppose I really owe people a thread explaining how I came to be involved in this whole espresso cafe operation but that will have to follow as time permits. Those of you familiar with the Arts & Crafts Movement of the early 20th Century may be aware that Gustav and Leopold Stickley had their workshop in Syracuse and other practitioners of the movement, such as the Roycrofters Guild, were close by. The Stickley & Audi company continues the quality manufacturing tradition today with a full line of traditional Mission style furniture made from quarter sawn white oak but they also offer a more contemporary line of furnishings. Unknown to most... they also have a line of Mission Oak tables and chairs targeted at the commercial restaurant and cafe market. The owner of the cafe pictured in this thread decided to opt for Mission Oak furniture in honor of her deceased mother, whose life was cut short by illness. An interesting coincidence is that her mother's name was Dinny, the same name by which my grandfather was known for all of his life (she was Jewish and he was Irish - go figure The wax/lacquer finish on these pieces is known as Chicago 32. We're hoping it stands up well to heavy use and that it's not terribly labor intensive to maintain. Sorry I can't recall the specific name/quarry of the Italian marble used on the counters but it's quite a lovely shade of reddish-brown with irregular and marvelous variegations. The original floors in the building are green terrazzo. Budget issues prevented us from grinding them down to achieve a full restoration but they cleaned up and polished nicely (regrettably... the real color of the floors is not visible in the pics but it is quite striking with the furniture and walls. It also picks up nicely on the color of the espresso machine and grinder (or vice versa). We're not open yet but should be within a week or so....

If you mean the dude in black with the red and gray goatee... yes that was me. Maybe next time.

Someone mentioend paprika as the likely culprit but it might also be annatto (sp?). Paella is always the obvious suspect for me when I have chorizo on hand but I"ve also been known to slice it thin, saute til a bit drisp, blot off the oil and then use it on thin crust pizza in place of pepperoni. Yum. The Mexican chorizo I run across is of the fresh crumbly variety but the Portuguese style I used to buy in the Ironbound section of Jersey City was offered as both fresh and cured. Now that I'm out of NJ I can only get the cured style and it's available in only one market at that. There's a brand made In Rhode Island (which has a large Portuguese population) that's available in some grocery stores and it's very good. The same people also make a linguica sausage. Avoid the Goya brand cured chorizo - unlike some of their other products it really sucks.

Does that mean uou'll be in NYC and we'd have the pleasure of your company? I'd have to make another long schlep to NY for that! And a long schlep it was. I installed an espresso machien in "gorges" Ithaca and headed down to NYC. WEre it not for a series of misadventures in finding the place (don't ask) and horrendous traffic in Manhattan. I might have made it there when the food was really up and hot. As it were, I did have a half slice of the calamari (okay but on the bland side) and a full slice of the red pepper pie (despite havign sat on the tray for awhile it was outstanding). It was great to meet some new folks and reconnect with some I'd met on a previous trip. The gelato was definitely a highlight. Who'd a thunk that Gorgonzola or olive oil gelato could be so sensuous, so appealing.... so right?

Hiroyuki - How are the beans moved or circulated during roasting - do you stir them? I think you're on the right track but need to adjust or modulate the temperature. An ideal roast time for most beans will be about 12 - 14 minutes but an easy and repeatable way to get the results you seek is to deploy a thermometer that is measuring the temperature within the moving beans. Most home roaster typically deploy a simple and inexpensive analog dial thermometer such as the Cooper 550 degree large face dial thermometer It doesn't matter what brand you use and it needn't actually have a large face as long as you can read it. The way to achieve easy repeatability is to take the beans to a certain temperature over a given amount of time. I suspect that on your next attempt you'll get something that turns out well. Reduce the heat, agitate the beans and watch the progress. At about the five minute mark they should be turning a golden yellow color and by the eight or ten minute mark developing a light brown color. A few minutes later you should hear a cracking sound start that is known as "first crack". It sounds like popcorn popping - the sounds are relatively loud, at intermittent intervals and of varying volume levels. If you have temperature adjusted properly the first crack will subside and after a short period of time with only a few cracks heard during the interval, the "second crack" phase starts. At this point the cracks are much faster (closer to one another in succession) and more like the sound of twigs cracking. A nice medium roast is typically one that is stopped at the onset of second crack. A medium dark roast usually goes ten to twenty seconds into the second crack stage (before beans are removed from heat) and anything beyond that will result in a dark roast. Many novice roaster also find it easy to judge roast level by color. When the beans have reached a color that is just a little bit lighter than the desired final roast color it's tiem to remove them fromt he heat and cool. The beans still cook and change internally until the temperature is reduced so it's important to cool rapidly. Most find that using two colanders to pour the beans back and forth is an effective method.

Great work Kathi and nice to see you get the recognition. I'll be sorry to see less of you here but we'll more than likely cross paths in Charlotte. Assuming the rain don't fall and the creek don't rise.... I'll be moving to Charlotte at the end of '05 and bringing my appetite for food and new experiences with me.

It's an interesting and moderately entertaining take on a cultural phenomenon that's restaurant related but I agree that it doesn't consitute a restaurant review.

Grinders: the rationale for choosing a Ditting is twofold 1) They last for 30 or 40 years if properly used and maintained (maintenance is minimal to say the least 2) It's a two stage grinder - it produces particles of such a consistent size that a slightly finer grind level can be used and this will yield better extraction - i.e. more flavor in the cup (recognizing that you don't want to grind too fine for drip coffee) If Ditting has one then get from them. Call the phone number on their web site and inquire about availability - it's about $600 for a reconditioned unit and they're about $1200 - $1300 new. If you find a KF804 or KFR804 on eBay that is guaranteed to be in working condition and can snag it for $300 - $350 or so it's a good deal. If the burrs need replacement they're $199 but you can usually send them to Ditting and get a set of resharpened burrs instead for $99. It takes up a minimal amont of counter space. You can switch to different blends and varietals and also grind your decaf all with the one grinder by using a non-hopper grinder. If you sell whole bean coffee by the pound a high percentage (likely 50% - 70%) of buyers will want the beans ground at time of purchase. The Ditting grinds one pound per minute - very quick. We have a number of blends we serve for drip coffee and also a few varietals that we serve as such (still lots of education in this market to get people on board with straight varietals as a mainstay - blends rule in this neck of the woods). We grind and brew only on airpot at a time - the customer gets whatever is in the rotation at that moment unless they want to wait a few minutes for the next type. It seemed to me like an odd system when I encountered it but it works really well.

I haven't eaten there but found the comments relating to service problems the truly significant point. These came from two separate parties who ate there on two different occasions and were bolstered by the mention of "friends who were served one course and gave up waiting after one and a half hours". The bread (at $8 per basket no less) had to be requested three times, the patron was advised that the delay was due to the need to warm it and it arrived at room temperature? Nearly any restaurant, pricey or not, will on occasion over salt a dish or make some other misstep with the food but the service issues described leave me disinclined to visit there. My fine dining budget is quite limited and the occasions on which I can indulge are rare. I'm paying for and expecting to receive an appropriate level of service as part of the overall package. It sounds as though, at least on the two occasions mentioned, they fell far short of delivering the type of service one expects as a given in such establishments.

Ouch. I still believe that Zoka is a good outfit but the video certainly sounds disappointing. I think there's a lot more to be gained by reading some books, visitign a bunch of cafe's and also reading some forums. The SCAA Forum is worth checking out. Coffeeforums.com has an "industry" section with some useful discussion among peopel looking to get into the business as well as those already in it. As you're likely already discovering, people in the business generally love talking about it and although many will be looking to sell you something (services, equipment or beans), they'll still freely share lots of info that will help you establish your plans more concretely. There's lots and lots of reading, absorbing, sorting out, questioning and then returning to reading. I have a copy of "Espresso Coffee: Professional Techniques" on order from Amazon and it's said to be an excellent reference but it's backordered and they're not shipping until Nov 2nd.

The best and most consistent espresso shots are achieved when there is little variation in the temp of the brewing water while the shot is being pulled and the temp should be at a very specific level (usually 199 to 203 degrees depending on bean, blend and or preferences). This is a fact based on years of research by pioneers such as Ernesto Lilly and also a great deal of practical field testing and experimentation by current practitioners. La Marzocco is at present (with the exception of the new Synesso Cyncra machines that have just come on to the market) the only espresso machine brand that has dual boilers. Here's why it's important: Single boiler machines use a piece of copper supply line that sends water to the brew heads and heat that water by passing the tube through the steam boiler where the surrounding water heats the water in that tube. The steam boiler must be kept very hot - over the boiling point in order to create pressure. This design is known as HX or heat exchanger. It works fairly well but when the machine has been idle for a period of time (ten minutes or longer) the water in the brew group supply tube gets too hot. When many shots are being pulled in a short amount of time the incoming water in the tube doesn't have a chance to heat up enough and the brew water can be too cold. There are techniques (usually called temperature surfing) whereby a skilled and experienced barista can compensate for this to a great degree but if you get really busy there's no way to get the water hot enough quickly enough - you must slow down the time between pulling shots. It doesn't mean that one group machines are inherently bad - it's simply a design limitation that you have to be aware of. You can learn to work around the shortcoming but in a busy high volume cafe the two boiler design of la Marzocco is superior. It uses one boiler for steaming and a separate boiler for brewing. The brew boiler is quite large and a thermostat constantly adjusts the temperature. the amount of water pulled off for a shot is small - typically 1 to oz per single or double. Thus, the replacement water coming into the brew boiler gets heated to the correct level very quickly. The result is a machine that provides loads of steaming power and hot water for Americano's from the steam boiler but also lets you pull shot after shot at your busiest times with very consistent temperature and little temperature fluctuation. That's not to say that it's an ideal design. The new Cyncra and a special "superstar" La Marzocco that has just become available improve on this by using and additional boiler to preheat the water before it enters the brew boiler. That improvement is enhanced by a PID controller (proportional integral derivative) - this is a digital device that provides tighter more stringent control over exact temperature and makes it easier to change or adjust temperature. La Marzocco's cost more for a reason but their resale value is higher than other machines and holds the higher price for longer. I think Cimbali's and other well known respectable brands are more than likely every bit as reliable as La Marzocco's but there's a reason why nearly every high volume cafe in the US seems to use them. Let's not forget that it was the only brand of machine used in Starbucks locations for many years until they began the shift to superauto's. I don't like the way the 'bucks roasts their beans and brews their coffee but they never cheap out on equipment - they buy the best that's available and maintain them well. If and when you add espresso to your operation you'll have to decide what's most important. If you expect a low to moderate volume and won't have a busy, busy rush for espresso drinks and also.... if you're motivated enough to learn the idiosyncrasies of single boiler heat exchanger machines.... you can make excellent drinks with one. If, OTOH, you'll be running around doing many things, won't really be dedicated to the art of becoming an accomplished barista and/or may have younger less experienced employees running the machine at times... your consistency will be improved with a La Marzocco. I'm biased towards the Mazzer Super Jolly for an espresso grinder (aka Mazzer Brevetto, Rio Normale and Astoria has a model that is identical - they are all the same machine). The Rancilio and some others in its class are just as durable but the stepless adjustment collar on the Mazzer allows more precise grind adjustment than grinders with click stop detentes on the collar (I'm not sure if any brands other than mazzer have the stepless adjustment feature). One option to consider is the La Marzocco Swift (if you're using a LM machine also). Purists will call it heresy to make this suggestion and they have a point: the Swift autodoses and auto tamps. It will make consistently good... perhaps very good shots on a properly maintained, adjusted and cleaned machine when the grind is set for proper shot pull time. It also has the advantage of being a dual hopper machine that will allow you to store and grind decaf and regular in the same grinder (means you buy only and it takes up a bit less counter space than two conventional grinders). It's a good choice if you have a variety of people working the espresso bar and are either unable to train to a high enough level to get consistent manual tamping from your baristas or have a really high customer volume. It also saves on coffee because there's almost no waste as there is int he traditional manual tamping process. But.... and this is a big but.... a Swift will never allow you to produce the transcendent and truly spectacular shots that a good barista can create with traditional dosing and tamping. It's a compromise but one that many cafés accept. My current employers use the Swift and to be honest... it has improved consistency. We have at present about ten part time employees with varying skill levels, experience and motivation levels. Unlike some areas such as Seattle, it's difficult for in our area to get young people who look at the field of coffee and espresso as a career path. I'm planning to push for a traditional grinder to be available in our new cafe to do single original shots or alternate espresso blends (other than out standard house blend). I do feel like I'm missing something about the process when I use the Swift but I understand why we have them. To put it in perspective.... our Swift paid for itself in about one year just by the cost savings achieved from reduced coffee waste, not to mention that we get customers through the line faster. Also worth noting is the fact that upwards of 97% - 98% of our espresso drinks are milk based with the occasional Americano. Truly exceptional and transcendent shots are less capable of being recognized and appreciated when diluted with milk. It's not a criticism just a fact (spoken by a guy who drinks his espresso diluted with 3 parts milk most of the time except when I"m testing shot quality).