Bubbabob wrote:
> Ah. Flying Star. They're spreading all over the county. Their pastries
> and other goodies are very good but exorbitantly priced (300% of what
> anyone else would charge for similar items) so they don't get any of my
> business unless someone else is buying.
>
> Their coffee is roasted by their owner, who after several years of trying
> to learn to roast, hasn't got a handle on it yet. They don't even know
> the origins of the beans they use with any precision beyond knowing what
> country they came from.

The person who took the order told me that they were all locally owned
and operated - I was hoping to get a mac and cheese fix back here in
Dallas, but I don't think that'll happen.
SOrry to hear that the goodies are so expensive. I'll admit that I'll
pay a bit more if the quality is appropriate.

I was quite full after the meal (I mentioned in another post that we'd
also eaten chocolate dipped fruit prior to dinner - which contributed to
the stuffedness) so no dessert was eaten - still looked pretty though.

I really enjoyed the red stuff drink. Never occurred to me to mix Red
Zinger tea, peppermint tea and cranberry juice. Hmmmmmm, some extra
crushed ice and a bit of vodka....

Too bad about the coffee. Seems to me that there's a fortune to be had
in frou frou coffee drinks (well, at least well made ones. I've never
been a fan of Starbucks - on the few occasions that I've had a coffee
from there, it's tasted burned, which I can only assume, most of the
population finds appealing.)

Bubbabob wrote:
> patrice > wrote:
>
>
>
>>Too bad about the coffee. Seems to me that there's a fortune to be
>>had in frou frou coffee drinks (well, at least well made ones. I've
>>never been a fan of Starbucks - on the few occasions that I've had a
>>coffee from there, it's tasted burned, which I can only assume, most
>>of the population finds appealing.)
>>
>>
>
>
> As a former commercial coffee roaster and cupper I can tell you that
> Starbucks coffee IS burnt. They roast it to a stage we used to call
> 'charcoal' or 'past 3rd crack'. They do this so that they can use low grade
> coffees in their blends, as all coffees roasted to this stage taste the
> same and have no trace of what's known as varietal flavor.
>
> An entire generation (only of Americans, fortunately) has been taught that
> this is what coffee is supposed to taste like. What a travesty. No wonder
> that this awful coffee has to be covered up with milk and other adulterants
> to make it even remotely drinkable.

I didn't realize that your were a coffee aficionado - that's pretty
impressive.
Good to know that my taste buds haven't been lying to me. Only cup of
Starbucks I ever had that didn't taste like it'd been set on fire (guess
it really had been after all), had so much stuff in it, that it no
longer resembled coffee.
We have a coffee house here called Dunn Brother's. They're a chain from
the north (Minnesota? Michigan?). Anyway, the first one in Texas is
about a mile and a half from the house - right across the street from a
Starbucks. Their coffee is wonderful. It's roasted on the premises by
the owner of the local franchise. Ironically, the city that it's
contained in has strict laws about an exhaust system - you can't smell
the coffee as it's roasting. It's on a busy road where the smell of car
fumes is ever present - gotta love stupid restrictions.
Oh, and for reasons I'm completely unclear on, there are still people in
the Starbucks. Dunn Brothers has free wi-fi which attracts many folks
and their laptops. I have no idea whether or not Starbucks still
charges for internet usage or not.
The moral to my story is that it's nice to wander in for a nice cuppa
now and again.

In article 0>,
Bubbabob > wrote:

> [Flying Star]
> Their coffee is roasted by their owner, who after several years of trying
> to learn to roast, hasn't got a handle on it yet. They don't even know
> the origins of the beans they use with any precision beyond knowing what
> country they came from.

Their coffee is not optimal, but okay for Albuquerque. If I'm
making my own in my room, I stop at Whole Foods and get some,
but they don't have brewed. Another place that has just as
good a coffee (in other words, too dark but not *too* too dark,
if you know what I mean) is Buster's on Central. If you get
there after 0745 or so, their scones are the best in town.

If you know a place that has actual good brewed coffee in town,
I'd appreciate hearing about it.

Mike Beede

Mike Beede wrote:
> In article 0>,
> Bubbabob > wrote:
>
> > [Flying Star]
> > Their coffee is roasted by their owner, who after several years of trying
> > to learn to roast, hasn't got a handle on it yet. They don't even know
> > the origins of the beans they use with any precision beyond knowing what
> > country they came from.
>
> Their coffee is not optimal, but okay for Albuquerque. If I'm
> making my own in my room, I stop at Whole Foods and get some,
> but they don't have brewed. Another place that has just as
> good a coffee (in other words, too dark but not *too* too dark,
> if you know what I mean) is Buster's on Central. If you get
> there after 0745 or so, their scones are the best in town.
>
> If you know a place that has actual good brewed coffee in town,
> I'd appreciate hearing about it.

As far as whole beans, I'd go to La Montinita Co-op. At least, that's
were I got mine when I lived in Albq 2 years ago. At the branch in the
Valley, on Rio Grande.
>
> Mike Beede

Bubbabob wrote:
> "Jude" > wrote:
>
> > Mike Beede wrote:
> >> In article 0>,
> >> Bubbabob > wrote:
> >>
>
> > As far as whole beans, I'd go to La Montinita Co-op. At least, that's
> > were I got mine when I lived in Albq 2 years ago. At the branch in the
> > Valley, on Rio Grande.
> >>
> >> Mike Beede
> >
> >
>
> La Montanita stores their beans in a walk-in fridge where condensation ages
> them almost instantly. If you can get there just after the delivery is made
> you have a chance to get a decent bean. Not sure about the one on Rio
> Grande but I know its true of the one on Central.

My parents have always stored theiur beans in the freezer til use. Is
this nota good idea? Tell me more about what condensation does to beans,