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md
Coffee Shops Mark Unseen   Sep 17 11:04 UTC 1997

Any favorites?  There are some great independent ones if you know
where they are.  How about the chains?  We find that Caribou makes
the best espresso, although what large migratory antlered arctic
creatures have to do with Italian coffee I couldn't say.
24 responses total.
headdoc
response 1 of 24: Mark Unseen   Sep 17 13:32 UTC 1997

I still love Starbucks because of the great scent of roasted coffee as you
enter the door.  And the vast variety of choices.
omni
response 2 of 24: Mark Unseen   Sep 17 19:41 UTC 1997

  Any place where coffee is still under a buck a cup.
mary
response 3 of 24: Mark Unseen   Sep 18 11:54 UTC 1997

Michael, remember the time you commented that you connected
certain books you'd read with where it was you'd read them?
That the setting tended to influence the reading experience?
Well, that's how it is with me and coffee.

I like my coffee quite strong.  This has been clearly proven
when I came out of the break room at work one morning raving
that someone has finally learned how to make a good cup of
coffee only to be told that no one made coffee - what I was
drinking was leftover from the day before.  So I don't think
my palate should be considered discriminating.

But I can remember specific cups of coffee.  I can remember the
cups of coffee I'd sip while sitting on a beach at Bayfield, Canada,
while watching purple sunsets.  I can remember early morning
coffee where the warmth of the brew gave off a white fog
which perfectly matched the mist on Tobin Harbor's glass-like
surface.  I can remember the coffee we were sipping while
John and I designed our wedding rings on a cocktail napkin
at Haab's.  My first cup of coffee was out of necessity
one night, while working the Emergency Room for a second
straight shift, after not having any sleep the day before
(it was awful) (I was out of No-Doze) (I made it).  And so on. 
There have been lots of cups of coffee to savor again and again.
md
response 4 of 24: Mark Unseen   Sep 19 02:55 UTC 1997

That was wonderful, Mary.
danr
response 5 of 24: Mark Unseen   Oct 27 02:33 UTC 1997

I like the Espresso Royale on Main Street.  I can't really say why, but
I feel most comfortable in that particular coffee house.
abchan
response 6 of 24: Mark Unseen   Oct 27 18:19 UTC 1997

Does anyone know how long Starbucks has been around?  My sister tells me
there's one not that far from the school she now goes to (that I once went
to) and I don't remember it being there when I was growing up.

Any suggestions on what to order there?
scott
response 7 of 24: Mark Unseen   Oct 27 21:05 UTC 1997

There is one buried in an obscure part of Detroit Metro Airport.

They have all the same stuff as everyone else.
valerie
response 8 of 24: Mark Unseen   Oct 28 04:58 UTC 1997

I'd guess that Starbucks has been around for maybe 8 or 10 years.  It's only
fairly recently that they've grown to the point of having outlets all over
every city, though.
bmoran
response 9 of 24: Mark Unseen   Nov 17 14:47 UTC 1997

What to order at Starbucks? NOTHING! Or, if you're in the mood for playing
a game, order the house coffee. Nothing flavored, just the brew of the
day. Now, slowly take a few sips, and see if it tastes like anything other
than burnt road tar. Now add a little milk. Creamy burnt road tar. Just
get a biscotti and walk away.
tao
response 10 of 24: Mark Unseen   Nov 17 19:14 UTC 1997

Now, don't hold back, Bill.  Tell us what you really thing.  ;)
headdoc
response 11 of 24: Mark Unseen   Nov 17 23:43 UTC 1997

If you don't like strong coffee Bill, don't visit Italy.  Oh Yes, also France.
Also Portugal.  
omni
response 12 of 24: Mark Unseen   Nov 18 00:07 UTC 1997

 or Greece or Turkey.....
md
response 13 of 24: Mark Unseen   Nov 18 11:18 UTC 1997

Or Spain or Morocco or Puerto Rico or Mexico or...
scott
response 14 of 24: Mark Unseen   Nov 18 12:19 UTC 1997

Bill is a Coffee Professional, so it's a bit of industry scorn we are seeing
here, I guess...
bmoran
response 15 of 24: Mark Unseen   Nov 18 20:49 UTC 1997

Right Scott. There is a differance between strong, and burned. Some
coffees, by their nature, do not roast darkly and still taste right. Take,
for example, several different cuts of meat. Char them all beyond
recognition, and taste them. Can you tell any differance? Probably not.
The same goes for high quality coffee. The lighter character of african
coffees prohibits over roasting. Some Ethiopian coffees will not get dark,
no matter how much they are roasted. But they will lose all their flavor
if left in the roaster too long. A lot of large commercial roasters forget
little things like this. Some forget that coffee that is quickly roasted
smells and tastes wonderful the day it is made, but that almost all
the flavor is gone within a day or two. But it sure impresses the customer
to be able to roast a pound of coffee 'while they wait'. 
valerie
response 16 of 24: Mark Unseen   Nov 19 17:02 UTC 1997

For what it's worth, most gourmet coffees taste awfully burnt to me.
bmoran
response 17 of 24: Mark Unseen   Nov 23 22:08 UTC 1997

And they are. There is a type of roasting called "flavor roasting", where
the beans are roasted just to the point that the most flavor will be
extracted. As each bag of beans is different, a small 'test' batch must be
roasted to check for age, moisture content, etc., and the roaster is
adjusted for temp and time. It's not just a matter of dumping the beans
in, setting the time and temp, and walking away. Not if any type of
consistancey is to be had.
iggy
response 18 of 24: Mark Unseen   Apr 9 20:47 UTC 1998

ack! no!
dont go to the starbucks at detroit metro.

i like strong dark coffee, and i also like cappuchino and lattes.
i'm also a bit of a coffee snob...;-)

last falll, marc and i flew through detroit metro. i wanted
coffee, and was happy to see that they had a starbucks there. 
<it originated here in seattle, i wasnt aware just how big the chain had
gotten>
anyway, when it was my turn, i ordered a double-tall vanilla latte.
the baristas just stared.  they asked what i
had ordered. i told them it was a tall <medium> latte with 2 shots
of espresso.
when my order was placed upon the counter, it was just a plain latte.
they then told me that they didnt have vaniaal flavored syrup.
<vanilla is one of the most popular flavors! >
so they offered to make me another drink. i told them i'd have
a mocha. they asked me how to make it! ack!!!
well, when i got it, it was time to go through
security and get my butt to the gate.
i took a sip as i was hurrying down the corridor. BLEAHHHHH
that coffee was so watery it was tasteless. after 1 and a half sips
i dumped it in the trash. 

when i was in flint, my brother drove me to dunkin donuts to get
coffee there, as he heard it was good. <he doesnt drink the stuff>
i sipped it, and it was like weak tea. i even managed to splash some
in my eye <rough road> and it didnt even burn or sting.
sigh...
omni
response 19 of 24: Mark Unseen   Apr 10 05:28 UTC 1998

 It is so hard to get a cup of good coffee these days.
bmoran
response 20 of 24: Mark Unseen   Apr 30 04:33 UTC 1998

The best cup I had while in Cleveland last winter came out of a machine at
the R&R Hall of Fame and Museum. It was the same unit that also dispensed
espresso, cappuchino, latte, and probably hot chocolate also. The two
restaurants and the hotel lobby had terrible stuff.
scott
response 21 of 24: Mark Unseen   Apr 30 15:42 UTC 1998

At the Atlanta airport I couldn't find a single cup of green tea in the 5
different concourses.  It was after 10pm, and all the Starbucks were closed,
so maybe they had it?
bmoran
response 22 of 24: Mark Unseen   Jun 17 13:05 UTC 1998

When travelling, always carry your own tea, bags, and cup. If the bastards
won't provide, provide your own.
denise
response 23 of 24: Mark Unseen   May 10 01:16 UTC 2006

A nice gift I received before moving back to MI was my 'tea-to-go': a 2 cup
tea pot, some teas and strainers, tea spoon, etc in its own bag so that I
could bring it with me instead of packing it, and have some good tea whenever
I wanted! :-)
eprom
response 24 of 24: Mark Unseen   May 10 02:46 UTC 2006

There is a coffee shop in Kalamazoo called "4th Coast" They server the 
bestest mochas of any place i've ever been.
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