What does it take to be a good barista?

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July 1, 2005 in Java | Permalink | Comments (9)

Say what you want about Mayor Remsen. No matter where he stands on anything else, when the anti-caffeine lobby came to him and asked him to declare March Caffeine Awareness Month, he said no.

March 4, 2005 in Java, Major Dudes | Permalink | Comments (2)

... Caffeine Awareness Month. And according to the Caffeine Awareness Alliance (an organization of the caffeine-free industry), New Jersey is one of three states whose governors have actually declared it.

According to these caffeine nannies, drinking too much coffee can lead to moodiness, insomnia, anxiety, heartburn, tremors, depression and irregular heartbeat. And they have pictures on their website of people in white jackets wearing stethoscopes.

Downer, man.

In our experience, drinking too little coffee can lead to headaches, listlessness, sleepiness, depression and not getting a damn thing done all day. When it comes to coffee, who you gonna believe: some fake doctor or your Barista?

March 3, 2005 in Java | Permalink | Comments (17)

Jon Markman has some interesting theories on why Starbucks can mark up coffee a gazillion times and we still go there.

If Starbucks were just selling water, or a blast of air, we would still want to start or take a break from our day there. It's the white-collar equivalent of the tavern next to the auto plant, where Frankie behind the counter hits us with a shot of Wild Turkey and a Bud draft on sight.

And if Baristanet were to offer nothing but, say, retread stories culled from other blogs and news sites a blast of air.. you would still love us, wouldn't you?

February 16, 2005 in Java | Permalink | Comments (6)

When the Barista was growing up, people drank water out of their taps. But when the Barista was growing up, there were also no, um, baristas.

How times have changed. Now, not only can you pay for water to be delivered to your house, but Poland Spring will also deliver Starbucks coffee beans. And, they're running a special: if you agree to buy 10 pounds of the beans in the next year (at 12.99/lb), they'll also bring along a free Cuisinart coffee maker.

Actually, we'd prefer if the Poland Spring delivery guy came in, brewed the coffee and then delivered it to our bedroom. Oh wait, that's what our husband does every morning so we can blather on mindlessly into cyberspace. Nevermind.

And in other coffee-related tomfoolery:

"Honey, Put on Your Starbucks Apron and We'll Play Naughty Barista" (Starbucks gossip blog)
"Haiku to Mr. Sun's Barista fantasy" (Mr. Sun! blog)
"They Call Me...Chantico" (Coffeegrounds blog)

December 22, 2004 in Java | Permalink | Comments (0)

Let's call the whole thing off.

According to Starbucks Gossip, a blog about, well, Starbucks, written by media maven Jim Romenesko, Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts are targeting two distinct markets. Dunkin' Donuts is following a "red state" strategy, as evidenced by its boring coffee sizing scheme (small, medium and large; who thought of that one!) and more modest (read middle American) prices.

Well it's pretty obvious that Starbucks is a blue state phenom. But the opening, just this week, of the new Dunkin' Donuts in the shell of the old Short Stop Diner in Bloomfield got us thinking. Is Montclair a Starbucks (blue state) town and Bloomfield a Dunkin' Donuts (red state) one? We did a search, and there are two DD's in Montclair and five in Bloomfield (the newest isn't on the corporate store-finder page yet). Meanwhile, there are two Starbucks in Montclair, and nary a one in Bloomfield.

Well it's all Baristaville to us, right? We'll have to float a Dunkin' Donut-Starbucks poll this Sunday ... unless we think of something better.

Props to the Prop at Coffeegrounds, for alerting us to this issue.

December 16, 2004 in Java | Permalink | Comments (17)

Coffee is addictive. Starbucks prices are going up. And coffee-themed blogs are taking over the world. In addition to us, there's Romanesko's Starbucks Gossip Blog (fodder for a whole New York Times Week in Review piece last Sunday) and the consistently clever Coffeegrounds (presenting "Your Moment of Duh.") We've got you surrounded. Just surrender and buy a mug now.

October 1, 2004 in Java | Permalink | Comments (2)

Barista has to applaud a coffee shop and restaurant that offers free Wifi to its customers. Panera Bread, which has been offering wireless internet in some locations nationally, has just rolled out the service at its the Essex Green store. Now, if you bring your laptop, you can check Barista while you wait for the late show of "Manchurian Candidate" to start.

September 1, 2004 in Brand New, Java | Permalink | Comments (2)

Say it aint so. But you knew it all along, didn't you?

Everything served up by this Barista, though, is certified fat-free, sugar-free and 100% wholesome. (And in case you want to figure out to make the Java Chip Frap, Gourmet Sleuth thinks it has the recipe.)

August 3, 2004 in Java | Permalink | Comments (2)

Sports Illustrated writer Peter King paused in his Monday Morning Quarterback column this morning to offer tribute to a local coffee slinger.

Coffeenerdness: Graham Higgins, of the Upper Montclair, N.J., Starbucks, is my barista of the week. Of the year, really. Last week, on my way into the store for a grande hazelnut latte, I paused to talk softball with a couple of parents of kids I've coached, and we stood there for a few minutes, jabbering. The door to the store opened, and out stepped Graham, an industrious lad. "Your latte, Mr. King,'' he said, handing me the golden liquid. Now, that goes beyond the call of duty, Seattle. Promote this man! Give him his own store!

Hey, why not have a contest? Who's your barista of the week? Who makes your coffee foam? Tell the Barista.

August 2, 2004 in Java | Permalink | Comments (0)