Via The Coffee Geek, a how-to for Turkish coffee. I’ve only had it once, that I can recall, actually, in New Mexico. And along with the coffee, I learned a little trick: how to read coffee grinds.
It’s not a skill-set that I advertise, nor is it an every day occurrence, but I have found, over a cup of decently strong espresso, I can occasionally perform a little insightful coffee-grounds reading.
The best is a strong, smooth bitter cup of espresso. Unlike many, I prefer my espresso just black, no sugar. If the coffee beans are really good, there’s an oily residue, the magic elixir, that rolls off my tongue. Like it almost coats the inside of the mouth, if only for a moment or two. Then there’s the heady aroma of coffee.
At one point in the afternoon, I was devoutly exposing my undying, unyielding love, while I was addressing a properly foamy cup of just such espresso.
Sister sent me a package of Peet’s Italian Roast, a nickel-bag, and I could easily tell from the packaging what was in the Xmas gift. I opened it up and the morning coffee, when that was fresh, was one of the best cups of coffee I’ve ever brewed here.
Somehow, I got it all correct. The water was just beginning to boil, the grounds were the right grind, consistency, and for one shining moment, I had the perfect cup of coffee. Doubt I’ll repeat that process so perfectly. It’s all about trying, striving for perfection.
For coffee in Austin, there are a couple of places that stand out. Too bad the place has become uber-trendy, but Jo’s on S. Congress still does one of the very best local espresso-based drinks. Which is odd, because the beans come from Little City Coffee, allegedly, and the Little City espresso-base is arguably as good, but for some reason, I tend to find Jo’s with a slight edge in the flavor/roast/preparation category. But it’s a close tie, and I’ve had better access with the Little City wireless. Plus their coffee is still dreamy, in an Austin way.
Ambiance goes to Little City, but there are two other contenders for local flavor, local flavor in what a coffee shop should feel like, as opposed to the taste of the brew. One is Bouldin Creek Caffeine Dealer, a perennial fave, and the other is the almost daily stop at Halcyon. If it’s just me? Or if I’m meeting open-minded clients, then Bouldin wins, as the vegetarian food is coffee-house dependable.
Halcyon has an added advantage of full-bar service. Not that it matters one tiny bit to me, but there is the advantage of me having what I like, like Thursday afternoon, a shot of espresso, while Bubba had an Xmas shot of whiskey, my treat.
“If you having a double, I’d better make mine a double,” he said.
Toe-to-toe, in the bar, with the Irish. It’s a losing proposition.
However, that’s part of the point, it’s about ambiance. Pieces of places that feel right. Plus, I can read the leftover coffee grinds, just like tea leafs.
