There is no such thing as bad coffee

Coffee is the alpha and the omega of my day.

Just as red or white wines go with different types of meat, there are certain foods that require a cup of coffee. My brother’s mouth waters when he talks about Colorado Donuts’ excellent buttermilk donuts with their drip coffee—heaven for less than $2. This is one of his early morning pit stops. I like the 7-11 coffee with steamed milk from their hot chocolate machine. I discovered this after experimenting with all the extras they offer –from chocolate powder to a splash of hazelnut liquid. These additives were all too much for me, but the steamed milk—ahhh, perfect. Oh and you can prepare your coffee on the spot just like you want it, mixing, adding, starting over, until you got it right. I pick up the pots and take a whiff of its contents to see if I might want to try something infused—but no, its always the regular coffee for me.

Homegirl Café, The Pantry, Phillippe’s, Nick’s Café, The Brite Spot and Rinconcito del Mar are my neighborhood breakfast places, each with their own particular great morning brew. At Rinconcito coffee is served with warm pan dulce made on the premises. No fancy espresso machines in these places, just a basic and delicious cup of joe. What would a Noah’s breakfast bagel be without their special aromatic dark and delicious hot offering? There is nothing like it.

Although it’s not my credit union, twice a month, I go to the Water & Power Community Credit Union on Sunset to deposit checks. They provide coffee for their customers and it is so good. I look forward to it—it keeps me coming back month after month. Once I got there right at opening and there was no coffee yet—I got seriously bummed out.

Long late night drives on the Golden State require a cup of ampm’s heated-in-the-pot-all-day coffee, tweaked with just the right amount of non-dairy powdered creamer and sugar. Thick and caffeinated, I’m sure this combo has saved my life on the dreaded highway, many a time. I love the thick swig of coffee grounds at the end too. However, that should not be confused with the café de la olla grounds experience. I know that this is a beloved concoction of many eastsiders, but I feel that I might as well have a cup of cinnamon tea. Way too many restaurants get heavy handed with the canela.

I’m addicted to coffee. On occasion, when I am acting excessively agitated friends say (to me) in unison, “No more coffee today!!” And they are right—I put down my pick-me-up crutch, and I become self-conscious about my aggressive loudness. I start thinking that I am probably ready for one of my caffeine detoxes, which consists of going to bed after work on Friday and sleeping all the way through Monday morning.

 

3 thoughts on “There is no such thing as bad coffee

  1. Victoria, although I share your enthusiasm for coffee I will have to say that I’ve had way too much bad coffee in my day. Being a black, no sugar coffee drinker allows you, for better or worse, to actually taste the coffee itself. With bad coffee it becomes a sort of let’s-see-how-fast-I-can-drink-it; and with fantastic coffee it is a literal out-of-body experience.

    Coffee has surely saved me in the past…although I have been opting for tea these days to keep my eye from twitching.

  2. I totally believe in bad coffee, but when you need coffee, nothing else will do.

    Pantry & Nick’s. Yeah. Coffee, eggs, ham steak, bacon. Hot Sauce. A magic spell that lets you live another day.

  3. I admit there was a time when I was a total coffee snob, working as a barista can do that to you. I learned how to differentiate by taste beans from various world regions (Indonesia/Sumatra is my favorite), complicated brewing methods, how to steam milk for cappuccinos so it looks like glass when poured into the cup etc. At one time I can proudly say I was adept at pulling a perfect shot of espresso. But now, I could care less! I’ll drink watery coffee, coffee from fast food restaurants, instant coffee in Mexico, Folgers coffee…as long as it’s not burnt. I will not drink burnt or bitter coffee. Oh, and never learned to like the powdered creamer but besides that, I’m right there with you coffee sister! Let the drinking begin!

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