Milwaukee Specialty Food and Coffee

Ristretto: Venti Venting

Check out a great thread on Starbucks Gossip about friendly and none-too-friendly customers.

Ristretto: July 29, 2008

-I had a fantastic espresso at Alterra on Humboldt today.  The barista's name was Hanni.

Editorial: S.O.S - Come out of Retirement, Seniors!

I've run into a couple groups of F-bomb-dropping, text-messaging 16-year-olds today.  I'm pretty throroughly scared.  In another disturbing trend, classic rock groups are shedding original members and replacing them with stand-ins.  I'm followng this trend particularly closely because my favorite group, Yes, is probably going to employ this tactic. Another group I've come to like, Journey, probably pioneered it.  Now I read that Chicago is doing the same thing (interestingly, neither Yes nor Chicago have made offical announcements yet, leaving the fan base to speculate voluminously on bulletin boards).

Listen to the Sound of CricketToes

Hello Loyal Readers of MSFC!

Tis I, Mary Dally-Muenzmaier, returned from the dark cave of website planning and development.

My hubby Kevin and I are pleased as spiked punch to announce that we've officially launched our new blog, CricketToes!

Check it out, browse the posts, click the links--just do what comes natural!

We welcome comments from the peanut and other legume galleries, so make with the yakety yak, 'kay?

Whoot!

Mary

Ristretto: July 29, 2008

-Sometime in the past several days, I stopped at a local coffee shop (that shall remain nameless) and job applications were set out.  They stated that the starting pay is $6.50 an hour plus tips.  That seems awfully low to me.  When I worked at Boston Market in 1994-1995, after about 9 months and a couple of raises, I was at $6 an hour, which would be roughly $8 in 2008 dollars.

Snapshots: Stone Creek Shorewood

I grabbed some Stone Creek Tanzanian Peaberry.  I had some at the Glendale store on Saturday afternoon, and it was great.  I also had a double espresso, which was very good.  I sorted out the difference in espresso between Stone Creek and Alterra: Alterra does triple ristretto, SC doesn't.  SC's method of pulling espresso shots is equally valid.  It's a matter of personal taste.

Though I've come to a greater appreciation of some of Stone Creek's products, the in-store atmosphere is not up my alley.  This is a coffeehouse?  You'd think people were mainlining Effexor XR or something.  I have to chuckle because pre-Alterra Humboldt and Bayshore (in its present form), I used to sit at coffeehouses like this every night and endure scowls from the servers for an hour while they cleaned up.  (Actually, half the time now I go to Barnes & Noble and just am anonymous).  Ugh.

Blog News: Contributors Wanted

My website, Milwaukee Specialty Food and Coffee, is seeking freelance contributors on a per-article or ongoing basis. Modest pay is negotiable, but contributors should mostly be looking for exposure (my site currently receives approximately 50+ hits on an average weekday). Articles should be related to coffee or be restaurant reviews. Contributions from baristas and coffee enthusiasts are especially welcome.  For more information, e-mail mike@milwaukeespecialtycoffee.com

Ristretto: Aldi and Trader Joe's are Related

I was intrigued by this article on Aldi, especially its statement that Aldi and Trader Joe's are related (this was borne out by quick research).  Perhaps not coincidentally, the two chains are among my favorite grocery options.

Ristretto: Ozaukee County Trails

I'm at Alterra in Grafton.  The distinctive feature of this location is that ability to sit facing the espresso machine.  However, I don't recommend doing so unless you have plenty of earwax buildup.  The doser of the espresso grinder, in particular, is really loud.

Snapshot: Roast Coffee Company

After a long absence, today sees me back at Roast.  I enjoyed a double espresso and picked up a half-pound of Guatemala Atitlan San Pedro La Laguna for home and office.  The espresso is made using the same technique as Alterra, but since Roast uses coffee Anodyne Coffee Roasters, the taste is refreshingly different while absolutely still being on the same level.  Oh yeah, they have another unique fixture here: a guy with an English accent!

I'll definitely have to return here, especially on weekends and in fall.  I've been having problems with Alterra's paid Ethostream service at its N. Prospect Ave. location.  The low-b.s. WebBeams Wi-Fi here (login required but code is provided, good for one hour) works great.  Alterra really should consider switching all locations to the free Ethostream service.