Milwaukee Specialty Food and Coffee

Specialty Coffee Drinks: Scott Lucey's Liquid Swords

I'm at Alterra on Prospect, having just tried Scott Lucey's signature drink, Liquid Swords.  While waiting in line, I had the opportunity to hear Scott's presentation a couple of times before my turn came.  The drink consists of a shot of Nelson Melo espresso, sweetened heavy cream with a ring of honey acting as "caulk", and pink grapefruit juice.  Simply incredible!  Hurry over to try it yourself before 3 p.m. today.

Previews: Roast Coffee Barista Jam

Arizona: Snapshots: Flying Food Group

The expanded Starbucks food menu here features items from the Flying Food Group's location in Phoenix.  FFG is primarily an airline catering company.  I'd imagine the food at the Chicagoland stores comes from the ORD facility.

Arizona: Snapshots: Cartel Coffee Lab (Part 2)

I've returned to Cartel Coffee Lab.  Precious few minutes remain on my battery, and I don't have other power available, so this will be quick.  I've sampled the Ethiopian Gerbichu Lela, a 12-oz. bag of which will be accompanying me back to Milwaukee.  My 8-oz. Clovered mug of the drip version is compliments of the house.  I hope to return Tuesday before I fly back, but am not yet sure I will be able to.  In any event, planning for my next Arizona trip is already underway.

Arizona: Snapshot: The Kindness of Strangers at In-N-Out Burger

Today, I walked from Scottsdale to Tempe and back (and have the sunburn to prove it!).  I stopped at the Tempe In-N-Out Burger on the way to Cartel Coffee Lab to use the restroom.  I saw that they had 89-cent cups of coffee, so I thought I'd try a cup later.  This was during lunch rush, and there was a line out the door.  Returning an hour or so later, when the line had subsided, I was fumbling in my pockets for cash.  I gestured to the guy behind me to go ahead, as I was not ready.  He gestured to me to go ahead and said that my lunch would be his treat.  I ordered a hamburger, then hesitated, prompting him to say, "Fries?  Gotta have fries!"  So besides the coffee, I had my first burger in, well, two days (thanks Dad!) and my first order of fries in years.  The stranger refused my offer of a business card so that I could pay him back later.  Due to the full house, while we ate, he called me over to his table to free up the one I had been sitting at for a family of four.  We introduced ourselves (his name was Hank) and shared several minutes of small talk about our jobs and respective reasons for being in Arizona; Hank was from Detroit.  It was an almost random act of kindness, free of any agenda other than to brighten the day of a guy who was fumbling in his pockets for cash.

Perhaps almost as remarkable as the stranger's kindness is the In-N-Out brand (note the "Bible references" section!).  I have to admit that even before today, I was quite taken by it.  I can also report that the 89-cent cup of coffee was really good, as was the food.  Though Sonic, now opening in the Milwaukee market, also intrigues, In-N-Out seems much closer to Kopp's--but with better coffee!

Arizona: Snapshots: Paradise Bakery & Cafe (Scottsdale Fashion Square)

I'm at Paradise Bakery & Cafe in the Scottsdale Fashion Square.  I figured I had to try the drip coffee (Paradise Blend, $1.60 for a small) at least once.  Turns out it's really good.  I just took another sip to confirm...and another...and yowza!  Man, I think I'm tasting some Guatemalan Huehuetenango in here.

The mall's Wi-Fi has Facebook blocked. How heinous is that?  (Same applies to MySpace, of course).

Editorial: Nifty Personal Anecdote

I've had more, and more interesting, conversations with strangers in the past couple days than I'd probably had in the two years before. This afternoon, I was walking to the post office--actually a licensed location in a small, soon-to-close strip mall gift store on Miller & Chapparal Rds.--when a guy on a bike passed me on the sidewalk.  "Thank you," he said, when I moved off of the sidewalk and out of his way to let him pass.  After I had walked perhaps another half-block, he doubled back and said (highly condensed), "Can I ask you kind of a weird question?  If I had been you, I would not have moved.  Not only did you move, you were kind to me.  I'm angry.  I used to be a drunk.  What do you have?"

I responded, "Funny you should say that.  I'm at a point where life is throwing me some curveballs.  I believe in God, and believe that everything happens for a reason.  When life throws me curveballs, I always feel more open to...something.  I think because it's then I realize that we're all in this together in life." 

Arizona: Snapshots: Arizona's First Espresso Machine

Having been here for 4 days, I'm finally doing I don't do at home: sitting in a coffeehouse with my back to the wall, facing everybody else, and sitting next to someone with whom I just had a fairly lengthy conversation.  I just met a nice older gentleman named Angelo whose family ran an Italian restaurant here in town.  I overheard him mention, while talking to someone else, that he bought Arizona's first espresso machine. He now works as a greeter at Carraba's Italian Grill here in the area. Incidentally, that place looks really good!

Arizona: Snapshot: Cartel Coffee Lab

I've retuned to Cartel Coffee Lab.  I think I'll be here most every day until I leave AZ.  Today, I'm trying one of the other varietals offered for Clover preparation, the Brazil Fazenda Santa Terezinha.  I'm well-fueled from lunch at Sweet Tomatoes (Lord, do I wish they would open a location in the Milwaukee area!).

Arizona: Snaphshots: Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

I'm back at the Coffee Bean on Miller and Indian School Roads.  I'd been thinking of getting an espresso drink, but I happened to catch a glance of a foil bag of espresso beans that was lying out next to the machine.  It stated that the beans had been roasted on December 6, 2008 and that their expiration date was December 6, 2009.  Just to give you an idea, if I saw that at *Starbucks*, I'd probably find it worth posting. 

I enjoyed the drip coffee here yesterday, but today am finding it wanting.  I started out with a mug of the bold coffee, called Bold Blue Moon.  I then got a refill of the Peru I had yesterday.