Milwaukee Specialty Food and Coffee

Alterra: Glendale/Whitefish Bay: Alterra Bayshore

When I was a boy, a weekday evening tradition was for my Dad and I to walk over to Bayshore. Tonight, I was at Sears--one of relatively few stores to have survived the decades (just a couple decades, mind you)--and I found myself realizing that I were ten years old and here with my Dad. Father's Day is coming up before long, so maybe the sentiment is timely.

I'm trying Alterra's coffee of the week, the Tanzania Kanyovu Peaberry, as espresso. Someone else had the same thing while I was here, which is extremely rare. In any event, it's phenomenal, probably the best I've had here in months.

Snapshots: Community Bark

Early this afternoon, I stopped at Community Bark on Brown Deer Road in Bayside. I found it to be kind of refreshing. The service and atmosphere are straighforward, as if you were picking up a pizza or hoagie. They sell Alterra coffee and bakery, and the prices are almost cidentical to what Alterra's own cafes charge. Aside: Alterra's wholesale hot cups feature the guy with the raised fist--I'd suggest that since the Mars deal, this imagery is completely laughable and should be dispensed with (I wasn't a sympathizer anyway).

Glendale/Whitefish Bay: Snapshot: Alterra Bayshore

I have to reaffirm my recent tweet about Alterra's best baristas being at Bayshore. I'm auto-free today, so I'm waiting out the rain while enjoying a double espresso (of course) and a Local Yoke-El sandwich.

Alterra: East Side/Riverwest: It's On

The weather along the lakefront and this double espresso are holding a stupendousness contest. As usual, it's the espresso of the week, the Brazil Fazenda Sao Domingos. I think that's the same one that was so ago good in Grafton several weeks ago. This summer is off to a good start--last year's paled in comparison. Anyway, the contest is still neck-and-neck, and I'm headed back outside to let the weather chime in.

Alterra: East Side/Riverwest: Alterra on Prospect

Sometimes concise is best: Check this shit out!

Alterra: East Side/Riverwest: Alterra on Prospect

This noon sees the customary substantial crowd at Alterra Prospect. Scott Lucey is manning the bar. Due to the ongoing renovation, the rear section is screened off, creating an atmosphere of intrigue. It would be interesting if the new design incorporated a partition of some sort to preserve the original feel of the space. I took a picture of Scott's double espresso, but I will save that one for Twitpic. as I realize there have been many of those lately.

Alterra: Alterra's Bay View Plans

Earlier this evening, I tweeted about how I finally had an opportunity to read about Alterra's plans to open a bakery and commissary facility/cafe in Bay View. I still don't feel like I've looked into it carefully enough to write a thorough article, but here are some initial thoughts on the topic:

• The City of Milwaukee should, preferably, provide incentives to businesses that perhaps more directly address its egregious social problems.  I would argue that those businesses are those that provide family-supporting wages.  The hourly pay rates mentioned in the excellent Bay View Compass article strike me as hardly being even dating-supporting.  Maybe no such companies are asking for incentives, and maybe there would be more than enough such incentives to go around.  As a City of Milwaukee resident, I certainly enjoy having Alterra as a corporate citizen, but that doesn't let the city off the hook in terms of the need to attract companies that pay family-supporting wages.

• I don't like the idea of bonds issued in the name of the City of Milwaukee being used to finance construction projects in Shorewood and Grafton.  Alterra's largely financially secure customer base in those areas should pay full fare, bearing the financial cost of the goods and services that are provided to them.  Incidentally, I sign myself up for this--though hardly tenured or pensioned, I'm thankfully now at a point where if this means I pay four bucks for a cappuccino rather than three-fifty, so be it.

• I don't think the pay rates mentioned in the Bay View Compass article are very impressive, even for a service business.  As a customer, I'm disappointed.

Alterra: Alterra macht Ka-Ching

I was puttering around Facebook last week when I saw the news that Mars, Inc. has acquired the global rights to the Alterra brand. (Translation: Ka-Ching!) In my less-than-well-rested-state, the announcement had an almost unreal air to it.  I can, however, vouch for the fact that anything globalization-related seems to be booming.  And I'm not going to be shooting any spitballs from the sidelines--I'm what you might call a "greed-is-good" liberal, so more power to them! Corporate profits are good because corporate profits are taxed, and because corporate profits are philanthropic.  Generally speaking, doing business is good, and making money is good. . .not just for Alterra, but for anyone. If only they could take these sentiments and boil them down into syrup to be added to the lattes served to their customers!

Speaking of globalization, one might ask why the Alterra brand is valuable in, say, Germany (expressly mentioned in Alterra's announcement).  And, I'll admit, the idea of Alterra-roasted coffee being shipped to Germany--in ground form, I would assume--seems like gratuitous globalization to me.  But think of all the people from everywhere who encounter Alterra at General Mitchell International Airport.  Positioning itself at a nexus of this global network was truly an inspired move by Alterra.  Also think of the fact that anyone, anywhere in the world, can pull up Alterra's website or, heck, this blog and read about them.  That's why the Alterra brand is valuable globally: the brand, in this case, is nothing so much as a reputation for quality.

Glendale/Whitefish Bay: Alterra Sulawesi

Trying the coffee of the week as both espresso and drip coffee. Liking the drip better so far, but the doppio isn't bad either.

East Side/Riverwest: Alterra: Snapshots: The Bagelsphere

Here's a situation that might have enough substance for half a Seinfeld episode: I'm at Alterra on the Lake, where I ordered a soy latte and a whole wheat bagel (toasted with butter), both for here.  They called me to pick up the drink, but there was never any sign of the bagel.  About fifteen minutes after I ordered, they got slammed, so I can't go back to the counter to ask for it.  So the bagel, I fear, is forever consigned to the bagelsphere.  I'm not worried about the bagel but am curious about the etiquette--am I allowed to flag down the food runner as if she were a waitress and ask?