Milwaukee Specialty Food and Coffee

Radio: Hootie Sent Packin' — No More 'KTI!

I get the feeling that the end of 2008 and early 2009 are going to be one of those times where you keep feeling like you just woke up from a five-year coma a la Desperate Housewives.

WKTI has been replaced by a new format and will soon change call letters.  You can listen here: http://www.945lakefm.com/listen.html

Let's Learn About Beer

I just finished listening to the second hour of Talk of the Nation: Science Friday on Wisconsin Public Radio, which was aired live from the Milwaukee Public Museum. The discussion was fascinating, largely because it was all about beer and beer and more beer.

The audio of the show will be available on the NPR site around 6PM ET/5PM CT, so be sure to check it out and learn yourself somethin'.

Link

Another Café with an Honor System--American Style

I knew I'd heard recently of another café that uses the honor system and--along with a memory nudge from my hubby Kevin--a quick search of npr.org revealed my correctitude (that's not technically a word but I like the way it sounds--it's so rightelicious).

The Terra Bite Lounge in Kirkland, Washington, a suburb of Seattle, has not only established an honor system but also lets customers set their own prices. And if ya find yourself strapped for cash on any given day, there's no nasty repercussions if ya don't ante up. Course most eventually do pay when they can, and they can even pay online.

The Terra Bite Lounge was founded Ervin Peretz and opened by Susan Allsup in November, 2006. According to its web site--which, I might add, could use a little more oomph. I mean, Peretz is a Google programmer, for God's sake--baristas get a share of the business profits. And they go on to state, "If we ever get any other profits, we will also donate to various charities. Those charities will be strictly non-political, non-religious, and entirely non-controversial; they will be listed here on the web site." Neutrality? In America? What a concept.

Both All Things Considered (February 9, 2007) and Weekend Edition Saturday (April 5, 2008) have features on the coffeehouse available for your listening pleasure.

Celebrate Earth Day: Give to WUWM Radio and Get Some Cool Eco-Schwag

You may well be asking yourself, "What does this post have to do with specialty food and coffee?" My answer to that is, "Absolutely nothing! But a blog is a blog, so I'm gonna use it."

One day only--that is today, aka Earth Day--give an on-line donation of $45 or more to WUWM Milwaukee Public Radio and get yourself an eco-friendly pack thank you gift. As as added bonus, you'll be automatically entered into their Eco-Friendly Contest, with prizes donated by Outpost Natural Foods and REI.

It's what I like to call a triple win--good for WUWM, good for you and good for the planet--so Give Now!

California Judge to Starbucks: Cough Up Tips + Interest

NPR reported this morning that a California Superior Court Judge in San Diego has ordered Starbucks to pay past and present baristas tips that were improperly diverted to shift supervisors of their 2,500 California stores. With interest, that comes to $106 million, baby!

The coffee giant argued that shift supervisors deserve a share of customers tips, but the judge didn’t buy it. California law prohibits supervisors and managers from accepting customer gratuities.

Of course Starbucks, with their endless stream of highfalutin lawyers, will appeal and probably end up spending more in legal costs than what the court ordered them to pay the baristas. Such is life at the slowly sinking top.

The Sounds of Pulling Shots and Steaming Milk

This morning, Lake Effect, the daily magazine of WUWM 89.7 FM, broadcast an audio portrait of the 2008 Great Lakes Regional Barista Competition (GLRBC), which was held this past weekend in Milwaukee.

If you missed it, you can listen to the piece or the whole show at their web site.

But Wait, There’s More!

While sipping my morning cup o' joe and listening to Marketplace Morning Report, as I am wont to do every weekday, I experienced a mind-bending flashback. "You get the Ginsu knife, the matching carving fork, the versatile six-in-one kitchen tool, a set of six steak knives, and the spiral slicer. You get them all for only $9.95!"

That's right, kids, it's the Ginsu knife! Come on, you remember that cheesy ad with someone trying to slice a tomato with their bare hand. I mean, who could forget that?

What made that ad so ludicrous is exactly what makes this proposal of a Rhode Island lawmaker equally so: he wants to--wait for it--name a street after the Ginsu knife. Oh, for the love of... Well, yes, why not? There couldn't possibly be more important things for the Rhode Island legislature to spend its time on than this, right? After all, the Ginsu knife, with its faux-Japanese name, was invented by a couple of Rhode Islanders.

Let's give a hearty "Hooray!" to Rhode Island State Rep. David Caprio, as he slices through unnecessary time and taxpayer money wasting legislation with his Ginsu Way Bill!

I paid a little visit to the Ginsu web site and, by gum, they're not only selling the Ginsu knife these days but also the electric Ginsu Freedom Carver! Be warned, freedom haters, this knife is not for you.

Listen to American Public Media's Marketplace Morning Report and be amazed.