Saturday, March 01, 2003
recession-proof!
"in other words, while most retailers are limping along, hoping for no more bad news that could send their sales plummeting even lower, the coffee business has a definite buzz going. annual sales of specialty coffee in the united states now eclipses $7 billion."
so we are cheerily informed that the u.s.a. is hell-bent on giving up the dishwater it's been drinking for too many years and is rushing towards the real thing.
but the question remains: considering the continuing coffee crisis, how much longer will there be high-quality specialty coffee at a price americans can understand paying? we coffee fanatics are fond of running around saying that coffee is as complex and interesting a beverage as wine.
but will americans be receptive to that fancy latte when it costs as much as a glass of premium wine? it could go that way unless something in the market changes. . .enough dark thoughts; time to enjoy what looks to be the upswing of our heavenly nectar. . .
"we seem to have become a recession-proof industry," sez my pal mike ferguson of the scaa. . .
posted by fortune | 7:21 PM | top | link to this | | email this: |
Friday, February 28, 2003
why not here?
the west-coast style coffee scene we here at bccy just love -- emphasizing freshness, correct preparation, consumer education -- seems to be slowly creeping to the east. it's finally reached that sleepy overpriced swamp, washington, d.c.
thus hope arises we may see such a resurgence here in new york in just 2 or 3 more years. i know, i know -- ken nye of higher grounds is trying hard, and we can only hope we finds a good brooklyn location very soon. . .
the sign that it's really happening in d.c. and that the swamp will soon explode into a full seattle is in today's washington post.
(the com-post, as we used to call it when i lived in d.c., even tho' we loved the paper overall and merely objected to their lame coverage of rock-n-roll. which is actually great in comparison to the new york times. . .)
posted by fortune | 5:16 PM | top | link to this | | email this: |
Thursday, February 27, 2003
bare your coffee-making skills
that's right, girl baristas! take it all off to show you've got it on.
i just can't make this kind of stuff up. it's true -- playboy is seeking hot chicks who make coffee for a living to be playboy "coffeemates." note to hugh hefner: sorry, no silicone is used in the coffee-making process. and girl baristas are more likely to be inked and pierced far beyond what middle-america can take!
but that's not to say we here at bccy don't have a sense of humor -- we immediately nominate the blonde emma markland-webster of new zealand, who besides being fond of creamy red lipstick, also happens to be one of the world's best baristas. . .her signature drink: the golden shot, with real, edible gold dust. va-va-voom indeed.
while starbucks was not amused at playboy's attempt to recruit its female employees for lucrative modelling careers, i certainly am. but hef, i'm not laughing with you.
posted by fortune | 5:12 PM | top | link to this | | email this: |
Wednesday, February 26, 2003
more and more. . .
lately while shopping for chocolate at my local garden of eden, i've noticed more and more organic chocolates. they seem increasingly popular.
and the latest grocery-sales statistics seem to bear this out. beyond green & blacks, newman's own, cloud 9, and others, i've seen a lot of people quietly reaching for endangered species candy. it's made with an organic belgian chocolate.
long-time readers know that i personally don't care for most organic chocolates -- i find them either to lack intense chocolate flavor or to be a tad waxy in texture -- but i have to admit the artisan dagoba is pretty decent. (they've moved recently from colorado to oregon.)
why is organic chocolate, and in particular endangered species, catching on? the president of endangered species says: "consumers want all-natural, organic products without sacrificing good taste."
in other news, i had an incredible chat today with greg jones of the bay area's mr. espresso. now this is the coffee served at alice water's chez panisse. and a serious coffee expert recently recommended them to me as no-holds-barred the best italian-style espresso blends in the u.s.a.
greg is just as friendly as all get-out, and i am definitely going to put together an order to share with friends as soon as possible. i could have talked to him all day -- but maybe i was just on a music high. . .you know me, dear readers, every now and then i just fall in back love with xtc again and today was that now.
on a final note, i have to share a great line with you -- today i got an email from a reader who wondered about my "ramones yoga," that is my philosophy of "nothing to do, nowhere to go-o..." witty! i love the ramones, of course. . .
posted by fortune | 5:09 PM | top | link to this | | email this: |
Tuesday, February 25, 2003
outside the box?
the stream of pro-athletes adopting yoga continues. everyone from football players, tennis champs, olympic ice-skaters, and basketball players to pro golfers, pro snooker players and even high-level poker artists -- i've documented many of them here at bccy.
the latest: pro baseball player jay payton of the colorado rockies, who says his move to yoga was inspired by new york mets pitcher al leiter.
"he lost weight and he stayed healthy. . .if it was good enough for him, why not try it?"
why not indeed?
posted by fortune | 5:14 PM | top | link to this | | email this: |
Monday, February 24, 2003
search & rescue
it's interesting to see what people search for when they come here to bccy. i'll tell you frankly, the top 2 searches for the past 9 weeks have really surprised me. because they are for things i wouldn't necessarily think, oh yeah, absolutely bccy!
what are these 2 search items? starbucks' fontana syrups and fellow coffee-lover, ashtangi eddie stern. but hey, i'm here to help my readers, so i thought i'd offer the links you really need.
fans of eddie are certainly welcome here -- as is eddie himself, who i think actually is much nicer than his fearsome rep. but if you're looking for eddie info, you need to run over to the almost-impossible-to-find-by-searching ganesha tea stall and eddie's little mag of big ideas, namarupa. so if you're into serious hinduism, run over there.
i think most eddie people arrive here due to my sort-of defense of eddie from some ridiculous slander that has yet to be publicly apologized for, as far as i can tell. but eddie's moved on, so there's no need to dwell on it.
now as for the fontana syrups. in general i try to be a glass-half-full person, but sometimes you just can't do it, you know. and i'm afraid i have to say the fontana syrups just don't taste that great to me. further, not to be rude, but why would you be searching for these starbucks syrups?
is there any doubt where to get 'em? i know it's weird that starbucks has taken 'em down from its online store, but hey, you can hop into your local starbucks storefront or a barnes and noble cafe. . .
long-time readers know i offer the sugar-free white chocolate and dulche de leche syrups from da vinci when my guests ask for a flavored latte. but monin, routin, dolce, torani, and stirling make fine syrups too. just try out a couple of flavors from each until you find the ones that speak most to you. . .
p.s. i'm well aware, sadly, that some hacking jerk has forged a virus email with my email address. my mail is filled with bounces. if you receive such a disaster, don't open it! delete it immediately.
please know that i had nothing to do with it, and my sympathies are with you. i'm sorry you got it, and i'm sorry my email address has been stolen and misused. . .it outta be a crime, as we say in brooklyn. . .
posted by fortune | 5:03 PM | top | link to this | | email this: |
Sunday, February 23, 2003
live music
doing yoga to live music is always a lot of fun -- which is why i'm looking forward in 2 weeks to popular musician and yoga teacher michael hewett's live performance during a very special yoga class at yoga people in brooklyn.
it's US$25 for a 2-hour-plus class. contact yoga people to reserve a space a.s.a.p. or else you'll miss out! get a reserved spot and mark it on your calendar -- two sundays from today, march 9th, 5-7pm.
posted by fortune | 7:25 PM | top | link to this | | email this: |