Tagged : Coffee

in Travel, Wine & Food
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Cafe Francisco – Coffee at Fisherman’s Wharf San Francisco

The first time I was in San Francisco I struggled to find a great cup of coffee. Don’t get me wrong, good coffee here is a dime a dozen, but the urban part of SFO is dominated by Peet’s and Starbucks. In a town this hip, it would be criminal to go to either — despite the fact that Peet’s originated in San Francisco and is the original premium coffee chain that inspired Starbucks and a whole new coffee culture. If you know me, you know the one thing I am super fussy about is coffee. I like a well made Americano with crema thick enough to stand on. I also want to drink it out of a real coffee mug, and at a place that has a unique atmosphere. If you’re in the North Beach/Fisherman’s Wharf area in San Francisco I would totally recommend Cafe Francisco located at Francisco and Powell near Pier 39 and Telegraph Hill. It’s a cool joint, slightly on the hipstery side of things, but not deliberately. Great people, coffee and atmosphere make this my go-to coffee spot in this part of San Fran.

 

in Wine & Food
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Nelson the Seagull

The peculiar name comes from a hit South African folk song titled And the Seagull’s Name was Nelson, and drawing on that inspiration the owners of Nelson the Seagull, the Gastown cafe/eatery, have brought some South African flair to the eclectic collection of coffee shops and restaurants in the Gastown neighbourhood.

Over the past five years or so Gastown has undergone a reformation, and has quickly gone from tourist kitsch to Soho chic, with Nelson epitomizing that shift.

Old bricks and beams, reminiscent of a New York Soho “old meets new” architectural charm, adorn this particular cafe. The space is wide open and airy with a very relaxed vibe.

This certainly isn’t Starbucks in a hurry, nor is it a great place to work with your laptop, but it is a great place to meet and chat with friends. The Americano and poached eggs on toast from fresh baked bread were both decent, and the space was charming. Friendly, but slightly slow service, and a lack of useful seating was a bit of a downer, but otherwise I would go back. Also, my friend Kurtis Kolt scolded me for not trying the homemade lemonade, which is supposed to be delicious.

More or less if they add a few tables and chairs this place would be amazing!

in Wine & Food
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Coffee Bar Gastown

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Gastown has become a venerable stable of cool coffee shops, but Coffeebar is one of the standouts. The 49th Parallel coffee has a nice nuttiness to it and the espresso machine by the dutch maker Kees van der Westen is an amazing piece of craftsmanship, but also a nice departure from all of the La Marzocco machines that are ubiquitous around town. Located right near the Gassy Jack circle this is one of the best spots for coffee in Gastown. They also have enough space to work, and free wireless, almost a requirement these days, but I still think of it as a bonus!

in Wine & Food
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Stumptown Cold Brew

On his recent trip to Portland @MisterMorton brought back some Stumptown Cold Brew. This isn’t some crap-ass iced coffee this is genuine cold brew — like they do in Japan.

To qualify as cold brew the coffee is brewed with cold water instead of hot, and then refrigerated for at least 10 hours or so. The result is a less bitter and more pleasant to drink iced coffee. This stuff is big in Japan and this one by Stumptown is probably the best I’ve had outside of Asia.

Cold and refreshing with that familiar coffee taste. It’s smooth, a bit nutty, and a bit sweet. Good stuff!

in Wine & Food

French Press Coffee

This little short film / slow motion French press orgy makes me want to drink coffee, but also makes me want to throw up in my mouth a little bit! Still though, I respect the craft behind the video and also like the guy that made it, so hopefully he doesn’t see this!