Coffee

Posts here are devoted to the simple joy of coffee—whether it’s a nitro oat latte in Fargo or a tasting flight during a road trip. I share notes on cafés visited, beans tried and the small moments that make each cup memorable.

Mar 31, 2012 ∞

Delicious macchiato at Bradbury’s in Madison. Definitely real deal.

Macchiato in a brown ceramic cup with white foam, served on a matching saucer on a wooden table.

Mar 30, 2012 ∞

Macchiato report from Barriques in Madison. Okay, slightly above average.

White ceramic cup and saucer holding a macchiato with a circle of steamed milk foam surrounded by espresso crema, on a blue table.

Mar 25, 2012 ∞

Green Hat

This morning Tyler and I made a donut run for the family. He was digging his green hat.

Toddler in a green bucket hat and dark jacket holding a Winnie the Pooh stuffed animal while standing on a concrete driveway

Toddler in a yellow and green bucket hat and dark jacket sits in a patterned chair holding an open book at a coffee shop

Toddler in a two-toned green and yellow bucket hat and colorful clogs standing beside a large black and white cow statue outside a brick building

Jan 7, 2012 ∞

Yama Cold Brew Drip Tower

A few weeks ago I was discussing various ways of making coffee with Ry4an at the office. He had seen this crazy looking coffee system and sent me a link for it. My instant response was… Gorgeously Finicky!

Tammy thought the one I sent her a link to was about the ugliest thing she had ever seen, but she found an acceptable looking Yama and got it for me for my birthday from Mazie and Tyler.

Tall black-framed cold brew drip tower on a granite kitchen island, with glass chambers and a red kettle nearby

It takes three hours to brew 8 cups of coffee. The resulting coffee is similar to cold press coffee, but with significantly more theater to the production. My first run didn’t come out right. I tried to grind the beans myself and didn’t get the right grind consistency and the water went through far too fast.

There is much written about ice brewed coffee. CoffeeGeek has a good writeup.

Oct 26, 2011 ∞

Bummed that Origins Coffee is done for the season. Dude makes a killer espresso. Hope he pops back up soon! ☕️

Sep 15, 2011 ∞

Giddy to have my espresso machine back operational! New heating element in place and general tuneup!

Mar 24, 2011 ∞

Vacation Coffee Break

I’m on vacation this week. We went to North Dakota earlier. Today I spent the day with Tyler and it was great. Tomorrow Mazie and I are having a Daddy/Daughter day.

While Tyler tried to nap, I did get time for a wonderful Chemex coffee break. Very nice.

Chemex pour-over coffee brewer on a dark kitchen counter next to a white RoadSignMath.com mug, with a pineapple and red cloth in the background.

Note the old school Road Sign Math coffee mug. 😀

Feb 19, 2011 ∞

I was at Ambrosia Espresso for a coffee yesterday. I got my typical macchiato. They got it right on the demitasse, but what is with the giant plate?

Small espresso macchiato in a dark demitasse cup centered on an oversized white saucer atop a marble cafe table.

Feb 19, 2011 ∞

Tammy surprised me with a Chemex Coffeemaker for Valentine’s Day. I brewed a batch of coffee with it for the first time today and it was great. So smooth, nearly no acidity. This is a great option for occasions where I want a cup of coffee instead of an espresso.

Chemex coffeemaker with paper filter brewing coffee on a wooden cutting board beside an Anchor glass and a stovetop in a home kitchen

Dec 10, 2010 ∞

Attract Customers with WiFi Name

A while back we were traveling and I noticed that this coffee shop, Kavarna, didn’t just have its name in its WiFi network as most do. They smartly were telling anyone that could see the WiFi signal to come on in and use the network.

iPhone Wi-Fi settings screen showing the network Free WiFi at Kavarna selected and connected, with Wi-Fi and Ask to Join Networks both toggled ON.

Smart. More places should do this. How about “Free Refills” in your WiFi network name?