PALespress Senior Member Joined: 31 Oct 2006 Posts: 14 Location: NYC Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Gaggia Coffee Grinder: Macap M4, Maestro Plus for... Drip: Chemex Roaster: Poppery II occasionally...
Posted Tue Aug 19, 2008, 7:46am Subject: Keeping tabs on NYC espresso favorites
Once in a while, I'll get a subpar espresso shot or less-than-perfect espresso-based drink at one of NYC's top places. Most of these places (Grumpy, 9th Street, Everyman et al) will often throw out espresso shots that aren't up to their high standards. I also have to mention that Gimme Coffee (Lorimer St. only) has never in my memory, ever, messed up a drink.
Now, after two mediocre experiences at El Beit in Williamsburg--one weak iced Americano and a long, bitter, super-hot espresso shot that belonged in the sink--I'm almost ready to remove them from my mental list of top spots in the city. I haven't seen Dan Griffin's face around there in months, and apparently some of their newer baristi are slacking. Just saying, I personally don't want to see any of our favorite espresso haunts coasting by on their reputations. I need you, El Beit! Your backyard rocks, and you've served me some of the city's best espresso shots...
OK. Now for the most comically bad coffee experience of the week. For those of you who read these glowing posts of New York's big guns, please keep in mind that we go wayyy out of our way to patronize these places, and that most coffeehouses around town are hilariously awful. So, in a place in Astoria, Queens that I won't mention by name since they are nice folks and serve the community well, I ordered an iced espresso. The person behind the counter gets out a pod packet, and slips it into the tiny espresso machine. While she's pulling the shot, she gets an espresso shot glass and fills it with three or four ice cubes. I explain that I need more ice. So she gets a to go cup, and dumps the three or four ice cubes in it. Meanwhile, I notice the shot had been running for about 45 seconds. Finally she shut off the damned thing, poured the hot coffee-type stuff over the four ice cubes, and then asked if I wanted her to turn the machine back on for a larger drink. I finally convinced her to put lots of ice into the drink, and I did the honors of shaking it up. After all that work--strangely--it was still better than MANY coffee drinks I've had served to me in Astoria, which is an absolute black hole of coffee despite the presence of nearly a hundred thousand Europeans.
PALespress Senior Member Joined: 31 Oct 2006 Posts: 14 Location: NYC Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Gaggia Coffee Grinder: Macap M4, Maestro Plus for... Drip: Chemex Roaster: Poppery II occasionally...
Posted Thu Aug 21, 2008, 2:47pm Subject: Re: Keeping tabs on NYC espresso favorites
OK, El Beit is now off the hook. My espresso today was very good, made by a pro. But I guess it depends on who's working...
Also, I had a bad macchiato a few days ago at Everyman. But I'm sure it was an abberration--the guy just left the shot on while steaming the milk, and it ran too long. Am I forever doomed, as an espresso freak, to get really nervous when a barista walks away from the machine or multitasks when that 30-second mark is approaching?
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