My journeys with coffee
Coffee is more than a cup of Joe or a caffeine jolt. Whether I am in my neighborhood or globetrotting, my journeys with coffee are memorable.
I will never forget coffee aromas wafting through the house in the early morning. My dad, Walter, arose early and would make his morning coffee. He didn’t allow me to have any, because I was too young, and he said that it would stunt my growth; I waited until I went to college before savoring my first cup. At first, I followed his way by adding a little cream and two cubes of sugar but quickly decided that black coffee was the only way I could have it, except when I discovered cappuccinos much later in my life. His coffee of choice was Yuban in the familiar brown can, and I enjoyed it as the beginning of my coffee journey.
When we graduated from our family business to include local artisan and gourmet foods, we added a deli and bought whole coffee beans. We used North Beach-based Graffeo (founded in 1935, and still supplying local eateries and bought from Mountanos Brothers (fifth-generations coffee roaster wholesaling out of South San Francisco). In the beginning, my dad did not like the whole bean concept. Gradually, he found it to his liking and was able to let go of his “Yuban already ground coffee” drink of choice.
Working in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco and drinking freshly brewed coffee from just ground beans took care of my needs until I joined BevMo! and the corporate world. I learned quickly that my new teammates were caffeine-driven, and I started to frequent Starbucks and Peet’s. While not a daily trek, I was a regular imbiber. My first signature drink was a cappuccino. I preferred Peet’s over Starbucks because it was more robust and flavorful. At Starbucks, I always added an extra shot of espresso. One time, I received two extra shots, and I felt like I was on another plane.
When I arrived, I found a place filled with Americans on the same mission of finding excellent caffeine drinks.
In 2013, I went searching for the perfect cappuccino while in Paris. I had just finished a long week in Bordeaux, and I had the option of spending the last day in the Bordeaux Centre or playing tourist in Paris; I chose the latter. I checked Yelp and saw my choices for coffee. Reviews on Yelp are often suspect, I scrolled through the endless list before finding Téléscope, in the 2nd Arrondissment, near the Louvre. When I arrived, I found a place filled with Americans on the same mission of finding excellent caffeine drinks. I enjoyed my cappuccino as I conversed with the baristas and patrons. This was a memorable coffee moment. I returned two years later and receive a friendly, “Great to see you again!”
In April 2014, I joined Wine.com. Our offices were on the corner of Bush and Sansome in the heart of San Francisco FiDi. There were coffee places everywhere, and my teammates seemingly knew the good and bad about all of them. Our daily conversations about wine and food were non-stop. I was now home, where I could continue my coffee journey beyond my wildest dream.
My first discovery was Coffee Bar on Montgomery Street. There I met baristas that were into it. In my daily visits, I met Andrinea, Andy, Chelsie, and others. We compared notes on not just coffee but wine, spirits, and food. No longer was I just a number in a line at Starbucks or Peet’s, but as a real person. Just a half a block from our offices was Coffee Cultures. Many of my teammates preferred it to Coffee Bar. On one meeting, I saw a man in the corner of the shop savoring his coffee. To my surprise, he was the owner and curious about some pastries I had in a bag. I had just come from AU, Golden West, a hole-in-the-wall bakery, and bought their once-a-week turnovers offering. He agreed that AU was the place to go in the area.
Coffee Bar Montgomery
In the years to follow, I found many more places to go including Chapel Hill Coffee, Equator Coffees & Teas, Enough Coffee & Tea, Sightglass, Blue Bottle, and others. At each stop, I became fast friends with the baristas and managers. Many of these friendships have become enduring as we continue to swap stories on social media and in person.
In Italy, espresso is a way of life. At most places, you order either a one-shot or two of a café. In June 2005, we wander into a Pasticceria in Panzano, I sipped my espresso with a breakfast pastry. This was the opposite of the movie, You’ve got Mail, where Tom Hanks is commenting on how many ways New Yorkers order their coffees in the Starbucks scene, “People with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee.” The expresso that morning was perfect as expected.
I learned how serious the Kiwis and Aussies take their caffeine drinks.
While judging in two wine competitions back-to-back in New Zealand and Australia, I learned how seriously the Kiwis and Aussies take their caffeine drinks. I would bet that many Americans have no idea that these two countries are devilishly caffeinated. I visited several coffee shops in New Zealand and was thoroughly impressed. At the Sydney International Wine Competition, the judging employed a top culinary team to provide food and outstanding long black, cappuccino, and flat white among their arsenal of caffeine drinks.
Since March 2020, when many of us were jettisoned to working remotely, my wife (also a coffee lover) and I have found places near our home to continue our hunt for coffee spots. We have become fans of Excelsior Coffee and Mission Blue. Both spots strongly believe in the neighborhood and support local causes. Oh, and the coffees are delicious!
My journeys with coffee, while not as intense as my wine research, is one of the pleasures in life. Coffee spots are more than just a place to say, “Hey, get me a cup of java;” they are places we can call home.
