A Nice Cuppa

Everyone???s got a cause these days. And where are some of the most heated debates? The grocery store, more specifically, the coffee aisle. In this day and age, you???re shunned for popping open a jar of instant coffee. Everyone expects something different. One person who cares wants organic, another will […]

When you live in a climate like Northern California???s, Autumn really isn???t that much different from Spring or Winter. So, how do I know the season has changed? Just check out the menu at any coffee shop. Starbuck???s is featuring a Pumpkin Spice Latte. Pumpkin mixed with espresso, blended with classic […]

Every week, I find myself in the coffee aisle of my grocery store, all sense of time lost, gazing at the wall of fresh coffees. I try to find a new bean or blend every week, and have really enjoyed all my new findings. But some days, I???m just tired. I have […]

With last weekend???s holiday, I felt a yin for a summery coffee treat. Having only recently discovered that I do in fact enjoy good espresso (as opposed to the BAD espresso I???ve tried in the past), I was tempted by a pint of Ciao Bella Espresso Gelato.
Always a sucker for web research, I […]

I was wandering around one of Oakland???s big tourist traps, Jack London Square. The main strip of stores and restaurants are mostly chains and less than exciting. Pizza Uno, Starbucks inside the Barnes and Noble, Subway, nothing that can???t be found in any suburban shopping center. And like most coffee drinkers out […]

How are television channels trying to gain market share in an increasingly competitive market? The answer is Webisodes. Generally in the 5-10 minute range, Webisodes are short versions of existing shows, or original, web-only series. Jumping on this trend is the Food Network, with Dave Does. And this week???s Webisode has […]

Last week I noticed my coffee tasted a little??? off. I couldn???t really put my finger on how. A little stale, a little funky. I didn???t give it much more thought and went about my day. The next day, same thing. Coffee that tasted almost dirty. Strange. I […]

I???m not a big tea drinker. I dig the herbal tea when I???m feeling ill, but standard black tea was never my thing. A friend introduced me to Chai Spiced tea a few years ago, and that was tasty, but I realized that I was pouring so much sugar into the drink; it was […]

According to the Friday, August 04, 2006 edition of the Wall Street Journal, Starbucks??? unwavering growth finally, well, wavered. While still on the ???growth??? end of the stock game, sales in stores that have been open longer than 13 months only grew 4%, falling well short of the standard 8-10% growth to which […]

West Oakland is not exactly hopping. The nearest place to get a cup of coffee is the mini-mart around the corner. Not exactly my idea of a decent cup of coffee. (More often than not the brew is so old and tasteless, that when you have no other options, you find yourself […]