Dunkin' Donuts his finally offering rewards to loyal coffee drinkers & doughnut eaters to stay competitive with Starbucks. I like rewards. And I like doughnuts. I REALLY like coffee. Seems like a winning combination!
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Friday, January 17, 2014
American Coffee in Cairo, Egypt
I’m in the process of planning what is sure to be an amazing trip to Mozambique, Africa. All my research has made me nostalgic for other amazing places I have been in this world. In college, when I was studying abroad in Rome, I went to visit a friend living in Cairo, Egypt.
At the time, I thought I would experience immense culture shock when I arrived. While customs and daily life in Egypt are far removed from American ways, there are certain aspects of Cairo that made me feel like I was back in the States more-so than I felt during my entire stay in Italy. For instance, in Italy, there are almost no American products for sale. They do not eat the cereals we eat and finding a jar of peanut butter is next to impossible.
Having gotten used to these differences while living in Italy, I was certainly surprised to see Nature Valley granola bars and Fruit Loops stocked high on the market shelves in Cairo.
Needless to say, the biggest difference while in Italy was the coffee. American cafes and Italian cafes couldn't be more distinct. Feeling far-removed from American coffee culture during my stay in Italy, right before heading back to Europe I stopped in at a very American-looking cafe that I had to try, mostly because I had been craving a mocha frappuccino for months.
The coffee shop was called Costa Coffee. It is a chain, and the location I visited was in Zamalek where I was staying. While making a stop here was far from experiencing historic Egyptian coffee culture, it is interesting non-the-less to see shops like these begin to plague the region. I have no recollection of how the drink tasted, and no pictures of the coffee shop to even show you. But I do remember feeling like I was in a Starbucks in the middle of an ancient city in the middle of a desert, which is to say it felt odd, but American for a moment.
Just last year, the Sydney Morning Herald reported “the Australian cafe chain The Coffee Club planned its assault on the Egyptian market … and less than a year after selling a licence [sic] to an Egyptian franchisee, The Coffee Club opened its first cafe on Egypt's north coast.”
While Italy is working hard to prevent chain shops from dominating the coffee scene, developing countries like Egypt welcome them with open arms. That is not to say that there isn't a place for traditional ahawi (coffeehouse). As the Daily News Egypt put it, “Ahawi have existed for centuries. They are places where commoners (particularly men) meet to spend their leisure time after a long day. Men at the ahawi would listen to a singer, play backgammon and dominos, and discuss life. They are known to be cheap (a cup of tea or coffee goes for as little as a pound), provide open air seating and give a taste of the authentic Egyptian spirit. In short, they were the place to go to socialize [sic] and relax.” And they still are to a large degree.
The influx of modern cafes may even be a good thing for the region, as they welcome female customers while many ahawi still cater mostly to men.
At the time, I thought I would experience immense culture shock when I arrived. While customs and daily life in Egypt are far removed from American ways, there are certain aspects of Cairo that made me feel like I was back in the States more-so than I felt during my entire stay in Italy. For instance, in Italy, there are almost no American products for sale. They do not eat the cereals we eat and finding a jar of peanut butter is next to impossible.
Having gotten used to these differences while living in Italy, I was certainly surprised to see Nature Valley granola bars and Fruit Loops stocked high on the market shelves in Cairo.
Needless to say, the biggest difference while in Italy was the coffee. American cafes and Italian cafes couldn't be more distinct. Feeling far-removed from American coffee culture during my stay in Italy, right before heading back to Europe I stopped in at a very American-looking cafe that I had to try, mostly because I had been craving a mocha frappuccino for months.
Just last year, the Sydney Morning Herald reported “the Australian cafe chain The Coffee Club planned its assault on the Egyptian market … and less than a year after selling a licence [sic] to an Egyptian franchisee, The Coffee Club opened its first cafe on Egypt's north coast.”
The influx of modern cafes may even be a good thing for the region, as they welcome female customers while many ahawi still cater mostly to men.
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Curbside Cafe
This morning I woke up to pouring rain and little interest to leave my bed. But soon enough, my desire for a morning cup of coffee took over, so I put on my boots and walked down the street to Curbside Cafe.
You may recognize the little cupcake-on-wheels logo from the Curbside Cupcake truck driving around town. The truck was so successful that the owners decided to create a brick-and-mortar location to bake all the tiny cakes and to keep up with demand. On the first floor of the shop you'll find a quaint cafe, while downstairs is where all the baking is done.
I heard that Curbside made in-house poptarts, like Ted's Bulletin, and have been dying to try them out to compare. As I walked in, the lady behind the counter greeted me simply and seemed very down-to-earth. In cities, cafes often take themselves (and their coffee) a bit too seriously, and forget that an important part of any neighborhood coffee shop is a friendly and welcoming face. I felt very-much at home at Curbside.
I immediately started snapping pictures while deciding what kind of poptart to try (for sweet, they had strawberry, apple crisp, and Nutella, while for savory they had spinach and gruyere, two different pizza flavored selections, PB&J, and bacon, egg, and cheese) obviously I ended up trying one savory and one sweet.
While I was snapping pictures the woman said, "so, are you gonna make me famous?" We shared a laugh and then she asked if she could get a coffee started for me. I told her I was a coffee blogger of some sorts, and she began to tell me all about the beans they use, while whipping her bow joking that this time around she better make the best cappuccino she's ever made.
For the coffee, Curbside uses locally roasted beans from Vigilante Coffee based in Northeast DC. The woman mentioned that the roaster made a special blend for the shop which is supposed to be sweet enough to drink with a cupcake, without being too strong or harsh to overpower the pastry. She wanted a cup of coffee that was easy to drink every day. For the espresso beverages, however, Curbside uses another type of bean... but I forget what kind. Some coffee blogger I am.
By the time she told me all about this special Vigilante blend, I had already ordered a cappuccino, but you can bet next time I will definitely try the drip coffee. The cappuccino came out extra hot, but just cool enough not to burn your tongue, which is good because I can't stand when I burn my tongue on the first sip. The espresso flavor was easy and very present, though I wish the foam had been thicker and more defined. Hopefully that will come with time.
Now for the poptarts. It's almost hard to compare them to Ted's because they are honestly so different. I think Ted's grasps the traditional flavor and consistency of a dense, traditional poptart a bit more, while Curbside's are more like a filled puff pastry. I started off with the savory spinach, egg, and gruyere. I loved the puff pastry outside, but I wish it had a bit less egg and more spinach and cheese. It tasted very much like a quiche. Next time I'd ask for it heated, I think it would amp up the flavor a bit. I do love that Curbside offers savory poptart selections - something Ted's does not.
Moving onto the sweet pastry, it was yummy, but nothing to write home about. It was pretty standard, the jam inside felt flat and not very fresh (which actually gave the feeling of eating real store-bought poptart, for better or worse.) Next time I visit, I think I will stick to the savory poptarts and maybe try a cupcake or chocolate croissant for something sweet!
Overall, Curbside Cafe is a wonderful edition to Southeast DC. It's simple, convenient, and has a wonderful down-to-earth vibe. It's a place to meet the neighbors or grab a bite to eat. I'm excited to go back again to try the Vigilante coffee and see how it compares!
You may recognize the little cupcake-on-wheels logo from the Curbside Cupcake truck driving around town. The truck was so successful that the owners decided to create a brick-and-mortar location to bake all the tiny cakes and to keep up with demand. On the first floor of the shop you'll find a quaint cafe, while downstairs is where all the baking is done.
I heard that Curbside made in-house poptarts, like Ted's Bulletin, and have been dying to try them out to compare. As I walked in, the lady behind the counter greeted me simply and seemed very down-to-earth. In cities, cafes often take themselves (and their coffee) a bit too seriously, and forget that an important part of any neighborhood coffee shop is a friendly and welcoming face. I felt very-much at home at Curbside.
I immediately started snapping pictures while deciding what kind of poptart to try (for sweet, they had strawberry, apple crisp, and Nutella, while for savory they had spinach and gruyere, two different pizza flavored selections, PB&J, and bacon, egg, and cheese) obviously I ended up trying one savory and one sweet.
While I was snapping pictures the woman said, "so, are you gonna make me famous?" We shared a laugh and then she asked if she could get a coffee started for me. I told her I was a coffee blogger of some sorts, and she began to tell me all about the beans they use, while whipping her bow joking that this time around she better make the best cappuccino she's ever made.
For the coffee, Curbside uses locally roasted beans from Vigilante Coffee based in Northeast DC. The woman mentioned that the roaster made a special blend for the shop which is supposed to be sweet enough to drink with a cupcake, without being too strong or harsh to overpower the pastry. She wanted a cup of coffee that was easy to drink every day. For the espresso beverages, however, Curbside uses another type of bean... but I forget what kind. Some coffee blogger I am.
By the time she told me all about this special Vigilante blend, I had already ordered a cappuccino, but you can bet next time I will definitely try the drip coffee. The cappuccino came out extra hot, but just cool enough not to burn your tongue, which is good because I can't stand when I burn my tongue on the first sip. The espresso flavor was easy and very present, though I wish the foam had been thicker and more defined. Hopefully that will come with time.
Moving onto the sweet pastry, it was yummy, but nothing to write home about. It was pretty standard, the jam inside felt flat and not very fresh (which actually gave the feeling of eating real store-bought poptart, for better or worse.) Next time I visit, I think I will stick to the savory poptarts and maybe try a cupcake or chocolate croissant for something sweet!
Overall, Curbside Cafe is a wonderful edition to Southeast DC. It's simple, convenient, and has a wonderful down-to-earth vibe. It's a place to meet the neighbors or grab a bite to eat. I'm excited to go back again to try the Vigilante coffee and see how it compares!
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