SPOT OF BOTHER #2: Good Restaurants, Bad Coffee
by Brooke A. Brown
I love coffee. Actually, love is too weak a word. When it comes to a good cup of joe, I’m like Woody Allen’s Alvy Singer to Diane Keaton’s Annie Hall – I have to invent new words to better express how I feel. I lurrrve coffee, you know? I loave it. I luff coffee with two ‘F’s.
I’ve been drinking coffee since I was 14 years old. It all started when I first donned an apron at my family’s restaurant. My grandfather – his apron read “Grill Sergeant” – was my inspiration. If he could see the bottom of the cup, he would say something to the effect of: “This coffee went to court and was cleared!” Then he’d laugh and begrudgingly drink the weak brew down. Of course, he wasn’t talking about the coffee we served.
Sure, I started with cream and sugar like most folks, but it wasn’t long before I passed on the sugar dispenser completely. Shortly after that, and certainly by the time I was 16, I left the Half-n-Half behind, as well. I haven’t looked back since. If anything, I find myself now craving the strongest cup of black gold that’s available: a nice shot of espresso, a cup of dark-roasted coffee with a shot of espresso (often called a red-eye) or my mother-in-law’s French-pressed home brew. Yowza!
Naturally I start the day with a hefty mug (or several) of automatic drip, but it’s the after dinner one that might be my favorite cup-o-the-day. Well it would be my favorite, ideally… But good coffee is a hard thing to come by in Charleston-area restaurants. One might call such a conundrum a spot of bother.
Forget the coffee at chain restaurants: it’s pretty bad across the board. Java at Leonoro’s? Fuggedaboutit. Blossom? Blah. Soho’s? So-so. Rio Grande? No me gusta. First Watch? Hope it’s not your first cup.
Now, I am a big fan of each and every one of the restaurants mentioned above. Their collective menus are diverse, exciting and, well… pretty darn tasty. I even plan to share some of my favorites with you in future posts. I’m just saying that it would be nice if the same love (or luff) that so obviously goes into the Leonoro’s marinara or the Blossom’s amazing dinner entrées would make an appearance in that squatty little ceramic cup there at the upper right-hand corner of my place setting.
I will say this: there are at least two local restaurants that serve really good coffee. The first is Tidewater. Theirs is a nice, dark-roasted brew that may even contain a touch of chicory a la the Café du Monde. The other is Bluegrass Kitchen. They opt for a shade-grown, fair-traded organic bean in both regular and cinnamon-enhanced varieties. The cinnamon coffee is especially good with a slice of Keeley Lime Pie.
So is it just me? Are my buds tainted by too many Turkish coffees? Or do most Charleston area restaurants, in fact, just brew bad beans? What do you think? Let the question percolate for a few minutes before leaving your comment.
August 22nd, 2007 at 12:13 pm
Best coffee in town, hands down, is not at a restaurant, but at Sofia’s Gourmet Coffee Shop in the first floor of the Fifth Third Bank building on Virginia St. Her supplier is Crimson Cup and its smokey and rich, unlike the pansy coffee served elsewhere in the town’s restaurants and other coffeeshops. I like to get a double shot of espresso with a little sugar and Half-n-Half. It will grow hair on your feet (if you don’t already have Hobbit feet)
Doug I.
August 22nd, 2007 at 12:52 pm
Blech… and you can quote me. The best cup is Capitol Roaster’s Mexican Organic. It’s Vienna roast, so it is darker, but the Mexican beans are very mellow. The beans themselves are very oily and fragrant, which means there’s enough juice in this stuff to light up a small town.
The downside is that Capitol Roasters infrequently has the stuff. They run out and do not restock quickly.
August 22nd, 2007 at 2:08 pm
FYI: Darker coffee has less caffiene. The problem with Capitol Roasters is consistency. Sometimes I go in there and the coffee is wonderful, others it tastes like it was made from old beens. I have to agree that Sofia’s might be the best in town because (1) it is very good and (2) it is consistent.
August 22nd, 2007 at 2:15 pm
Oily beans are a beautiful thing, Bill.
The YWCA’s Perkin’ Up Gourmet Coffee Shop, located in the back of their Past ‘n Present Gently Used Clothing store on Lee Street, is another place for a quality cup. Luckily, we’re not short on respectable coffeehouses in this town.
You know, it might be a good idea for local restaurateurs to partner with your Capitol Roasters of the world. Each establishment could cross-promote one another, and good coffee could be had by all.
August 22nd, 2007 at 2:40 pm
My dad used to say that my coffee tasted like what the Army brewed in big aluminum cans on field manuevers during WWII…so maybe I’m not a good reference point. (That coffee was what drove our troops to victory! Or, drove them over the hill for a few minutes of necessity.) But, I so agree that the coffee in some of our best eateries seems to be treated as an after-thought. It should be just as important as the meal. Another great coffee service is at The Chop House, which not only brings the steaming hot brew, but also an entire tray of goodies to add as one sees fit.
August 23rd, 2007 at 8:24 am
The best cup of restaurant coffee used to be found at Mykonos (which no longer exists). It was the tiny demitasse of Turkish-style, heated over the stove coffee. The kind where you could chew on the coffee grounds at the end. Mmmm.
Coffee is one of my favorite bitters– heavy tannin red wine and super dark chocolate being the other two. I won’t hesitate to admit that not only am I very picky about a good cup, but I would much rather go without than drink a cup of brown water.
I have to disagree with Bluegrass having good coffee, it’s too weak for me and it lacks body. If Capitol Roasters would get their act together, they could specially roast batches and sell them (fresh!) to local establishments. There’s just not enough public outcry yet.
August 23rd, 2007 at 8:41 am
Oh boy,I concur with Brooke on this one. There’s nothing I’d like to see more than a steaming cup of Starbucks occupying that upper righthand corner of my place-setting. ( I know, I know…Starbucks, but hey, they’re popular for a reason.) Maybe the marketing geniuses who’ve secured a spot for Boar’s Head meat in every Charleston grocery store, deli, and lunch counter could put their heads together and figure out how to raise the level of coffee service at our local eateries as well!
August 23rd, 2007 at 8:48 am
Let’s not forget to patronize our “local” coffee establishments that make pretty decent java…
Capitol Roasters
Taylor Books
Sofia’s
Starbucks is obviously good, but I try to spend my money locally…
August 23rd, 2007 at 9:18 am
I’m glad I’m not the only one who doesn’t like the coffee at First Watch. It’s definitely not on par with their food.
August 23rd, 2007 at 10:04 am
Years back, when Ethiopa had a Starbucks but W.Va. did not, I was ectastic when we finally got one, then several. But since they switched to automatic push-button espresso machines their coffee has become a corporate, production-line experience. Even the company chairman, in an internal memo leaked to www.starbucksgossip.com, feared the machines had diminished their coffee and “removed much of the romance and theater” of hand-made brews by barristas. I will still go with no other choice available, but not when a Sofia’s or Roasters is around. Support homemade, hand-pulled brews!
August 23rd, 2007 at 10:30 am
M. James - You’re right about the Bluegrass coffee not being strong. I just have a soft spot for organics… and CINNAMON. You’re also right-on re: the coffee at Mykonos. It was heavenly.
Miss S - You make me smile.
Rich - I have no choice but to frequent our coffee shops since I can’t get a good cup in a restaurant! Thankfully we do have several options, like you mention, and most of them are local businesses.
Hippie Killer - The Lovely Miss S and I normally bring coffee either from home or one of the java joints mentioned above when we go to First Watch. Their food is great; their coffee? NOT.
Doug - The “romance and theater” is certainly a big part of the experience. The aroma, the sound, the crema…
August 23rd, 2007 at 10:40 am
I knew I was taking a risk revealing my adoration for corp. giant Starbucks, so I guess this afternoon I’ll have to head over to Sofia’s to see what all the fuss is about!
August 23rd, 2007 at 2:55 pm
Well, by gosh, Sofia’s does turn out a right tasty cup o’ joe. Even diluted with ice and milk, it still packs a nice little punch. Perhaps some of our fine downtown eateries could source Sofia’s for their house blends. Thanks for the recommendations!
August 24th, 2007 at 2:25 pm
I failed to mention that the worst coffee honors belong to Tudor’s Biscuit World, which really is an outrage. Just think how much better a Thundering Herd would be with a strong cup of brew.
August 25th, 2007 at 9:39 pm
I hate to confess this among all the words above, but:
A. I like coffee that doesn’t stand up and try to wear my pants. I am more fond of the smell of coffee. I drink an au lait - lots of milk. Creamy, soothing, flavorful without all the bitter and acid of most dark brews. I buy Breakfast blends if that tells you where I am on the spectrum.
B. On a good day, McDonalds has a great cup. I know, shame me into anonimity. But, one packet of sugar and 3 creams…perfection. Starbucks is terrible. Oh, if we only had a Dunkin Donuts in Charleston.
August 26th, 2007 at 2:32 pm
Jennifer,
Compared to most Charleston restaurants, fast-food joints like McDonalds and Burger King have far superior coffee. This post isn’t about shaming people who don’t like strong, dark-roasted coffee, but rather raising the point to local eateries that weak, flavor- and aroma-less coffee is unacceptable!
August 27th, 2007 at 7:18 am
I agree, a good cup of coffee is hard to come by around here. Admittedly, I’ve tried neither Capital Roasters nor Sophia’s, but I’ll make it a point to do so. Starbucks, is OK, but way overpriced, and I tend to agree with Rich Ireland on keeping $$$ local whenever possible.
That said, have any of you ever had coffee from Daily Grind? They are based in Winchester VA, and have awesome coffee. There are no stores locally, but you can buy their products online. I highly reccommend Jamaica Me Crazy and Morning Buzz.
I’m not much for cappicino’s or latte’s. Espresso I can do, but my preference is a good, rich, strong, smoky tasting dark roast. I’m not sure about the “Red Eye”, but I’m willing to give it a shot.
August 27th, 2007 at 8:17 am
Coffee for mew should be opaque, in a clear glass cup all the way to the bottom. Black coffee is indeed hard to come by, but unbeliveably some of the bext coffe I have had in Charleston, other than my own, or my father’s (especially whne he gets some freash beans from my brother who just happens to reside next to a coffee magnate, has been at Bob Evans. I have also found a liking for the BK moka Joe, and the iced coffee at Micky D’s, by far though is my own perked coffe in the churches 30 cup old fashioned perker.
August 27th, 2007 at 10:01 am
Mike, there is a Daily Grind in Morgantown that has the best coffee in the state, by far! It is the coffee that I compare all others to.
I was in Seattle for a week last year, and it truly is coffee paradise. I did not have one cup of coffee that was not fantastic the entire time I was there. I don’t understand why we can’t have that here in Charleston - it’s not rocket science, people.
I admit that I frequent Starbucks, mainly because the quality is fairly consistent (except for one barrista who works there who inevitably gives me a luke-warm mocha - guess he’s too lazy to keep the milk at the proper temp), but it’s certainly not the best available, and I would prefer to find a local place. Capitol Roasters has disappointed me in the past - it’s hit and miss there. Taylor books is usually pretty good, but it just depends there as well, and neither place is very convenient for me.
Forget about good coffee in restaurants here, I totally agree! I did have an excellent cup (two cups, actually) at Laury’s, but we only go there for special occasions. You shouldn’t have to go to a place where dinner’s going to cost you $100 plus, in order to get a decent cup of coffee.
August 28th, 2007 at 8:30 am
When I began reading this article I wanted to shout “TIDEWATER”. You did it for me. By far the best, and if you ask what kind it is you will be surprised. Ice tea is the tops as well.
August 30th, 2007 at 9:06 am
At the risk of being thought unfashionable, I am here to decree, loudy and proudly, that I LOVE Starbucks. Nothing else puts a smile on my face like their iced latte, except maybe the cinnamon joe at Bluegrass Kitchen. Of course, everything at Bluegrass Kitchen puts a smile on my face. Kudos to Keeley and John for their attention to every last detail of a wonderful meal!
August 30th, 2007 at 1:36 pm
After attending school in Seattle for a year, I’ve quickly become quite the coffee snob. However, I’ve learned that some of the best coffee can be made right at home. It’s cheap and it’s easy. Of course, you want to buy whole bean and grind it, so you will need a grinder, but I’d recommend
most of the whole bean coffee from Cafe Umbria (Seattle’s original coffee shop) for taste.
Order online: http://www.caffeumbria.com/shop.html
Peet’s Coffee (out of S. California) serves as better wake-up call than any alarm clock (after 2 cups you start twitching):
Online: http://www.peets.com/shop/coffee.asp
(I would recommend the Major Dickason’s blend to start with).
And of course, I couldn’t not promote Signal Coffee… a branch-out of a new, progressing Seattle snowboard company:
http://signalcoffee.com/coffee.asp
(recommendation: French Sumatra)
September 5th, 2007 at 10:43 am
Wow, Aaron. Thanks for the great commentary and the helpful links!
October 23rd, 2007 at 9:35 am
Hello…Thanks for the nice read, keep up the interesting posts..what a nice Tuesday