Two days behind. No internet and a cold have made it hard to keep up. But I'm back now!
(As for internet, the guy promising a wifi password never came back, and I'm not about to harass him about it and make him hate my sister, who's his neighbor.)
My asking Friday was a classic for Seattle: How do you make good coffee?
I spent the evening at Espresso Vivace, the second time in a day. The place was fairly calm for a weekend night, and I started talking with the barista. He seemed bored and chatty. Just the type I was looking for."Do you think it's possible to make coffee close to this at home?" I started.
No, since their espresso machine is unrivaled.
"But when you do make coffee at home, do you even try to make it like this?" I pressed.
Nah. He gets free coffee there. Why bother with anything else?
He started explaining why their machines are so great and how hard it was for him to master latte art. The most seasoned employees train the staff once a month, to make sure everyone's skills are up to standard. For some the wrist movements come naturally, for others it takes years. There's a book written by the owner with info about making the perfect espresso, in case I was interested in reading about it.
Lots of info. Just, not the info I was looking for.
I could have asked him to teach me how to make latte art, I could have hopped behind the counter to watch how he packs in the grounds and adjusts the temperatures.
But honestly, I was fighting a cold. I had an 8 a.m. shopping date. And I was over it.
Gained: some vague, useless info about making coffee.
