A new Juan Valdez has recently opened in one of our two local malls. I'm there nearly every other day reading, writing, grading, or planning classes. The coffee is amazing. I've never had such marvelous espresso. Now all we need is another bookstore and I could live here forever... (Outside Colombia, there are locations in Philadelphia, New York, Seattle, Washington D.C., and Madrid, Spain.)
5 comments:
Sounds wonderful.
Here in the states, the best cup of coffee I've had so far comes from Urth Caffe in Los Angeles.
Oh. But I would have thought that in a place like Santa Marta, Colombia, one might while away one's time sitting in some wonderful old mom and pop coffee shop, rather than in an ultra modern chain type place. The whole world has turned plastic. There is nothing real anymore.
You'd think...but sadly, it isn't true. There are a couple of other places in town where you can get a tolerable cappuccino (and not much else), but the espresso is always way too weak and watery. I've long been saddened by the irony that Colombia seems to export all of its best coffee. (And very few know how to make a decent cup.) Juan Valdez, being a Colombian company, seems to be proving that this doesn't necessarily have to be the case. It's much better than anything I've ever had in the States or at Starbucks.
so, what kind of coffee drink do you like to get? plain ole cuppa coffee? an actual authentic shot-glass sized espresso? the afforementioned cappuccino? plain or with a kick of flavor added?
just curious... (I'm a "fill mine up with sweet stuff and steamed milk" kind of person. Mocha or white with raspberry, or even some cheap-ass carnation flavored creamer if I'm just getting a plain ole cuppa joe. If I knew what really good coffee tasted like, I might not need all that sugar, but Michigan is not exactly a good coffee hotspot)
Strong and black in the mornings, then whatever I feel like after that. I really like their cappuccinos, then their lattés with arequipe. The mochas are little too sweet, but they're perfect if they're not stirred. The iced and frozen drinks are excellent as well, but I like the straight simplicity a regular cup or cappuccino best (which is why it's important to have good beans--there's nothing extra to hide the original flavor).
Post a Comment