For the Coffee Connoisseur

“Why don't you have a cup of coffee at least?
I, um, I'm a little low in sugar and I don't have any cream,
but it's real coffee.”
-Barbra Streisand

I received a postcard dated March 11, 2009 from Netherlands with a photo of a coffee cup. It had a 'scratch n' sniff' and included these Dutch words:
Kom je op de koffie? The backside of the postcard stated the following:

Hi Michael!
A postcard from Holland! Just scratch the coffee and then smell it. Lovely, huh? Coffee is one of my big passions! i couldn't do without. I've heard that American coffee is really bad, is that so? Enjoy your coffee!
Cheers,
Cindy

I sent Cindy an electronic mail that went something like 'American coffee is pretty BAD unless you know where to shop for the GOOD beans'. Cindy's postcard inspired me to write about my three favorite coffees. Today I share them with you:

1. Torrefazione Italia Perugia Blend-
Medium roast, full body, smooth and rich!
http://www.titalia.com/site/default.aspx

2. PEETS Coffee
a. a mix of beans-half Italian Roast + half Major Dickason's Blend
b. a mix of beans-half French Roast + half Major Dickason's Blend
(PEETS French Roast-
The darkest roast. An intense, bold coffee with pronounced smoky overtones.
Major Dickason's Blend-
Our most famous blend. Combines the best coffees from the world's premier coffee-growing regions. Very full-bodied, complex, rich, and smooth.
PEETS Italian Roast-
Intense; blended from the fullest-bodied, most flavorful coffees from the Pacific and Latin America.)
http://www.peets.com/shop/coffee.asp

3. Verona Blend, Starbucks
Caffè Verona is a seductive blend of beans from Latin America and Indonesia, with a gentle touch of Italian Roast lending depth, soul and sweetness.

ALWAYS buy the coffee beans and grind them just before preparation for the freshest, dreamy cup.

Of course, if you're in ITALY...always go to the coffee bar for the best 'cappuccini' in the world. That's the BEST.

Twenty-five years ago today:

Saturday, March 24, 1984

This morning I took a zip quick bike ride to mom's. I ate breakfast and continued on my ride to the Fruitvale BART station. I transported my bike into San Francisco and did some brisk riding in and around Golden Gate Park until about 3:30PM. I discovered the velodrome. The continuous circling was boring but invigorating. I cruised on over to Foster Freeze for a Root Beer float.

When I returned to Alameda I went to mom's and made another Root Beer float. I deserved it after all of that riding.

John and Sherri told me that Chris Cordellos had called me. I called him and he told me he was going to dinner with his mother. I slept. Then Chris called me back and discussed the notion of going to see a movie. We were going to see 'Splash' but we ended up at The Black Angus in Walnut Creek for drinks and browsing. The imitation Live Band was a 'sorry' experience after our recent concert escape.

Chris made some true confessions.
"I have to tell you that I had a St. Patrick's Day party at my place. It was so 'LIVE'," Chris suddenly announced as we listened to the sorry music at The Black Angus.
"That's cool that you had so much fun," I said as I wondered why he hadn't told me before tonight.

We continued on to "The Hub", a small bar in the town of Walnut Creek. It is not welcomed by many, as you could imagine as it has a mix of gay and lesbian clientele. Those places kind of depress me. Chris' confessions continued at this bar.
"I've changed so much in the last two months since meeting you," Chris said happily.
I smiled at the news, thinking it a good thing.
"I backed out of a beach party just so I could see you tonight," Chris continued.
I started to have my own personal visions of a potential US Coast Guard beach party.

"Michael, last Thursday I was going to tell you that you deserve someone better than me."
"Why?" I asked.
"I decided not to say it because I would be 'knocking' myself," Chris revealed.
I listened, wondering what he was trying to say.
"We are both different in our opinions," Chris hesitated, "but we have the 'The Quake' tunes in common. And I just think I'm really wrong because we are compatible in a lot of ways."