[CON QUESTO POST SI ASCOLTA, SEDUTI IN POLTRONA, QUESTA CHICCHA: STARBUCKS BLUES di Papa Joe Grappa]
Da qualche giorno, grazie alla Donna con la valigia, si sta parlando di viaggi, caffe’, bar e tutto quanto rappresenta una pausa ristoratrice durante un viaggio (anche solo una passeggiata in centro per shopping).
Mi sembra di capire che QUASI tutti sono, più o meno, degli estimatori di Starbucks o equivalenti. Vale a dire la formula del caffè sorseggiato con calma in poltrona, magari navigando gratuitamente col proprio laptop, mentre si ascolta musica di Natale in sottofondo (e poi precipitarsi a comprare, alla cassa, qualche mug ed il cd della compilation ascoltata).
Mi sono informato un po’ in giro ed ho trovato questa simpatica classifica dei 21 migliori caffè negli USA (lista dalla quale sono stati esclusi volutamente alcuni campioni come Starbucks e Seattle Best).
La riporto in inglese perchè oggi non ho proprio tempo per tradurla…. Devo correre a prendere un caffè!
A
(ma quanto sono contento di aver trovato quella canzone!!!)
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The 21 Best Cups of Coffee in America
1. Jack’s Stir Brew – New York City – The not-so-secret to Jack’s success in creating the best cup of coffee in America is the patented stir brewing. Owner Jack Mazzalo invented and patented a machine that stirs the coffee grinds during the brewing process and that is the road less traveled and it makes all the difference. Every time I walk into the claustrophobic space in the West Village, the anticipation of the coffee staves off the panic attacks that usually run rampant upon entering tiny spaces. The coffee is that good.
2. Intelligentsia – Chicago – Intelligentsia has been keeping Chicagoans responsibly caffeinated since 1995 and now have a store in LA (a second one coming very soon) to go with the three outlets in Chicago. Known for direct trade and sustainable policies as much as the lovely brews, your soul will be as satisfied as your taste buds with every cup.
3. Stumptown Coffee Roasters – Portland – Devotees are turned on by the hand-crafted taste made possible by small-batch roasting, super-fresh beans and French pressing. Like Intelligentsia, Stumptown’s way of life is based on sustainability not only on the farms but in their cafes. The hip surroundings at the cafe include a cupping room that can turn casual coffee drinkers into connoisseurs.
4. Cafe Brazil – Dallas – The first Cafe Brazil opened with ten tables in 1991 and has grown to ten locations throughout the Metroplex keeping breakfasters and late-night post-partiers buzzed with delight. The Brazilian, Kenyan and Mexican coffee varieties are great, but it’s the flavored roasts that put butts in the seats. Coffee snobs may scoff, but the Snickerdoo (vanilla, almonds, cinnamon) can make a hard man humble.
5. Cafe du Monde – New Orleans – Literary romanticism is alive and well in the French Quarter at this legendary coffee stand. When you’re tasting the unique, bold flavor of coffee cut with chicory, it’s hard not to imagine what artistic endeavors have been inspired by the coffee cut with chicory, and of course the beignets.
6. Espresso Vivace – Seattle – In a town known for coffee, Espresso Vivace uses science in order to form a more perfect cup of coffee. They’ve spent years on R&D exploring every aspect of in the process of bean to brew including a specialized roasting process. Science may not sound sexy, but the proof is in the cup.
7. 7-Eleven – National – Convenience store coffee isn’t normally at the top of “best of” lists, but it should be. The company takes coffee seriously providing several varieties each morning, four understandable sizes (small, medium, large and a 24oz. jumbo) and plenty of flavored syrups and creams for those so inclined. Plus, the prices are cheaper than the coffee chains and you can pick up snacks, cigarettes and condoms for those that are so inclined.
8. Busboys & Poets – Washington, D.C. – The unique name (inspired by Langston Hughes) lives up to the unique offerings (coffee, food, films, books, activism) served up at this unofficial community center in D.C. Patrons are encouraged to engage in social discourses and B&P is a certified B Corporation™ meeting environmental and accountability standards. As far as coffee, try the Bid Daddy (raw sugar, steamed milk and three shots of espresso) for a quicker, picker-upper.
9. Caffe Trieste – San Francisco – Papa Gianni was inspired by old-school Italian espresso techniques when he came to America and opened Caffe Trieste in the ’50s. The historical North Beach ‘Beat’ landmark was the first place to get espresso on the West Coast and the reputation has been solid ever since. If you can’t make it to Trieste in person, you can buy their coffee online, but you know it won’t taste the same, however, it should satisfy your fix.
10. Octane Coffee Bar & Lounge – Atlanta – In addition to the free Wi-Fi and exposed brick walls, this West Midtown spot brings in DJs and art shows for a hipper than hip vibe that makes the coffee taste that much better than bet. A fuel injection or a coffee coolant will get you where you need to go in the buzz department.
11. Gimme! Coffee – Brooklyn – The Brooklyn outpost of the Ithaca original has no drop off in quality and no foam, preferring to keep the flavor in the coffee.
12. Lamill Coffee Boutique – Los Angeles – Silver Lake is becoming a mecca for gourmet coffee and Lamill is one of the reasons to make a pilgrimage. Table-side coffee service is one of the handful of techniques you can choose and the variety of beans fulfills the boutique promise in the moniker. The decor is the best on this list.
13. Coffee Slingers – Oklahoma City – In their own words, Coffee Slingers (slang for baristas) is “the coffee coup battling lazy pervasive brown water.” Solid lattes, caps, house-made chai and 18-hour cold-brewed coffee are soldiers in their fight, and they’re winning.
14. Coffee to the People – San Francisco – Organic, fair trade and community are the descriptors you’d expect for a coffee shop in Haight-Ashbury.
15. MoKaBe’s – St. Louis – Funky coffee shop in the Lou is a popular grazing spot for term paperists, brunchers, vegans and porch fetishists.
16. El Diablo – Seattle – The festive colors in Seattle’s only Latin-style coffee shop is as invigorating as the enlightening power of the coffee. Go with a Cubano and you can’t go wrong.
17. Urth Caffe – Los Angeles – This West Hollywood institution serves their own organically grown coffee and provide unique blends like the licorice-infused Old Grandpa and signature lattes
18. Lucky’s Cafe – Cleveland – One of the points of the aspirational mission statement at this understated Cleveland cafe sums it up: “We will offer our customers an alternative to the mass produced ….” Mission accomplished.
19. Copper Star – Phoenix – Copper Star serves standard coffee drinks, hot and frozen. The locally roasted beans and neighborly service helps the standard transcend into the sublime.
20. Mugshots – Philadelphia – Another organic, fair trade, B Corporation™ coffee shop, Mugshots sits across from a prison, hence the name. If you’re particularly sluggish or want to treat your co-workers to some of the good stuff, get the “Coffee on the Move” in your choice of 96oz. at $14.95 or 160oz. for $22.95
21. Novo Coffee – Denver – Novo approaches coffee with the same philosophy as oeniphiles approach wine: understanding the varieties and origins of beans as well as manipulating different processes. The even describe their coffee like descriptions found on wine lists. The Gololcha has notes of “honey, toasted nuts, slight wild harar earth flavor, gentle and classic for the area.
IL CIRCOLO DEI VIAGGIATORI 
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