Thursday, May 24, 2007
Food & Life Lavazza update; fertility outbreak at Ansley Starbucks
Posted by Cliff Bostock @cliffbostock on Thu, May 24, 2007 at 3:35 PM
LAVAZZA UPDATE: Our espresso nightmare is over. Whole Foods on Ponce de Leon is stocking Lavazza's Qualita Oro again, but you really are not going to find any of the Italian company's blends of robusta and arabica beans. I received this e-mail of explanation from Darrah Horgan of Whole Foods' PR team:
"Whole Foods Market has specific quality standards for everything we carry, and our coffee is no different. We will continue to carry other Lavazza coffees, just not the ones containing the robusta beans. As our coffee coordinator explains it, arabica species is widely accepted as the best bean, and yields the best fruit.Robusta beans are seen as an inferior bean, often used to mask certain flavors in other coffees. The bean is typically more harsh and bitter, and there is little accountability for the quality and source of these beans. It is grown predominantly in Vietnam, is often used for ground cover because it grows much like a weed, and is over-harvested, which, as I’m sure you know, is terrible for the land.
The robusta does generate more of a crema, or frothiness, produced in brewing, but our brand, Allegro, blends different types of Arabica beans to achieve this same quality crema."
OK, well, far be it from me to recommend that anyone drink coffee that is like fruit of the kudzu vine. I wonder if Mrs. Olson (pictured above) knew her robusta-tainted Folgers was contributing to erosion in Vietnam. I'm just glad I can resume buying my coffee in the same place I feel guilty when I ask for plastic bags.
BARISTA PEEPS: It's true. I hang out a lot at the Ansley Starbucks. I wrote my damn doctoral dissertation there. I admit I'm not crazy about many of the enormous chain's beverages, especially the ones that look like a huge slice of wedding cake blended in a glass. I do like that the shop is a few steps away from LA Fitness and that the furniture is mainly comfortable. The clientèle of regulars is mainly congenial and the staff is the best.
As it happens, an epidemic of pregnancy is sweeping the Starbucks baristas. Drena Bown (left) is due in about a week and Chrissy Brooks is due June 9. I've asked Chrissy to hold off until June 16, my own birthday.
By the way, there are only two sweets I can really handle at Starbucks: the Rice Krispy treats and the shortbread cookies, which are sold in packages of two by the cash register. I am clueless why the store doesn't vend better pastries.
Typically, I drink hot herbal tea or iced tea at the shop. Before my workouts, I will knock back a triple espresso macchiato with extra foam to cut the cloying sharpness of the over-roasted espresso. It's OK for raising the heart rate but not so good for pleasing the palate. I think of it as medicine.
Comments (1)
Showing 1-1 of 1
Re: robusta being "grown predominantly in Vietnam," I highly doubt that a company like LaVazza would purchase the inferior robusta beans produced in Vietnam. Surely they would get better beans, even considering that they would comprise a small percentage of the blend. Did Whole Foods even check with them? It's hard to believe that a store that sells so many gourmet products would not carry the type of espresso blend that is considered to be the best for producing a high quality coffee. And as for Starbucks pastry, I agree about the shortbread cookies, and I've also foudn that I can stomach the tasty (though kinda greasy) peanut butter cookies. Everything else I've had from the pastry case is gruesome. I had a pretty good sandwich though - the turkey was kinda impressive for a premade thinig in a cooler.
like
dislike
Latest in Omnivore
-
Chew or Cheeto? 2
Convenience store dentistry
-
Jesus, the flag, and Cracker Barrel 4
A visit to Brunswick, dining at Cracker Barrel
-
And the best thing to eat at Atlantic Station is ... a Publix sub 14
There's nothing to eat here.
- More »
Author Archives
-
Who needs meat at Community Q BBQ? 4
Barbecue doesn't require coleslaw
-
The bane of family restaurants' existence 31
Noisy kids in restaurants
- More »
