Week of May 9th 2011: Ma*velous

So I actually had kind of an interesting experience with one. Ma*velous is the only "new place" where my first and second trip occurred in the first week. Even more interestingly, my two trips were for completely opposite reasons...

Ma*velous first popped onto my radar when I was researching places for my Coffee Shop Study Challenges. 7x7 had been raving about the new shop and I couldn't wait to check it out. It also had the added benefit of a being a short walk from my apartment. However, everything that I had read about it indicated that it was a coffee shop so when my friend, Joe, offered to take me there for a wine night since he couldn't make it to my birthday celebration the week before. As it turns out, Ma*velous is a coffee shop and wine bar - a combination that definitely piqued my interest.

On the Wednesday night we went there, the shop was pretty quiet which made it perfect for two friends to talk over some glasses of wine. There was actually a very decent selection of wines by the glass which allowed Joe and I to sample a decent amount of the menu. The owner (and sole employee on both of my visits), Phil Ma, was very knowledgeable about the wines he had on hand and was very friendly the whole time we were in his cafe. Joe and I also managed to find quite a bit of entertainment by people-watching some of the passersby. All in all, it was a great place to have a few glasses of wine.

However - I'd read so much about the coffee aspect of the shop that I didn't want this blog post to only be about the wine so I decided to make myself another loophole - as long as it was still the same week a post could encompass multiple trips. So that Saturday, I grabbed my books and headed out to Ma*velous. Technically, it would fall under my coffee challenge, but since this post is long already, I'll give you a more condensed version of my normal rankings.

If you remember, after I went to Blue Bottle, I was really excited to try Siphon Pot coffee. As far as I am aware, they are fairly rare. Mint Plaza Blue Bottle has one... and so does Ma*velous. Even though it's a little pricey, I knew I had to splurge for it. I ended up getting a cheaper coffee than what Phil Ma suggested so it didn't taste quite as good as I'd hoped but boy was it worth the light show. It terms of cool, it definitely would have gotten a 10.

Ma*velous also proved to be a great place to study if you found the right seat. There are several nooks and dark corners where you could get lost and minimize distractions. It also doesn't get terribly crowded on weekends so you don't feel so bad taking up a seat for a while. If you get a siphon pot - it takes a while to drink anyways so that will help pad the study hours as well.

If you get a chance to watch the siphon video then you'll know that this place aced presentation and novelty as well. There was a good selection of coffees as well and the menu read more like the wine menu than a coffee menu.

I really enjoyed my trips to Ma*velous and can't wait to make it back for some more study trips over the next few months.

Week of April 11th 2011: CSSC - Progressive Grounds

Two coffee posts in a row? Maybe I actually got some studying done! Well, tried to at least...

Taste - 2. This was the first coffee I actually didn't like. Not that it was horrendous... it just didn't come close to living up to the standard I'd gotten used to. I'd gotten to the point where I'd really started liking the taste of coffee and *GASP* that meant I was going to be a little more choosey. This was also about the time I stopped being able to drink the coffee at work every single day and found I need to stop at Starbucks or Peet's a once or twice when I was especially tired. But it was also when I realized....

Buzz - 1... that I didn't really love lattes anymore. If you've ever gotten coffee with me, you'll realize how huge this was. My cups of coffee where more like coffee ice cream than a beverage that is supposed to appropriately start your day. This was the cup of coffee that did it for me. I felt so sluggish and lazy after drinking it because the heavy dairy was just slowing me down. I actually went home and made myself a cup of Ritual coffee just to wake up from my Progressive Grounds coffee.

Presentation - 2. Standard latte in a glass cup. I almost feel like I should dock one for the glass cup thing... That weirds me up. Coffee belongs in ceramic if it's not in a cardboard to go cup. I don't pour beer into a coffee mug or wine into a blue party cup so don't put my coffee in a pint glass. 

Ambiance - 2. I was so excited to walk into a coffee shop where many people were working on their laptops. That was until I sat down and they all judged me because I was the only on that didn't have a Mac. Ok, maybe they weren't judging me but I got a distinct "Why are you in our coffee shop and why don't you have a Mac Book Pro or iPad like the rest of us?" feeling... Other than that - the shop was nicely decorated and had nice pillows to sit on and plenty of space. The people just didn't seem to warm. 

Food - 3. I got the gingerbread cookie you see to your right. It was tasty but maybe a little dry. This was another place that had a full sandwich/salad menu that I didn't take advantage of so it may be worth checking out for that.

Selection - 4. There was a full coffee menu and food as mentioned above so you definitely had choices in that regard. However, I don't think they had specific coffee roasts if you're into that thing (which apparently I am now. Great, I'm a coffee snob all of a sudden...)

Study - 2. It had all of the makings of a good study place but I just couldn't focus. I blame this half on what must have been a decaf coffee and half on the Apple glares.

Novelty - 4. It's starting to seem like it's harder to find a place with real food, plenty of space, and that welcomes people to hang out all day on their laptops (as long as you have a Mac). Sure, it wasn't for me but I don't discount that it may be more comfortable for someone else.

Overall - 2. I think I made it pretty clear that this place just wasn't for me, but I think there are a lot of people who would enjoy it. If you have a few hours and a device that runs iOS, I think you'd have a great time there... just leave a couple hours free for a nap afterward. 

Week of April 4th 2011: CSSC - Ritual Coffee

I didn't actually study at Ritual Coffee, but I did scout out the potential for it. Ritual coffee is where I met Tim for our most recent (which means we are long overdue) conversation. Below are our my observations:

Taste - 4. I was really excited that they had Brazilian coffee. It's actually really hard to find (I found out later that this is just because they don't make specialized blends like most coffee shops get and that Ritual specifically grows theirs). However, there were two options and I went for the slightly cheaper one which I think made a difference. It didn't taste quite as bold as some of the ones I've bought in Brazil. 

Buzz - 2. I don't remember how I felt that day but I did buy a pound of it for the house and it just hasn't woken me up as much as I've come to expect from Brazilian coffee. 

Presentation - 4. I didn't get a latte so I didn't get a decorative foam but Tim did and they definitely did a little swirl in it. 

Ambiance - 5. The feel was really nice. There was a friendly, happy feel in the space. The table next to us had a little girl who was dancing and spinning and I know Tim, being a parent, loved that the coffee shop was so welcoming to the girl. 

Food - 4. I got a yummy almond croissant. It was pretty good and I was happy with it.

Selection - 4. They had a decent choice in a beans for a regular roast or a variety of options for how you wanted your coffee prepared.

Study - 3. I didn't study here but I could definitely have seen the potential too. I'd like to head back in the near future and see how easy it is to read for a few hours.

Novelty - 3. Maybe if this was my first coffee shop it would have gotten a higher score but I'm starting to see that a lot of them are similar. They do get an extra point for the Brazilian coffee. I think they change them up too so maybe I am under cutting them.

Overall - 3. Like I said, I would love to go back and check it out with a book, but I think generally it is a great little coffee shop with a lot of unique blends but possibly not too different from some of the others. I would definitely prefer Four Barrell for taste, feel, and proximity. 

Week of February 28th 2011: CSSC - Four Barrell Coffee

I'm sure you were all thinking that as soon as I finished my test, the number of posts would just explode. Unfortunately - free time is something I don't do well and have had trouble finding some. I also lost my notes (bet you were wondering how I remembered things from so long ago) somewhere between here and the UK. Thank goodness this was a spot I thoroughly enjoyed.

So, spoiler alert - There are only like... 6 posts in my coffee series and I didn't study one of those times or get food another. I did really like checking out places though and had no less than 50 or so coffee spots on my list. I was thinking of just dropping into some locations and reading for a couple of hours. I figured most 20-somethings looking for good cafes aren't studying anyways.

Without further ado - Four Barrel Coffee.... is amazing.

Taste - 5. My creamy latte was delicious. I dropped a few sugar cubes in there and really enjoyed sipping it while reading my study guide.

Buzz - 4. It was good and I was able to focus but Blue Bottle was still stronger. I think Blue Bottle is going to be my benchmark for strong coffee. If something can top Blue Bottle then I may need a new ranking scale.

Presentation - 4. I've been mostly ordering latte's just to see if they make pretty patterns in the foam. I wasn't disappointed. I guess you get a 5 if there are fireworks and anti-gravity tricks happening. Yes, I will eventually have a 5, but that's a story for another day.

Ambiance - 5. The space is really cool. I always think dark wood in a coffee shop makes it feel warmer and more comfortable. In addition to that homely feel, Four Barrel had a lot of artwork on the walls. Some of it was kind of erratic but it was fun to look at. There was also a cool rope/light fixture in the windows that I loved. If I ever get a pirate ship movie theater, I'll need to look into getting some.

Food - 4. I got a really nice toffee chip cookie. And by really nice I mean it was delicious and gooey like a cookie should be. My only issue was the size. If it came in Specialty's cookie size, this may have been a 5.

Selection - 3. For a coffee shop, not bad but there was a short list of coffee drinks, a shorter list of tea drinks and a handful of special blends. Plus, the food was limited to a dwindling display case.

Study - 5. This was probably my most productive cafe. At first I thought the music may be too loud, but it was actually the perfect volume to drown out the chatter. I grabbed a window seat and had plenty of space to layout my books. There was a lot of seating so I didn't feel rushed or like I was inconveniencing anyone.

Novelty - 4. How did an artisan coffee shop in the Mission get such a high score for novelty, you ask? It goes back to ambiance. Anyone can set up a coffee shop and say that they serve the best imported, specialty, fair-trade coffee in the city but if you can also create a warm environment where people feel welcome to relax and read for a bit, then that's kind of special. I would go back any time for a coffee, or to hang out. People had kids, dogs, laptops, newspapers - so many different kinds of people felt welcome there. That is hard to find.

Overall - 5. I was really close to giving this place a 4 based on the cumulative score, but if I liked this place so much and didn't give it a 5 - what would deserve the top score? This is a great coffee shop with friendly baristas, a good crowd and it's in walking distance. I don't really know what else I could ask for!

..but seriously - how awesome was that pirate ship movie theater?

Week of January 17th 2011: CSSC - Sage Cafe

Sorry for the dely in posts! I know you must think I got lazy on my vacation but that wasn't quite it. I actually did keep up with a few posts while overseas but mostly I was writing about the thoughts and inspirations I had at the moment. Because many of my posts are delayed a month or two, it can be hard for me to recall some of the thoughts I had at the moment. I figured it would be better to capture some of those as I had them than to keep up with a post that I already had detailed notes on.

But moving rapidly forward - this post is the second installation of my cafe study ratings. The next cafe I went to was one that in my neighborhood of SoMa. I had been wanting to go to Sage for a while because it is so close but they hold some odd hours (closing around 5 and not open Sundays) which didn't fit well with my full time schedule.

Anyway, here it is:

Taste - 2. It wasn't bad but it wasn't anything special either. I needed to put my usual ton of sugar in and Blue Bottle just didn't need that.

Buzz - 3. I stayed alert the rest of the day but it wasn't the same motivating rush that Blue Bottle's caffeine gave me. I did come from Bikram yoga though and that stuff just drains my energy.

Presentation - 1. My coffee came in a paper cup and my pastry was wrapped in plastic. At least the 7x7 guy got a happy face... maybe I should have said I was going to write about it on my blog?

Ambiance - 3. There was comfortable seating, space to sit and other people studying. The staff seemed friendly and recognized regulars but it still didn't feel as warm as I would ideally like to see.

Food - 3. I bought a delicious,  but dry fruit tart. There was a full food menu that seemed pretty popular and several people were having lunch around me.

Selection - 5. There was a full selection of sandwiches, salads, breakfast, pastries, and drinks so there was plenty of choice.

Study - 3. It was a better space but there were a lot of distractions. The space had a bit of an echo so a simple conversation resounded in my ears a bit.

Novelty - 2. Pretty simple coffee shop, but it was well executed.

Overall - 3. There was nothing special in most categories and it wasn't too easy to focus. The bathroom has an awesome sink though... it also looks like bands may play there at times but I am not sure where they would find the space.

Week of January 17th 2011: Philz Coffee and Bi-Rite Ice Cream

It's probably a bad sign when the employees at Best Buy recognize you... This post comes to you from my brand new Xoom while I wait for my flight at SFO. Some day in about six months I may be caught up with my posts and write about the trip I am about to embark on, but for now you'll have to settle for reading about something I did in January.

On Martin Luther King, Jr. day, my friend Elissa and I decided it would be fun to spend the afternoon in the Mission getting lunch at one of the best burrito spots in the city - El Farolito.

After spending my morning knee deep in CFA books, I knew I would need some coffee before meeting up with her for our tasty burritos. The bus I took stoped right in front of a Philz coffee and after hearing many of my friends talk about how amazing it was - I knew I needed to give it a try.

I decided to order the espresso which at Philz is supposed to be extra strong. The ambiance in the place was really Col as well althogh I'm glad I didn't use it as a study spot since it was really loud. The Phoebe-esque guitar player was a nice touch but would have probably distracted me from my books.

After getting my coffee fix, I met up with Elissa for our burrito fix. El Farolito isn't a new place for me, but I still highly recommend it if you're in the mood for an amazing, inexpensive burrito. When we were finished, she recommended we go to Bi-Rite. Bi-Rite is an infamous ice cream shop in the Mission that has been high on my list ofnthings to do.

I got a little cup of Earl Grey and Honey Lavender ice cream. The flavors were really nice and it wasn't overly sweet. We also lucked out by finding a rare warm day in January. We also lucked out by not having to stand in the notoriously long line.

All in all it was a great food day with a great friend. I will definitely need to go back and try, more flavors!

Week of January 3rd 2011: CSSC - Blue Bottle Coffee

I mentioned in my New Year's post that I wanted to simultaneously maintain this blog and pass the CFA level II. Those of you who has spent time with me between January and June the past two years, know what a conflict of interest this might be.

My solution was simple, try to go to as many different coffee shops in the city as I could. That way, if my studying prevented me from having a big crazy adventure, I could at least have an adventure in coffee and explore that side of San Francisco (not limited to the city, but there are a ton of coffee shops here). So, I decided to start the Coffee Shop Study Challenge (or CSSC for short). 

The basic idea of the CSSC, is to rate different coffee shops along a variety of categories (for consistency) on a 1-5 scale:
Taste
Buzz (caffeine level, basically)
Ambiance
Food (If applicable)
Selection
Study
Novelty
Presentation
Overall (not necessarily an average of the above categories)

So, to kick off my Coffee Challenge, I decided to go to the SF mecca of coffee. For months, it was hard to escape the murmurs and local articles about Blue Bottle Coffee, so I had to check it out. I decided to go to the Mint Plaza. It took me a while to find it (even though it's across the street from the 5th St. entrance to the Westfield mall, this place is freaking hidden), and the sign didn't help it stand out too much either.

Taste: 4. It was delicious. I'm one of those people that has some coffee with my cream and sugar and I didn't have to add a lot of sugar to my latte. I really want to try the siphon pot coffee next time I go there. I would tell you what siphon pot coffee is but I'm not really sure so I'll let Wikipedia and Blue Bottle's website do it for you.

Buzz: 5. I had a nice caffeine buzz going for hours afterward. In fact, I cleaned the whole apartment and stayed up until 2 am. That's only happened one other time and it was before I was a regular coffee drinker. This stuff has a kick.

Ambiance: 1. When I go into a coffee shop I think of dark stained wood and cozy chairs. Maybe I've been in too many Starbucks, but I don't expect a coffee shop to be in a high-ceiling, white washed location with big cold windows and tiny bar style tables with tall stools. The whole place just felt cold and unwelcoming.

Food: 3. I got a little gingerbread loaf which was really tasty. It had a bit too much gingerbread for my personal tastes but then again, the most experience I have with gingerbread are the person shaped cookies at Christmas time so maybe that's how it's supposed to taste? There were also several brunch type dishes that looked really good and I didn't see any plates go back with uneaten food.

Selection: 4. There weren't 25 types of coffees but I felt like all the basics were covered. Plus, the rare addition of the siphon pot was nice. The menu had what it needed and nothing more.

Study: 2. I got about 20% of the chapter I was reading done during the hour I was there which is a better pace than usual. However, because of the small space and cold atmosphere I didn't feel like I was welcome to stay and study after my coffee was done. I don't know the protocol on that, but if I need to find a new study spot every hour or drink 4 lattes, then this isn't going to go so well.

Novelty: 4. The coffee was amazing, and the siphon pot seemed really cool. Although the atmosphere sucked, it was really fun to watch the siphon pot in action the 2-3 times someone ordered it while I was there.

Presentation: 4. This is kind of a silly category, but I was really excited by how pretty the swirls in my coffee cup were.

Overall: 3. I think as a coffee shop, this place is great. There is good food, great coffee and it's in a central location. I think next time I go on a weekend shopping trip, I'll stop here for a pick-me-up. However, as a study spot, it was terrible. I could hardly fit my book and notebook on the little table and I didn't feel like I was welcome to study there. Since this is a study challenge, I have to knock the overall score for that. Now if this was a drink-coffee-apartment-cleaning-challenge, Blue Bottle might have gotten the elusive 5.