Espressi

For the Eleventh Coffee of Christmas my barista made for me…

December 23rd, 2010, by MyCoffeePro

I also added today’s review to Yelp: Caffe Carpe Diem @ Yelp

The Coffee: Eggnog Latte with cinnamon sprinkles

The Shop: Caffe Carpe Diem located at 3139 University Avenue, San Diego, CA 92104

The Espresso Shot: To be fair, Juliet the barista has only worked here for 2 days and this machine is a gorgeous Elektra, which I know from experience can be tricky to operate and get used to. The straight shot that she pulled for me was a bit too tart, the crema was a bit flat, but it wasn’t bad. I didn’t have to toss it. I would give this shot a 3 out of 5, but with the caveat that I will be back to give Juliet another try because she was very pleasant and we talked a lot about coffee.

For the Tenth Coffee of Christmas my barista made for me…

December 22nd, 2010, by MyCoffeePro

I also posted today’s review on Yelp: Claire de Lune @ Yelp

The Coffee: Brown Sugar & Cinnamon White Chocolate Mocha

The Shop: Claire de Lune located at 2906 University Avenue, San Diego, CA 92104

The Espresso Shots: Short and Sweet, just like I like them. Joan the barista asked me how I prefer my shots which I much appreciated and I let her know that I like short, ristretto shots … she actually tossed 2 previous sets of shots saying that they weren’t coming out to her liking … excellent … my mouth started salivating at the upcoming joy I was sure to find. The crema was gorgeous, just like finding the perfect tiger’s eye stone, dark caramel with just a touch of cream. The first whiffs of the aroma were almost breath-taking, so sweet yet strong, smoky caramel. A gentle blow on the crema didn’t even make it move the tiniest bit, yay, another great sign … more salivating going on. The first sip was indeed just as sweet and rich as all the portents foretold. I was very happy with these shots. The only improvement that I could offer to Joan is to watch for the rat-tailing effect as the espresso extracts and make sure that it’s nice and tight, which should lead to a slightly sweeter shot … the only mark off I can give this one. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

For the Eighth Coffee of Christmas my barista made for me…

December 20th, 2010, by MyCoffeePro

I also added today’s review to Yelp: Kona Coffee @ Yelp

The Coffee: Peppermint Mocha, not syrup

The Shop: Kona Coffee located at 3995 5th Avenue, San Diego, CA 92103

The Espresso Shots: I caught poor Vicki just as she was opening up and I’m not sure she had set her espresso shots just yet. They were a bit light and limp with a thin crema that parted as I blew on it. The shots weren’t bad though, just not at the right strength. I would have to give the shots a 3 out of 5 which is pretty good from an espresso snob like me. The aroma of the shots were a little deceptive though because it smelled sweet and strong and just wasn’t quite there yet.

For the Fifth Coffee of Christmas my barista made for me…

December 17th, 2010, by MyCoffeePro

I added today’s review to Yelp: Letty’s Bean Shack @ Yelp

The Coffee: Peppermint Moca (their spelling)

The Shop: Letty’s Bean Shack located at 4229 Front Street, San Diego, CA 92103

The Espresso shots: How does one politely discuss an experience such as this was? The fact that I’m asking the question says something about it right there. This is a little “shack” about a block from my home and right across the street from a very busy hospital. The sign outside, by the way, says Sidh’s Bean Shack, not Letty’s Bean Shack, and when I asked the lady behind the counter (my “barista” apparently) she really couldn’t seem too interested in the details of why the discrepancy. When I asked for an espresso shot on the side separate from the mocha, she paused, said “um, okay” and stared at the register for a few moments … I’m guessing this isn’t a frequent request from customers. For the icing on the cake, I tried making small talk with her and she couldn’t be bothered.