General natter about foodie stuff which doesn't necessarily deserve a thread.
Sakkarin wrote: ↑Thu Jun 09, 2022 10:52 pm
Apropos of nothing, on my latest walk down Watford High Street I see that there are three new restaurants about to open, one "Mexican", one "Korean" and one I'm not sure of what ilk. They look like they are chains/franchises rather than independent though, so it remains to be seen how authentic they are, hence the quotes. One is replacing Mod Pizza which lasted about a year, but was nearly always empty.
Our local town is opening up yet another coffee shop.
The lady I used to share a studio with used to run a tea shop down the Kings Road. She made more money pulling one pint of Stella in her new winebar, than in a day at a tea shop.
But I think coffee shops have evolved into something else.
I don't mind having so many in the town either. As it's a treat on a shopping day.
We still have some Omacafés (granny cafés), although the Starbucky kind are multiplying fast. Why, I wonder? The coffee is more expensive, the cake not a patch on the delicacies sitting in the Omacafés' counters and the whole atmosphere is wrong. I am a bit stuffy, perhaps, but I do not want to be on first name basis with everyone. In an ordinary café they address me with "Sie" instead of "Du" and that suits me.
Then there are those ridiculous coffee variations. I once wanted a café au lait (OK, a Milchkaffee), but was told I could not have it as the machine that did the milk froth had died.
"Just pour in some cold milk - it's what I do at home." - "We are not allowed ..."
I'm with you Uschi - I really can't stand the chain coffee shops - & you can only walk a couple of steps here without tripping over another one - the streets reek of coffee & it's off putting, plus the coffee in most is dire - but they're always full......why....?!?!
And don't get me started on the waiter/ess with the stitched-on gurning smile & the over bubbly 'Hi Guys'.......
I really think most of them are ex Virgin crew........
Lusciouslush wrote: ↑Wed Jun 29, 2022 4:38 pm
plus the coffee in most is dire - but they're always full......why....?!?!
Maybe they’re just using the free wifi …
Expensive, considering the price of their beverages. But then you see so many youngsters trotting off with their "coffee to go" paper cups in the morning and then they wonder why money is in short supply ....
Ha! The three teens next door nip out for those paper cups of coffee from the Italian deli around the corner - good coffee - they roast their own beans - so expensive - there is a large coffee machine in their kitchen that would make a good cup - more money than sense.......?
Back in the 70's, following an office reorganisation, we found that we had a coffee machine in our office. It was the size of a wardrobe!! After 10 days or so, it ran out. We phoned the main office across the road to ask who serviced it, and were told that "Louise does it". We then found that she had been off sick for a month. We walked across the road to the Italian restaurant and got takeaways. Louise returned a week later to service it and refill it. She opened the front and the green and yellow mould sprang out as if it was full if fibreglass insulation!!!
I remember a similar incident with a "serviced" coffee machine, which used pre-filled cups, all they did was replace the coffee/chocolate cups, the water distribution side just festered for years until it was discovered to be full of absolutely disgusting gunge. Nobody used the machine ever again after that. Nobody ever used to use the "soup" option, so those cups never needed replacing, so they were found to be full of toxic yukk dating back to when the machine was installed too.
When I first started work it was the job of the last (girl ) to have started to clean out the coffee machine every morning with special cleaning stuff and to empty the dregs bucket. Vile, I would recognise the smell immediately if it were presented to me now.
I really like Cafe Nero decaff mocha. It gives me a right old hit after a cold swim. On the occasions I go the other way home, the Drive Thru Costa coffee at Bushey Arches isn't nearly as nice. (But they do good sausage baps).
We’ve recently been to Center Parcs. There were several restaurants serving food purportedly from different countries; Italy, France and Latin America. I hadn’t appreciated that burger & chips was the national dish of all these places. Every day a school day.
At w*** we took turns to put the kettle on and make tea. However it was an informal arrangement and anyone between tasks at the appropriate time would get on with it. The further up the greasy pole I went the more often I did it.
Back in the day when I worked for the Norfolk & Norwich Festival our President was Sir Nicholas Bacon (later on Pres of the RHS and now often appearing at important occasions as HM or PoW's right hand man). He was very much a 'working president' in those days, coming in to the office several times a week and always putting the kettle on as soon as he arrived ... he knew how everyone liked their tea and coffee and always made sure he got it right ... very impressive ... that man will go far, I thought ... however, as he was already Premier Baronet of England I'm not sure how much further there was for him to go ...
This reminds me of rigid rules for shop assistants..
My mother wanted a small amount of cloth to make trimmings. She asked the girl behind the counter for 18 inches of the material. The reply was “I’m sorry madam, we can only sell it by the yard”. “OK. Can I have half a yard?” “Of course, madam”.
I remember those soups from the coffee machine.
I was a cup-a-soup drinker and didn't mind them so much. I wouldn't dream of having one now.
My coffee machine at home is excellent. I've tried bean to cup, but the grinder gave out after 2 months. Tony has a Lavazza pod machine that he won't change - he has the same Rossa coffee every day.
I like variety, and got the 3 type machine from Lakeland. Pods, ground, and bag coffee.
Unfortunately, I got an offer of 300 bags of D. Egberts coffee. They don't produce the best coffee, but I'm working my way through them. They're OK.
But my milk frother and heater is marvellous.
It foams up every type: pea, soya, almond. Super frothy.
I have Lavazza Rosso with me at the moment, I grind the beans and make espresso. But I’ve actually got the Espresso blend next, hope I like it, I have a kilo of beans
A kilo should keep you going for a while.
I also have a beautiful cup from a potter in Israel. It made the journey without damage - which impressed me.
Black pottery cup with gold embellishment, and saucer.
Pressie from Tony that gets a pounding every morning.
We have a Sage bean to cup machine. OH is in charge of it and makes the coffee. After grinding the coffee and tampering then putting it under pressure for the coffee we give it a 2nd go and the quantity and strength suits us both fine. I have a cappuccino and he has the expresso. I did buy a couple of bags of Starbucks beans, they were awful. The full one was returned to shop.
I do have a couple of jars of instant for those that prefer it and when I need a speedy one.
Like your new avatar Gill. I have two of them that wave at me, one is a solar and one a battery.
sitting in the Omacafés' counters and the whole atmosphere is wrong. I am a bit stuffy, perhaps, but I do not want to be on first name basis with everyone. In an ordinary café they address me with "Sie" instead of "Du" and that suits me.
- the streets reek of coffee & it's off putting, plus the coffee in most is dire - but they're always full......why....?!?!
ol.............
or so he thinks............
) to have started to clean out the coffee machine every morning with special cleaning stuff and to empty the dregs bucket. Vile, I would recognise the smell immediately if it were presented to me now.
