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Barista Profile: Lauren

Lauren Hometown: Columbus, OH

Years in Pittsburgh:  11

Favorite Coffee/Tea Drink:  Chai or  latte.

Best thing about being a barista:  The friendly people.

Favorite thing to do in the South Hills:  Bowling.

Best reason to go into the City:  Shopping in the South Side.

Hidden talent:  I used to be on a competitive dance team.

One factoid about you that people who know you would be surprised to learn:  This is my first barista job.

March 05, 2006 |

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What's Goin' On

  • Hey there... if you're looking for our physical store, we closed as of November 15, 2011. The space is under new ownership as Orbis Caffe, still serving delicious coffee and food with great service. We hope you'll give them a try. For info on Melanie and Rich, follow @aldo_mel or @richwesterfield or visit accidentalroaster.com.
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  • CoffeeGeek
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  • Coffee Research
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  • Portafilter.net
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  • Tea Guide
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  • Espresso Map
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  • Barismo
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  • Pittsburgh Area Coffee Association
    Jake Liefer of Beaver Falls Coffee & Tea built a blog aggregator and community site for local baristas.
  • In Season Coffee
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  • Sweet Maria's
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  • twitchy
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  • Intelligentsia LA
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  • Accidental Roaster
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  • Bitter Press
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Heroes & Legends

  • Murky Coffee (NoVa)
    Retailer (non-roaster) who's one of the best indie shops on the East Coast. Features selection of top roasters and pulls only ristrettos. No drip - Americanos and press pots only.
  • Stumptown (Portland, OR)
    Along with Intelligentsia, probably the most acclaimed coffee roaster in the US. A certifiable Coffee Mecca that's turned Portland into the quality coffee capital of the Pacific Northwest.
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    David Schomer is widely acknowledged as a perfectionist. Espresso Vivace is home to his science and art.
  • Intelligentsia (Chicago)
    Our coffee source and one of the most highly acclaimed roasters in US. Taught us most everything we know (although we think they're still holding back some secrets).
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    Preposterous name, but consistently ranked among top espresso joints in New York, which has to mean something, no?
  • Caffe Vittoria (Boston)
    OK, maybe it's not the best espresso in Boston. But Vittoria is a great North End experience. A riot of noise, cappuccino, cannoli and sambuca. This is Rich's dream joint. Except with better coffee.
  • Blue Bottle (SF)
    Beans microroasted fresh daily and whatever doesn't sell today is tossed. Has raised the bar for every other joint in the Bay Area.
  • Peets (Berkeley/SF)
    Alfred Peet is often called "the grandfather of the specialty coffee industry". Started in 1966, Peets continues to have a loyal following, despite tons of regional competition.
  • George Howell's Terroir (Boston)
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    Cambridge, MA, used to be home to Jaime VanSchyndel, barista provocateur. Not sure if they're still what they were when Jaime was on bar, but it's likely still the best cup in Boston.
  • Caffe Artigiano (Vancouver, BC)
    Two time Canadian Barista Champ Sammy Piccolo and his roaster brother Vince have put Artigiano in the heads of espresso geeks worldwide. They cornered the market on 2005 Brazil CoE Santa Ines to ensure their proper place on the quality map.
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  • Chris Brogan
    Fun guy, busy guy, usually in Pgh for PodCamp. Chris is the best at distilling high-tech social media concepts for use in low-tech businesses.
  • Seth Godin
    There are a lot of big thinkers out there. Seth may not be the biggest, but he's the best at crystallizing big ideas into actionable agendas.
  • Hugh McLeod
    Been following Hugh since the early days of blogs. He called us one of his first global microbrands. We call him a revolutionary genius.

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