Aldo Coffee Company

Can't Wait to Get Home

It's snowing like mad here in Stamford, CT.  So much so, that at the moment I can't even try to get "home" to my brother's house, which happens to sit at one of the highest points in town.  There are simply too many drivers out there who don't know what they're doing to make an effort.  Better to wait it out (at a Cosi) so the DoPW's plows can do their thing.

This place feels/looks like the SUV capital of the world.  It seems 2 of 3 vehicles on the road are SUVs of some sort.  Not surprisingly, our garden variety 13-year old Volvo has passed many of them on the slick roads. The Swedes knew a thing or two about designing a car to handle snow.

But that's neither here nor there, other than to explain why I'm sitting in a Cosi instead of some great independent cafe.  What I really wanted to say was that I'd really like a decent cup of coffee right about now.

Weird

Yesterday was the coldest day of the season to date.  Yet we sold more caramel frappes on Monday than we have on any day since early September.  And they were all ordered by adults.

Did we miss a story about caramel having an effect on libido or something?

Lost In Translation

Was looking for some different things to do with turkey.  Came across this:

If you don't know what's wrong here, we've got a Italian seaside villa in Toledo we'd like to sell you ;-)

Bad Weekend to Be a J-E-T-S Fan

Just had to share this non-coffee-related personal observation. Pittsburgh is fortunate to have a competitive football team - and only one team. Growing up around NYC with its nine pro teams in four major leagues, friendships, marriages and business dealings are sometimes (often) determined by which team one roots for.

The timing of this weekend's trip allowed me (Rich) to enjoy a Super Bowl party in Norwalk, CT with old college friends. I haven't been able to attend the party since moving here in 2002, so it was great to be amongst pals.

Don't Even Think About Trying This Here

Chris forwarded us this link from The Consumerist on what one enterprising soul ordered with his Starbucks free drink coupon.

As Chris noted, it'll make your head hurt.  But the leftovers apparently make a tasty frozen dessert.

Free Coffee With Every Car Rental

No, we didn't add a car rental service to our business.

Saw this sign at the Budget rental counter at LaGuardia last week. Free coffee with a car rental.  It's an odd offer.

What does one do with two pounds of coffee in your car?  Most people rent cars because they're on vacation or a business trip.  In neither case (unless you own a coffeehouse or are a fanatic) are you going to have a coffee grinder and a decent coffeemaker with you.  Never mind filters. 

So what do you do with two pounds of coffee?  Just stick in your luggage for a few days until you get home (while the coffee grows ever more stale)? 

Maybe having coffee beans in your car will make sense when every car is equipped with a Mr. Fusion.

The three of us (Rich, Melanie, Aldo) drove back home Sunday afternoon.  We figured as we were passing Williamsport and it was only the second inning of the Little League World Series, we might try to get in a couple of innings.

As luck would have it, we got a great parking space.  But we learned that dogs aren't allowed anywhere on any property that has a view of the field.  This photo was as close as we could get - and even then we were told we were too close.

Anyway, congrats to all the kids - it was an exciting game.  Even if we had to listen on radio while driving away from Williamsport.

Chinese Panini?

We're getting a lot of hits from this blog over the past couple of days.

If you know this Chinese dialect (we don't, but appears the web site host is in Hong Kong, fwiw) and can translate for us, we'd appreciate it.  We're dying to know what this says.

Update: Thanks everyone who contributed to the translations!

The Ubiquitous NYC Diner Cup as Mosaic Clarion

This photo was on Seth's blog this morning.  Following the link, we learned that the story is about "street mosaics" with how-to lessons (you can almost hear the chorus mumbling "Only In New York").

We're more inclined to ask about the message.  "Drink Coffee and Destroy".  Sounds alarming.  Threatening, even.

Is the message a tip to evil superheroes that drinking coffee will increase their dark powers?  Or is it an enviro-message that the cups (or the coffee inside) are harmful to the planet (not our Direct Trade coffees, however.)

Or is it simply a sign that the artist themself had consumed too much sugar in his "regular" NYC diner brew?

If you know what this means, please share!

Mexico: Don't Blame Us for Taco Bell

This has nothing to do with us or coffee or panini.  But since Rich lived in Mexico for a year, he's all but manic with giddiness, calling this the best snippet of food news he's heard in this young century: 

The Mexican government is getting serious about educating "norteamericanos" about what is - and what isn't - authentic Mexican.

Turns out, by Mexico's own definition, Pittsburgh offers very little in the way of authenticity.  Taco Loco used to qualify before they started doing burgers and "Mexican Pizzas" in their new digs.  Azul in Leetsdale would probably pass.  But your neighborhood combo plate joint wouldn't. 

There might be others, but we haven't heard of them (yeah, we like the chilequiles at El Campensino and they're the best combo plate in town we've had... but they're not what Mexico considers authentic.)

We don't know if any Pittsburghers were among the 50 restauranteurs the Mexican government flew in for this campaign, but we hope some of the existing restaurants, or maybe some folks in Beechview or another neighborhood are listening.

We think Pittsburgh is ready for the real thing.  Bring it on los hermanos!

U.S. Chocolate Makers May Soon Use Transfats Instead of Cocoa Butter Unless We Act

The U.S. Chocolate Industry, through its Chocolate Manufacturers of America (CMA), and in collaboration with the Grocery Manufacturers Association, have petitioned the Food and Drug Association (FDA) to change the current requirements for chocolate. Their plan is to change the basic formula of chocolate in order to use vegetable fat substitutes in place of cocoa butter, and to use milk substitutes in the place of nutritionally superior milk.  These changes will have adverse effects on the eating, physical and nutritional quality of chocolate (yes, flavonoids in cocoa butter have been proven healthful), and beg the question: What consumer benefit is associated with implementing these changes?    There isn't one.  This is all about the profits of chocolate makers, not about consumers, tradition, taste or quality.  Some other countries currently do allow vegetable fats up to a total of 5% volume. If passed, this change would allow 100% vegetable fat and no cocoa butter for US manufacturers.  Do you want that? Our opinion is that Nestle, Archer Daniels Midland and others can do what they want with transfats, but they can't call the resulting product "chocolate". Gary Guittard, of Guittard Chocolates, has set up a website to help chocolate-lovers fight this inane proposed change. www.dontmesswithourchocolate.com Please follow the instructions on how to send a note to the FDA to stop this insanity.  Thanks!