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Dentist & Double Espresso….

October 19, 2010 in coffee, food with 4 Comments

A lot has been said in recent weeks about the Starbucks closure in Ballymena…..

So, this morning after a quick and successful trip to the dentist – I need a filling repaired in a couple of days – Cherith decided that she needed a hot chocolate and I should have a coffee to celebrate my healthy gums. Where to go?

To be honest, there was no contest….

Ground was good! Their espresso is probably the best in town – I never ordered espresso in Starbucks – and we were there early enough to avoid all the “mothers & toddlers,” “snobs” and “Christians” who I always seem to bump into within its four walls!

Remember what I said about “For I long to see you……” in the last post? Ooops, im being a hypocrite! I do struggle with that ‘coffee shop crowd in Ballymena though!

I have been critical of Ground in Ballymena before and perhaps I should take that back a little but previous visits always tended to coincide with some kind of panini burning contest! Good staff who are friendly and able to make me a good double espresso go a long way to helping me forget the odour of burnt panini that clung to me for hours!

Today – thumbs up! It was great and to be fair I know enough from one year immersed in Coffee shop/Barista-ness to know that its really tough work….

‘The Last Coffee’ in St.Arbucks

September 13, 2010 in coffee, supersimbo, thoughts with 5 Comments

The Starbucks in Ballymena closes at the end of the month.

Usually a shop could close in town and I would pay little attention or maybe not even notice until it was suddenly gone!

A year ago we had 2 Starbucks locations and very soon we will have none….

So, this closure will be noticed. I am still aghast that our town cannot sustain one branch of the largest & best known coffee brand on earth but that’s another rant for another day.

I know many folks who are regulars and will miss the place and in the process of organizing a ‘last coffee’ with Connor, we decided to throw that open to anyone else who would like to join us.

So, Thursday 23rd Sept at 7.30pm – Starbucks, Fairhill Shopping Centre, Ballymena – if you can come? Don’t worry we won’t be singing to the staff or making speeches – its just coffee – and if you have some words of encouragement for the staff that’s also great!

I know I know, some of you have deep concerns about the ills of huge corporations like Starbucks.

Here’s a quote from Peter Rollins for those who play that old record and boycott Starbucks; “we all laugh at consumerism and criticise it whilst fully participating in it.”

Same thing applies here – besides, people are losing their jobs and that sucks!

So, if you can make it we will see you there…..

Americano? Filter? Anyone…….

September 3, 2010 in coffee, supersimbo, thoughts with 3 Comments

This morning I ordered an Americano – that’s a single or double-shot of espresso combined with between 1 and 16 fluid ounces (30 – 470ml) of hot water – to be precise.

In some places I get a “long black” but most of the “baristas” (i use the term loosely) I regularly encounter wouldn’t know the difference and don’t realise what they are doing. I watched closely and today was one of those days, buts that ok.

I ordered my “Americano” and as I fumbled for the exact money the friendly assistant said “for 30 pence less you could get a filter coffee and its exactly the same as an Americano.”

Whoa!! What the chuff? I have to say, this threatened to ruin my day a wee bit. Such a lie, probably unintentional and due to the assistant being cheery and friendly I found myself being quite forgiving, but seriously………….I mean……………..C’MON!!

Drip/filter is different from french press which is different from Americano and so on and so forth – frankly, I expect you to know this otherwise I need to question your ability to make me good coffee!

So I ordered an Americano, got offered a Filter coffee (yuck) which I refused and actually ended up with a Long Black! sigh!

Having said that, it was great coffee and I was shaking mildly by the time I’d finished it – mission accomplished!

P.s – if you call an “Espresso” an “EXpresso” I will have no choice but to kill you with a moka pot!

Make the coffee……

December 11, 2009 in coffee, supersimbo with 1 Comment

havent-had-coffee

Clements

November 18, 2009 in coffee, supersimbo with 2 Comments

IMG_0399When in belfast i usually need to get a coffee from Clements! Its just because the coffee is great, thats all!

Is it just me though, or is the service in pretty much every coffee shop in our land getting worse? Clements was slow and not fantastically friendly. Don’t get me wrong here, i do NOT need the staff to be in my face with smiles & sickening conversation but a bit of enthusiasm always goes a long way.

Good coffee is worth waiting for i suppose!

I can’t quite understand why there are always 2 or 3 other members of staff just hanging around, not really doing anything. Perhaps they are like a sales assistant in a clothing shop, waiting to pounce when you run out of milk? I doubt it, the dead lice were dropping off the ‘surplus’ dudes i saw on saturday!

They could be cleaning up a bit. Cleaning themselves up perhaps! Its all goth hair & huge amounts of piercings these days, if you want to work in a cool coffee shop. I’m fine with that but it has killed any desire i may have had to return to coffee-making. I’m not piercing my face as a requirement to being a great barista! It could be a good excuse to get a tattoo though!

Anyway, enough moaning! Despite slow and less than jolly service i waited and i was not disappointed, i never am with Clements, their coffee makes up for everything else! Thats why i always go back

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