Wednesday Coffee Blogging
The new fancy coffee drinks at McDonald’s just can’t compete with the hip coffee culture in A2, writes News columnist Mary McDonough. “In 1992, I knew what a mocha was and I felt cool. I could often be found bent over a textbook in a smoky cafe, surrounded by empty coffee cups. In 1994, the television show ‘Friends’ debuted, with a local coffee shop as a central meeting place. Right about then, I noticed something had begun to change: Coffee shops were going mainstream.” (We should mention that the opening of Primo Coffee on Fifth and Liberty has just about doubled the amount of drinkable coffee in A2.)
Ahh, those lovely coffee shops of Ann Arbor!
What memories!
I haven’t lived in Ann Arbor in years–and this blog reminds me of the good, the bad and the very, very bad and over-priced.
I think I much preferred the burnt, tar tasting coffee from the original coffee and doughnut shops back in the 80s. Nothing like somewhat cheap, bad nutrition to get you through final exams.
That said, I liked Sweetwaters and the Cafe Zola (are those places still around?).
But, I especially miss the grumpiness of Mr. Tibbles (is that his name?) from Drake’s–he really understood what the whole coffee shop thing was all about.
Btw, belated congratulations to DR. AAIO!
Cheers,
Lyse
posted by Lyse on May 30th, 2007 at 1:44 pmJust curious, not looking for a fight, but what other coffee does Dr. AAIO think is drinkable in AA? I’ve only been to primo once, didn’t get a strong impression either way. Ambrosia is my favorite in town. The fair trade drip has been consistently good, and I like their chia bomb. Also, it’s not trying to be starbucks. I like the less polished coffee shops of less polished towns.
posted by bill on May 30th, 2007 at 1:57 pmI like the coffee on the first floor of the CSE building. I’m a huge Zingerman’s fan overall, but their coffee is too strong for me. Espresso Royale’s ubiquity had me convinced for a while that maybe I just don’t really like coffee at all.
posted by ann arbor is overrated on May 30th, 2007 at 2:08 pmI should say that I like less polished coffeehouses in theory, but I’ll take the actual coffee at Starbucks over pretty much any of them in this town.
posted by ann arbor is overrated on May 30th, 2007 at 2:10 pmI find the Starbucks coffee weak, with a burnt undertone. Which is not to say that it is substantially worse than some other places, but it’s surely not that great.
posted by Chris on May 30th, 2007 at 2:17 pmAnd if you’re willing to pay (high) sit-down restaurant prices and you get a press pot at Zingerman’s Roadhouse or Zola, you will of course get awesome coffee. But the only to-go coffee I look forward to drinking is from Primo, the CSE building and my own coffee machine.
posted by ann arbor is overrated on May 30th, 2007 at 2:17 pmYeah, Starbucks is definitely somewhat burnt-tasting (wow, I didn’t realize what strong opinions I had about this whole thing!)
posted by ann arbor is overrated on May 30th, 2007 at 2:18 pmAnyone who posts something saying they find Zingermans coffee too strong should not be complaining about a lack of good coffee, because clearly YOU SHOULD BE DRINKING TEA or at the very least asking them to water it down for your delicate palate.
Zingermans’ espresso blows everything else in A2 out of the water. The only better espresso around is the Ugly Mug, which is one of the places that makes me wish I were in Ypsi.
As far as drip brewed coffee, meh. I don’t expect much from anyone, other than it not tasting burnt or watery. Zings is good, but so is Cafe Verde or ERC or Sweetwaters or wherever. I’m rarely going to reach coffee nirvana on drip brewed stuff, so I don’t freak out about it when it’s mediocre.
posted by patrick on May 30th, 2007 at 2:43 pmI guess by “too strong” I really mean “too bitter” (since the stuff at the Roadhouse is pretty much sludge and I love that.)
posted by ann arbor is overrated on May 30th, 2007 at 2:46 pmIn 1994, the television show ‘Friends’ debuted […] Coffee shops were going mainstream.
*laugh* That bit totally reminds me of the lyrics to Jim Infantino’s Someday Cafe…
posted by Earthshine on May 30th, 2007 at 2:51 pmOh Patrick,
posted by CMS on May 30th, 2007 at 3:01 pmIf we could all be refined and sophisticated and drink tea like the British, finding a way to abandon that barbarian brew, coffee, I predict world peace would ensue.
If only.
sigh.
Ann Arbor Coffee is Overrated
posted by Bob on May 30th, 2007 at 3:33 pmPatrick is pretty much dead-on, especially about espresso. Zingerman’s is among the best in town, with the Ugly Mug being basically the best in Michigan. The only way to get reliably good brewed coffee around here is to make it yourself in a press pot. I roast and grind my own beans and brew with Brita water. My cost is at most half of a 16 oz cup at a coffeehouse. And at peak times, it’s probably faster too.
posted by Zach on May 30th, 2007 at 4:28 pmFifth and Liberty? Please tell me the Clover Leaf didn’t get replaced…
posted by Brandon on May 30th, 2007 at 5:27 pmWait, that’s Fourth and Liberty. Never mind.
So is it in that weird tucked-back nook in the office building at the NE corner then? That’s a craptastic retail space due to lack of visibility and direct interaction with pedestrians.
posted by Brandon on May 30th, 2007 at 5:29 pmI heart Bombadill’s!!
(I don’t really even drink coffee, just wanted to show some love)
posted by Sarah on May 30th, 2007 at 6:20 pmStarbucks over-roasts their beans, giving them that burnt taste, to ensure that all Starbucks coffee tastes the same, wherever you go. You just can’t grow enough coffee beans with a consistent taste to fulfill Starbucks’ needs unless you do this. For reasons I don’t understand, Starbucks coffee is also very watery.
When I was in graduate school, I managed to acclimate myself to the free coffee around the lab and learned to like it. Little did I know that when I got a job, the coffee would be even worse, almost beyond my abilities to enjoy it– and I drink the coffee sold at Mobile gas stations with disturbing regularity.
That bit totally reminds me of the lyrics to Jim Infantino’s Someday Cafe…
The Someday Café is gone, baby
posted by Constantine on May 30th, 2007 at 7:04 pm“AAIO: Starbucks Shill” (? !!)
I think we know where “Frau/Herr Doktor” is gonna get the ole korporate job, then; I hear they pay some of their execs a latte bucks…
posted by David Boyle on May 30th, 2007 at 8:09 pmSome years back, I was at the down-home little restaurant in Dansville, Michigan (between East Lansing and Ann Arbor), and had. among other things, a cup of coffee.
I tore open two cream packages without reading the labels, dumped them into the coffee, and took a sip.
GACK! It was awful.
Just then I noticed that I had unthinkingly put non-dairy creamer into the coffee. I despise non-dairy creamer and hadn’t had any in a long time; I supposed I must have forgotten how bad it tasted.
I summoned the waitress and asked for a replacement cup of coffee and a glass of actual dairy milk to cream it with. She provided the latter for free. I poured some milk in the coffee and took a sip.
It was then I realized that the coffee was the problem, not the creamer.
posted by Larry Kestenbaum on May 30th, 2007 at 10:09 pmZach nails it with the coffee press.
After drinking the nasty ERC swill on north campus for 2 years, I began to dislike the thought of coffee, even turning to Starbucks for some solace. When I got a press pot, I remembered how good coffee could be. I should note I use the cheap beans from Sparrow’s, bought in 4# bags and smuggled to Illinois; It makes me wonder why I ever paid 9 bucks a pound for whole bean coffee.
posted by Dale on May 31st, 2007 at 2:54 amnasty swill?
ERC house blend is the best coffee around; ERC capuccino is non pareil!
posted by peter honeyman on May 31st, 2007 at 10:03 amAnn Arbor coffee shops SUCK! We don’t need any more coffee shops. In fact we could stand to lose a few along with losing a few sports bars too.
posted by Anonymous on May 31st, 2007 at 11:41 amI always found the Sweetwaters coffee and espresso quite drinkable, if you don’t mind the expense or the obnoxious weekend-daytime crowds.
But if you want good coffee, go down to Trader Joe’s and buy some of the Volcano blend. Excellent stuff if you like bold coffee.
posted by Nick on May 31st, 2007 at 12:05 pmUgly Mug is the best, most consistent by far, especially their espresso! Now I need to try Zingermans, is that downtown or the roadhouse?
posted by maryd on May 31st, 2007 at 5:51 pm24 comments about coffee in AA and none about how much superior New York, SF, DC, Seattle, Bogota, Costa Rica, or Nepal coffee is? What have we come to?
posted by imjustsayin on May 31st, 2007 at 8:24 pmAgreed on Ugly Mug. Great place.
NYC Coffee = meh. Believe me. Although I’ve got a place in my neighborhood that’s only $1 for a large. It’s drinkable… and much less watery than Washtenaw Dairy.
posted by Brandon on June 1st, 2007 at 8:58 pmI went to the Ugly Mug the other day for the first time, and it was really really tasty. Staff were friendly, patrons were friendly, atmosphere was just great. And the seats were comfy–coffee shops with multitudes of comfortable seating is missing from AA. If I’m wrong, someone please call me on this.
Sweetwater’s coffee is pretty awful, IMO–it tastes burned to me. Not quite as bad as starbucks, but still pretty awful.
posted by Pants Rule on June 3rd, 2007 at 10:01 pmRoos Roast.
posted by Anonymous on June 3rd, 2007 at 10:10 pmI’ll try the Ugly Mug if they ever stop allowing smoking.
posted by ann arbor is overrated on June 3rd, 2007 at 10:34 pmLung cancer is overrated.
posted by David Boyle on June 4th, 2007 at 8:16 pmUgly Mug has great coffee (drip and espresso), and is close enough to my house that I can get there before I realize I’m awake. But, yeah, I only ever get to-go because of the smoking. Bombadill’s is my sit-down and talk cafe of choice, and the place where I always know someone.
posted by Murph on June 4th, 2007 at 9:45 pmIf we’re going to bring out-of-A2 shops into this (aka Ugly Mug), all you die-hard java fiends should try Foggy Bottom in Dexter.
It’s has an unassuming strip mall facade, but Doug the owner goes further than anyone else I’ve seen in Washtenaw to get great beans. Hawaii, Africa, Mexico - they get them from all of the world. And they roast onsite, to order. If you ever thought your brew was too burnt tasting, they will custom roast yours, and offer pretty astute suggestions. I’ve been trying to cut down my caffeine intake, but still wanted something strong - so Doug mixed me a blend of full-strength Summatra cut with decaf Ethiopian. He roasted it medium-dark and it’s superb.
They also do a great job with education - there’s a big shelf filled with various bean varietals, wiith explanations for each’s color, taste, roast and origin.
Anyway, it’s seriously hardore over there. I’m about the pickiest coffee snob I know, and they’ve got it nailed. Terrific rich & winey espresso drinks too. No kidding, check it out.
posted by Cool Dexter on June 7th, 2007 at 12:33 pmso if starbuck’s coffee tastes burnt because they over-roast their beans, giving them that burnt taste, to ensure that all Starbucks coffee tastes the same, wherever you go then why doesn’t Dunkin’ Donuts or McDonald’s coffee taste burnt? To me the coffee at these places is pretty consistent tasting but certainly not burnt. How do they get it to taste the same without over-roasting while Starbuck’s has to serve burnt coffee? Just curious if anyone knows.
By the way - they really allow smoking in cafes here? I just moved to Ann Arbor a week ago (lived in Boston before) and smoking was prohibited in restaurants, cafes, and bars. Can you really smoke inside here?
posted by Joselito on June 8th, 2007 at 3:47 pmOnly in some places. Cafe Rendezvous in AA and the Ugly Mug in Ypsi come to mind, but most places do seem to be smoke free.
posted by Pants Rule on June 8th, 2007 at 11:12 pmJoselito,
there is currently no law prohibiting smoking in restaurants or bars, but restaurants are required to have non-smoking sections. However, a number of restaurants, coffee houses, and even a couple of bars are completely smoke-free.
Washtenaw County is considering a law prohibiting smoking in restaurants and bars.
posted by Tom Brandt on June 9th, 2007 at 11:46 amso ann arbor over boston eh? mind if i ask why- i’m debating between the two… ah, decisions.
posted by proper bo on June 23rd, 2007 at 12:59 pmActually, my family was close friends with the ORIGINAL owner of the Ugly Mug, [When it was called the Mud House] and I think that was the best cafe ever.
Stop the overpriced coffee houses! ‘Astmosphere’ should be free.
posted by Me on July 27th, 2007 at 1:18 pmWe need a Dunkin’ Doughnuts. Cheap, decent coffee.
posted by Huh on August 13th, 2007 at 11:51 am