The Best?

First of, congratulations to our friends in Mt. Lebanon, Aldo Coffee for being voted "Best Baristas" in Pittsburgh. Way to go!

Today, something frightening happened in the shop. No, it wasn't that the pastry case broke (again, second time in a week) or that some metal was mixed in with our decaf Sumatra beans--stopping the grinder until I could take the whole thing apart and reassemble (should have taken pictures). Instead it was two customers who asked for straight espresso shots. We take a lot of pride here in our espresso and our preparation technique, as does our roaster/blender TJ from the Commonplace Coffeehouse in Indiana, PA. The lady of the sibling pair told me that she has a Francis!Francis! home espresso machine in which she uses Illy beans, considered some of the finest in the world. Understandably, I was nervous--a lot rides on that initial impression, especially in a business so dependent on good word-of-mouth.

She told me it was the "finest espresso I've ever tasted." Her brother agreed. I was both relieved and made even more nervous. I had done well with this gift given to me. I had brought out its full potential (as far as I know--I did taste the leftover ounce of the single and it was sweet and delicious). But, that sort of experience can easily lead to pride--to snobbery, which leads to an inferior product and inferior customer service. Neither of which, honestly, I have any desire to be associated with.

It did bring out a question I've had about marketing for a long time. Who has the authority to say something is "the best"? There was a (now defunct) local shop that touted itself on its website as having "America's best espressos, americanos, etc..." According to whom? The owner? The critics? The customers? I don't know in this case.

The lady that I spoke of before asked for something, though, before she drank her shot. Somewhat sheepishly, she asked for cream. Many in the coffee world would cringe at such a request, because (possibly) it is easy to forget that we aren't doing gallery art that shall forever remain forbidden territory. We are preparing culinary art that is meant, above all, to taste good. Does she want cream? I may not take cream in my espresso, but I don't have the right to pronounce on the "proper" way to taste something, especially since everyone has different tastes. Even with the cream, she said it was darn good. In the end, the only ones who really have the authority to say whether something is the "best" or not is the taster. Critics have their place due to (hopefully) refined palates, but they are not the only ones to consider. Every customer is tasting and will vote with their hard-earned dollars and precious time. I want every one of them to have the best tasting (and dining) experience every time they come in. Even so, we won't be the objective best, but we'll all be getting better together.

The Excitement in Building

Within a week here, most all of the returning/new Geneva College students will be here. Slowly and steadily the daily business has been increasing over the last couple of weeks, as professors find their way back, students discover Beaver Falls again, and staff keep us company. This is the beginning of an exciting season here at BFC&T. So many folks from the college have brought much to the proverbial table here, whether a kind word, a suggestion, a recipe, or a regularly scheduled class to use our backroom.

Welcome back everyone! Hope this year produces much academic fruit; we'll brew the coffee that fuels the intellectual engines.

It's "Cooler" Than Ever to Hang Out at BFC&T!

The sweltering summer heat has let up for a few days, but it is ready to charge back on through again. To combat this, we have installed another air conditioner here at BFC&T to improve your comfort. Whether you're coming for the drinks or the company, or just to get out of the heat for awhile, stop on in! Relax, cool yourself, and enjoy any number of our iced or blended drinks.

The Dawning of a New Day

Today marks the first time I've ever roasted coffee beans. I jimmy-rigged a popcorn popper with a candy thermometer and went to town (with the help of CoffeeGeek.com). What an incredible process! The smell is lingering, even now, in my nostrils. Wonderful. I'm going to try brewing it tomorrow, so we'll see if it is any good. If not, I'll try again. If so, I'll try again. Eventually the goal is to start roasting in house, so you will be able to get fresh coffee to order. Someday...

In Search of the Perfect Pastry

I've been thinking about microbreweries a lot lately (but not necessarily for that reason!). The offer a wonderful, hand-crafted, unique product, much like coffeeshops do. However, one major difference is that rarely, in my experience at least, are micros just breweries or bars. Usually, they have a restaurant menu, chock full of delicious foods that compliment their beers. Coffeeshops, especially in smaller towns like Beaver Falls, often try to just be bars--just the beverages and maybe a few little things on the side. However, for us here at BFC&T, things didn't work out that way. We offer a nice sized lunch menu and would like to eventually expand it to a "made to order" style, more cafe-ish. But that, actually, isn't my point tonight.

Returning to the micros, they carefully select their menu items to compliment their beverages. Focus on the beverage, but food isn't an afterthought. That is similar to what we are trying to do here. We've gotten raves about our scones and they are good stand-alone, but they really do compliment either a small cup of drip brewed coffee (especially Yirgacheffe) or (even better) a double normal shot of espresso. Great little breakfast or mid-morning snack. However, scones aren't the only pasty on our radar. We keep plugging away at perfecting a biscotti recipe. Biscotti is, probably, the ultimate coffee compliment pastry. It is like they were meant for each other. Hopefully by the time school starts up again we'll have a nice selection on the floor for you.

The pastry that I'm having the hardest time with, though, is cinnamon rolls. What wonderful creations that scream "Have a cafe au lait or cappacino with me!" However, each time I've made them it has been an unmitigated disaster. This week, I made them for a catering job, rising up early at 430am to make them. By 630am, it was clear that the rolls did not want to be made. Sigh. However, the will happen. That is where you come in. Part of the problem, I think, is that I haven't found a good recipe for cinnamon rolls. If you have one, I would love to try it out, and if we decide to use it in the shop, we'll make sure to put your name on the menu beside it.

I hope when you stop by that our selection of sandwiches, soups, and pastries compliments your drink perfectly. If not, please tell us what we can do to make it so.

"Live Sound" This Saturday!

"Live Sound", brought to you by the creators of Dodge Intrepid and the Pages of Time, will premier this Saturday, July 21st, at Beaver Falls Coffee & Tea. Along with being a hilarious comedic romp through Beaver County library-dom, Jason Panella, our very own singer-brewer, will perform between episodes. Admission is free, but come a little early to get your favorite drinks or to try something new! The show begins at 7:30PM.

Also, our address is 3219 4th Avenue, not 3912 as reported in the Time, nor 3214 as reported on our own website! Too much caffeine I suppose...

Artists in Residence

If you haven't had a chance yet, come into the shop and check out the beautiful photography provided by local artists Rebecca Michalik and Alex LaSala! Each wonderful photography is for sale. Soon we will have a page on the website where you can see the photos. These ladies do delightful work and we are glad to have their work grace our walls.