All Before Coffee

Not just coffee

Archive for December, 2010

All About Coffee: A Never-Ending Story

Dec 30

Posted by admin in coffee, life | No Comments

Every so often the urge arises to concentrate on coffee. Is it good for you? Bad? A killer? We’ve covered the gamut of health possibilities, and the train will not stop with what has been written this year. Coffee is one of those magnetic buttons: It attracts a flurry of opinions, whether discussions about the way it’s ordered or the strength of the cup. I mostly get the response, you have how many shots in there? Yes, it’s true, the more the merrier for me with the espresso cuppa.

This blog is after all named All Before Coffee, and I have explained that thoughts occur along that caffeinated highway at any time, day or night. Yes, I like my coffee strong, frequent, and made fresh. Seasonally, I love a triple over ice, no water, but when the temperature falls into single digits, coffee cures: Hot.illy-holiday-200x135-01

This has been the year of the ultimate fights among the giants. As Starbucks was down and many called it a vulnerable player of an earlier, sound economic era, the company responded with its own belt-tightening strategy and a remaking of its image. VIA came along and did so well that it spawned flavored single paks. Who woulda thunk it?

McDonalds refused to sit still and watch people return to Starbucks. They created a coffee strategy of possibilities and convinced their customers that a latte could be enjoyed at a McD’s. The consumer was the coffee winner. Possibilities abounded and other fast food chains responded with their own coffee selections. Coffee was hot and selling. Dunkin’, Caribou, and other big name players rolled out a laundry list of selections.

Then the sensibility quotient: This was the year that the coffee cup came into play as the enviro cups made a more lasting impression on customers. More people were purchasing their own carry around reusable mugs. Just don’t try to take your holiday thermos to an airport!

Yet, the biggest news was probably that the consumer had become educated and wanted more for his money. “Don’t just hand me a cup and expect me to go to the pump machine: Make it. And make it they did with an impressive list of new equipment vying for customer attention and loyalty. The list goes on (walk down a Manhattan or Brooklyn neighborhood and see the little coffee guy’s new piece of high-end equipment) as we move into the new year as the home consumer wants to duplicate the coffee shop experience and several manufacturers are ready to accommodate. No, you do not need the $1,000 machine, but it’s great if you can have it. There are plenty of new approaches that promise to give the home user a coffee shop experience, a hand-brewed special of the house!

Whether before the first cup or from the smell of the in-home fresh-brewed awakens your sensibilities, one fact remains: Coffee’s vitality kicks it up a notch. The story goes on.

Let us hope that 2011 gives us numerous coffee pleasures.

Tags: , , ,

The Burger, the Dog, and the Bitters

Dec 28

Posted by admin in cocktail, food universe | No Comments

If one food or food shop dominated the 2010 landscape, it was the burger. Not just the In ‘n Out type (although I am a fan), but the high-end, chef-inspired spot that said, I feel your pain, so let’s upscale the bun experience. In all honesty, it allows top-tier chefs another hold on the marketplace and an additional revenue source.

We have burger shops dotting the landscape of every major city and older players had to adapt and become more creative. The single bun needed interesting toppings. Chefs who opened steakhouses in the last decade, threw their names and talent behind a higher price point experience: The burger. Why not? After all the burger offers creative challenges as it can wear many disguises and offer a great dining out experience whether for a vegetarian or Angus beef lover. Price is certainly more appetizing than for a 12-oz Filet.

Will this trend continue? Well, it will not go away, but it will receive competition from another food that had literally been health-blasted off the horizon: The Hot Dog. Already hot dog stands and restaurants are opening in more cities than just the notoriously famous Chicago Red Hot corner experience. The unique Chicago dog has motivated newbies to try their hand at importing the Midwestern flavor with its ultra green relish into the buns of the new hot dog stands.

What else had a strong revival during this past year? That would be the cocktail. No, it was not limited to the martini glass as cocktail mavens were left to their own creative imaginations to explore tastes that had not seen their way into drinking glasses of any size or shape. Basil, for instance, became a summer contender, and as the year drew to a close, more barmeisters were making their own bitters to see what tastes the glass could handle. The cocktail will not go away as quickly this time as it did when wine emerged as the dining out drink of choice. Cocktail menus and creative names challenge the diner to lighten up a little and enjoy every part of the dining out experience.TN-582782_WINNERS1066

Whatever your dining out budget, this has been the year to let you experiment with a variety of tastes that complement your budget.

Tags: , ,

2010: The Year of Baby Steps

Dec 27

Posted by admin in food universe, news | No Comments

For many people in the food industry, 2010 was a year of Maybes: Maybe the economy will improve, Maybe we can do better this year than last, Maybe..

Merriam-Webster Dictionary selects a word of the year each year, and “Austerity” headed this year’s list. “Pragmatic” came in at second place. Interesting choices since I believe that 2009 was in many ways a harder year for food and beverage survival; a year where we practiced austerity for the first time and became more pragmatic about our decisions.

This year was the follow-up season which may have truly separated the straphangers from those with a seat at the table. Many restaurants, long-standing restaurants, are no longer in business as we close out the books on the year. Whether the blame falls on the landlord who believes he has figured out a better rental arrangement or on the still slow nature of the business, hard to come out with a precise formula. Many businesses that had become dining landmarks are now headed for historic obliteration.Step+N'+Store+Stool+in+White

What made 2010 so difficult for many was that consumers had changed. After a frightful 2009, food shopping and dining out decisions were different. Consumers had become smarter and businesses had to adapt. Grocers who never ran specials were now tripping over themselves with coupons, weekly deals, and daily offers. Restaurants chimed in with their own promotions as happy hours returned to the scene–if you drink for cheap, maybe you’ll stay for dinner. That strategy worked for some. Half-price wine became a more steady fixture and one not solely limited to traditionally, slow Monday nights. Some higher-end restaurants even relaxed their corkage fees to entice guests to empty their specialty wines and buy a wonderful multi-course meal to help the wine shine!

As we look back, it’s relevant to study what worked and why it worked. Will it continue into 2011 or will the glimmers of improvement, such as greater retail holiday spending, mean that restaurants and grocers can eliminate the programs that worked and go back to their old ways? I hope not. I hope we are all smarter. Tomorrow we’ll look at some of the trends of the year and make a guess about what foods and drinks we’ll see in abundance in ’11.

It’s all about strategy and most prominently, survival strategy. One step at a time.

Tags: , ,

Teaser Alert: So Many Topics…Enjoy a Doodle

Dec 23

Posted by admin in food universe, news | No Comments

As we wind out the week with the holiday most people have been eagerly awaiting for over 11 1/2 months, it’s time to get reflective. We have covered so many subjects, and there have been so many changes in the food universe during the past year. Some, better than others. Some, unfulfilled, but that’s the name of the game: Life.webersmoker077924081576lg

Now it’s time to think about wine and beer, table settings, and special foods. For many it’s a time to bundle up as the cold winds overcome the limited hours of sunshine. In the final rush of the week as we move forward to a business not as usual weekend, let us take a moment to reflect and look forward to next week when we revisit the buttons that drove us into a wild frenzy during the past year.

Yes, a review is coming and a look forward as we end the year.

Stay dry and warm and enjoy a year of doodles.

Tags: ,

Elmo and Congress: A Duet of Hope

Dec 20

Posted by admin in FDA, news | No Comments

As we rush around fulfilling all the end-of-the-year promises and getting everyone in place for a weekend of festivities, it is fitting that Sesame Street plays a major role in our moves forward. Yes, last week Elmo visited the White House (you might enjoy the video) to congratulate everyone on the passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act: A true milestone in more ways than just from Elmo’s visit! The hunger numbers have not decreased.

Then over this past weekend, the Senate wanted to elevate its place in history as it managed to secure passage of the Food Safety Bill. If you recall, they passed it about a month ago, but there was an outcry about how legislation gets initiated and passed. With a few language adjustments, that fear doctrine was removed. Now as the final legislative countdown of the year is in full swing, the House needs to act to put this into law.

What does this all mean for us, the consumer? Are we safer? Is our food safer? Are we protected?

The answers to all those questions depend on who you ask and how much you trust the various systems. No doubt it has been a difficult year in the realm of food safety with E. coli and Salmonella recalls vying for headline prominence. The CDC reported that 1 in 6 consumers gets sick from foodborne illnesses each year! A frightening percentage.eggs

Many of our sacred foods including peanut butter and eggs went under the knife as consumers were in harm’s way from various avenues. Now will our lives be safer? Will the FDA have the manpower to implement the new legislation? Will school nutrition programs prove to be healthier for the millions of young people that need to get food?

These are all questions of hope. Hope that the continuing efforts from the White House for nutritional benefits and from Congress for legislative mandates for government agencies will all benefit the end user: Us.

It is after all the season of hope.

Tags: , ,

Watch Out: Hot Coffee…War

Dec 16

Posted by admin in coffee, life, news | No Comments

Everyone seems to have his favorite coffee, coffee maker, or coffee shop. If you want to start a heated discussion, throw your cup into this arena. If you want to see a real hot display, watch the exchange between Starbucks and Kraft Foods. It may have reached boiling point yesterday.7174ZYGHKWL._SL500_AA300_

The news of their apparent breakup means Starbucks products would not be distributed by Kraft to grocery stores, nor would Seattle’s Best, a brand of the Starbucks family. This has been a back-and-forth discussion about who would make certain the shelves were properly stocked with the coffees. The plan was for Starbucks to exit the grocery aisles by March 1. Yet, yesterday, the conversation escalated into a loud crush of responsibility when Kraft announced its coffee prices for its mainstay products, Maxwell House and Yuban Coffee, would  increase again. Starbucks countered with the comment that the new prices would exceed what had been previously agreed upon for the coffee company’s strong presence in the grocery aisles.

Confused? No need. The issue is quite simple: Where can a consumer purchase Starbucks coffee? Kraft says no problem–it plans to continue to offer the products in grocers’ coffee aisles. Starbucks says its stores can easily handle the requests.

What is a consumer to do? Wait it out and hope this escalates into a price war that sees coffee price reductions rather than the current upward trend. That type of lowered pricing may be part of a coffee drinker’s dream chest!

Tags: ,

The Countdown Begins

Dec 15

Posted by admin in food universe, Gadgetry | No Comments

You don’t need me to remind you that the major gift-giving holiday of the year is fast approaching. OK, you don’t need the reminder, but here it is. I have a fun stocking stuffer, a small wrapped goodie that has lots of applications. Wait, you’ve heard about this before, but not in this incarnation:

The Spork.150

I probably still have the Old World metal fork and spoon combo that was designed to help people with various hand issues such as carpal tunnel pain that radiated down the arm into the hand. The so-called utensil was awkward, but certainly a conversation starter. A whole lotta changes have been made, and the concept has become a big plus for lunchbox users, campers, and tykes learning to hold silverware. Of course, I could think of more uses, such as fashionistas looking to brighten up the holiday table. Its color palate is impressive, and they even introduced the titanium one for the more conservative palate.

Easy to buy, easy to give; fun to use.

I’m a believer.

Tags: ,

Waiter, There’s A Fly in my Soup

Dec 12

Posted by admin in food universe, restaurants | No Comments

Not really a fly but something was clearly buzzing around. Wait, I’ve got it; I recognize it. It’s the hovering, all too present server who cannot figure out how to service this table without being part of every conversation or at least continually interrupting. There was no chance to complete a sentence! We’ve all had that meal or some part of one of those. Many diners prefer the omnipresent waiter to the MIA one that can never be found. How about the middle ground?

Maybe two dining experiences this week demonstrate the extremes and define some sort of a norm. Take the first lunch with the chatty waiter who had a million recommendations and continued to descend upon the table with boundless energy. I love enthusiasm, but I also appreciate the opportunity to have lunch with a friend rather than being continually interrupted by service questions: How is it? Do you want a soda refill? Can I get you anything? The list goes on. I think my friend and I finished a few complete sentences without interruption. That is until it was time to leave. You guessed it: Nowhere to be found. We literally had to ask several people to find a way to get our check. Something is very wrong with this picture. Is the server too kind, too enthusiastic, or just plain annoying? You can vote for that outcome.

The following day, the experience was almost text book. A server arrived quickly, took the order, and appeared almost by magic when it was appropriate: Time to clear, time to inquire if there would be anything else, and time to leave the check. If you guess that the two adjacent day meals were at different price points or at restaurants so different in terms of their training, you’d be incorrect. Price points identical; training very important to both multi-unit midscale operations.FetchImage.aspx

What’s the difference then? Personality plays a major part in the communication level. Efficiency certainly dominates the training, but the hovering, chatty, “new friend” experience is not what most people look for when dining out. Servers need to read guests; they need to read the table and determine what’s needed. It’s not an impossible characteristic of good service, but one that can make a meal a more pleasant experience than the missing server or the hovering one.

Perfect timing is what it’s all about. Not that complex a concept, but the difference between a positive dining out experience and one less than pleasant. The diner rules and dictates; the server sees and responds. The tip stays the same.

Dining out should have that careful orchestration that adds to the enjoyable aspect of the food. Everyone needs to know his part.

Tags: ,

Name Your Treat: A Deal a Minute–Part Deux

Dec 8

Posted by admin in food universe, news | No Comments

It was not that many days ago that I commented on the deal-breaking universe, but I was wrong about a hunch, a speculation, a certified rumor. Groupon and Google did not marry, but what affect did that have on us? Nothing. Zip, Nada. At least not now, but the speculation of such a union can create a dizzying stratosphere of future money-saving opportunity.

We are deluged by so many deal-breaking opportunities, but few seem to be complaining. Someone must have figured out that we will buy the discount promos, but may not remember to use them. After all as with any good promotion, there is an expiration date. Email, mobile, radio, you name it, the offers keep coming. Some shout out similar to a circus barker, “Today and Today Only… You have so many hours…So few minutes… The clock is ticking…Time’s Up…Expired.”

How did this explosion of high-tech couponing take off and become so popular? The simple answer is that most people like a deal, a bargain, or a perceived unique opportunity. Half-priced sushi at a top-tier sushi haven represents such a deal. Buy 1, Get 1 has been the old school standard. Now, the show me the money game is more of a contest, how many people quickly sign up to get the deal into place. Obviously, these businesses have a sales force that is omnipresent and trying to capture the greatest number of site hits. Remember last year when Gap was deluged by its half-price offer that the site kept crashing. Well, this is the food world’s response. We, too, can eat.

A new national player has entered the game on universe. Albeit they are not in every city they serve, but their major city deal of the day has been quite successful. That’s Open Table’s entree with its daily Spotlight. (Here’s one for Denver). Names change; game’s similar.denver11-44102-large

Travelers, plan your meals. Here’s an opportunity to get a deal where you’re headed. Look at sunny San Diego, for example, and see how the dice land. For a small price, as in turn over your email, you can be the first to know about a new deal group starting in January, but in the meantime, there are several other sites ready to offer up their best.

Call it what you want, these deals frequently represent significant cost savings at familiar places or some you’re willing to gamble on for a savings. Remember your holiday present list. Buy up food opportunities for your stuffers.

Tags: ,

Time-sensitive Universe–Food on the Cheap

Dec 3

Posted by admin in lifestyle, news | No Comments

So many choices; so many options to get a deal, a coupon; a special offer unique to each city. There’s Groupon which Google appears to be purchasing. Living Social which is on Amazon’s radar, and a full range of other choices from individual businesses that want to get on the daily coupon bandwagon. Even newspapers  and magazines have figured out how to get advertisers to sign up for daily promos. Every city wants in on this lucrative action.

Each program works a little differently, but the end result is the same: A buyer saves some percentage off the cost of an item or gets multiples of something. Whatever the strategy, the system has taken off like wild fire. People speak glowingly about the $40 of sushi they purchased for $20, or the 3 mani-pedis for $50, or… The options are just limited by a merchant’s trepidation, but that has proven short-sighted as those who have signed up see it is as a dream come true. The social media marketing strategy has worked so well that businesses happily sign up for the short, time sensitive deals. They have little to lose and customers to gain. Consumers may have just a few hours or a day to take advantage of the deal. Sign up some friends, and you’ll save even more.

There’s even a site that lets you get a deal and give a deed. You get a savings advantage, and often a food treat you’ve been coveting, and an organization benefits from your participation. That’s the spirit of the season: lots of winning ways!deal e6d7f3d12285481

Whatever coupon approach you follow, you are certain to save money and feel generous. As the old joke goes, meet me halfway: You first have to sign up!

Tags: ,