Day 4...the beginning of the END!`

The trek is almost over.  The weather seems to be on repeat.  Who wouldn't get used to 60s and sunny every single day?  It sure is nice to wake up to sunlight and vitamin D.  

every day.

I had to hit Sightglass before checking out.  Last time i was in the bay, i went to the Sightglass walk-up.  They were using an IPad for a POS and were rocking the Slayer espresso machine.  Since then, all Slayers have broken down with faulty parts.  Their Slayer was in their new construction space, pouting, unused, like the naughty kid on timeout.  can't play with the other kids.  i ordered an espresso and the $5.25 Costa Rican pourover.

garage walk-up.  cool stuff.  to the right is the shell of their new  monstrosity of a shop a  la Four Barrel

cool set up.  funky.

Espresso was light, almost dusty.  i was drinking milk chocolate, but it was slightly sour, in a good way?  It had that bath watery feel i enjoy in espresso.  i know, weird descriptors, but that's what came to mind...

fiestaware-ish?  

pourover was outstanding.  the same drying mouth feel like a Kenyan or some Columbian coffees was present. it tasted a little like apricots, or some sweeter fruit, but it was really refined.  in the same way lots of great liquors begin to taste like Cognac, i feel like great coffee begins to take on similar characteristics, (ir)regardless of origin.  i truly enjoyed this coffee.  the Blue Bottle pourover was slighty better, but i would pay $5 for either of these coffees everyday.

happy to see different color ink on the cup.

Few food offerings at Sightglass, so i rode over to Farm:Table for a little breakfast.

awesome entrance/menu/condiment bar/bus tub/building directory/"let me in" phone

i think i had the same americano as yesterday, which was standby style with no real distinguishable qualities other than satisfying the "i need some coffee this morning" thought.  straight-forward, and works because there was little good coffee around Leavenworth and Post.  Breakfast was good stuff.  House Cereal with yohgurt (their bourgeoisie spelling), strawberries, and blueberries.  on vacation i'd spend $6 on a little bowl of cereal.  at home, i'd better be getting a big Pyrex bowl of Cocoa Blast-Ums and three sliced bananas. Cereal was good though, with a bit of brown sugar and sitting at an outdoor table on Post, with coffee and locally sourced cereal, yo(h)gurt, and berries was a great way to spend the final SF trip morning.

i count 4 strawberry slices and 5 blueberries.

Day 3, San Francisco

The flat tire from Day 2 kept me local this morning.  the day started with a trip to Walgreens looking for pseudo-tire irons.  rulers?  walked to Farm : Table on Post.  Had a great time there with Jamine last time i was in the bay.  They get their coffee from Verve Roasters.  my 8oz. americano was light and sweet.  Definitely a ristretto shot.  i enjoyed the Americano quite a bit.  it could have been the sun.  it could have been that it was my first coffee of the day.  nevertheless, i enjoyed it.

gotta love the Linea

what's with the red ink on white cup stamp?  an SF thing?

not a bad way to start the morning.  changed the tire with the rulers as tire irons, sweating like a stuck pig.  not pleasant.  started the coffee journey on bike.  i set out to the Mecca of San Francisco coffee, the original Blue Bottle Coffee Co.  sick concept, sick design, perhaps the best cup of drip coffee i've ever had.  

rolled up on a line.  garage.  sick.

simplistic.  linea, robur, mazzer major.  that's it.

i ordered espresso and a Three Africans Blend pourover.  the espresso was sweet!  no edge.  chocolate, but not heavy.  awesome.  hints of fruit, but chocolate was what i came away with...

The pourover was amazing.  no bitterness, no sharpness.  it was light in body by still had a syrupy smooth feel.  there was a little fruit but some cinnamon too.  this may have been the best cup of drip coffee i've ever had.  sat on a rock across the alley, in the sun, enjoying my coffee...simply sublime.

Back to Ritual on Valencia for a short americano after a trip to the bike shop.  boring.  tasted like coffee.  too much Beatles music.  definitely hipster.  

i told you.

This isn't coffee related, but i have a story to tell...on a recommendation from my friend Drew, and one Anthony Bourdain, i went to "That's It!" in the Mission.  i met my old-school homie, Ronnie for lunch.

I was instructed by Drew to order the Torta Cubano.  this place was a liquor store/corner store/woolworth style Mexican counter.  he ordered the Chicken Shwarma plate (no joke).  This Torta was Hawaiian in spirit.  it was so unbelievably freakin' grubbin.  Milanesa, hot dog, ham slice, chorizo, fried eggs, sour cream, and who knows what else.  it should have come with a pillow, antacid, and a plunger, but it was so worth it.  amazing.  let the pictures tell the rest of the story...

dang.

damn.

its like whoa!

stunned.

this torta is bangin.

and i was still hungry...for reals.

Day 2, San Francisco

My homie, Elliot Sun hipped me to the new shop in his neighborhood, Contraband.  he stays on Russian Hill and its just down Larkin from his place.

the synesso was a good sign...

my shot of Ethiopian Yirgacheffe single origin espresso in a real shot glass wasn't.  not that there really is a prob with it.  my reaction made me feel like a Portlandia sketch but i wanted a demi...

coffee is always better with a big pellegrino.  see the bianchi in the background, marinating?

Ethiopia Yirgacheffe, Grade 3 Single Origin Espresso.  the pre-infusion lasted way too long.  i counted 12 seconds, at least.  definitely extracted a ton coffee before he moved the paddle to 9 bars.  he didn't pay much attention.  i was also interested in the sideways tamping style.  wanted to ask about it but didn't.  my espresso was decent.  i had a lot of Grade 3 Yirgacheffe from Seattle Coffee Works so i kinda knew what to expect.  again, few distinguishable characteristics.  passable.  not as floral as i would have liked.  no real fruit to speak of.

The pourover was Kenya Peaberry.  Blueberry, drying effect like grapefruit or even walnuts?  tasty.  

The shop design was pretty sick.  modern, lots of laptops, reminded me of the Pike Street Fish Fry.  if i lived in this hood i would frequent this place.  Synesso, laptop friendly, outdoor seating, single origin espresso.  maybe i would bring my own demitasse?

Me, Elliot, and his wife Danica went back later in the afternoon...

i ordered a Bali Organic pourover.  bitter, sharp, no cocoa, no berry.  i think they buy from the same lot as Seattle Coffee Works because the coffees had the same descriptions and labels.  This Bali was not like my Bali.

seattle to the bay...

the trip started here...

flight from Seattle to San Francisco, landed at 8am, in need of some serious coffee.  i put my bike back together at the hotel and set out for Pac Bell Park from Market Street to the Embarcadero.

Amazing backdrop

after the game is where to coffee begins.  i rode from Pac Bell, up 16th to the Mission on Valencia.

may have the sickest logo...ever

i had a salvadorian pourover which sufficed but wasn't outstanding.  i can't get over how much of a lack of discretion they use when making a pourover here.  not that i'm a total expert, but they literally pour the water over the coffee...that's it.  its still better than any machine brewed coffee (talking to you Clover!).  it tasted like clean coffee.  not distinguishable characteristics.  there was chocolate and lemon, waiting to be found, but...

all cups look alike in the bay.  stampage, slightly different.  same red ink.

the ladies on the stoop next to the gate flipped me crap for the front wheel being too close to their step.

that wrapped up Day 1 in San Francisco.  an enjoyable day on wheels, but coffee left something to be desired...