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Herkimer means Awesome

Snow falls outside the window in front of me. I sit on my little stool facing the sky and its calming beauty. Between me and the snow sits one of the best shots of espresso the world has ever seen. It’s warm and carmelly and has a hint of sweetness that balances the otherwise earthy richness of the coffee flavor. There’s no hint of bitterness. And unlike espressos of lesser quality that are usually flat in their flavor profiles, this shot has a complexity of flavor that hits all the good places on your tongue and leaves wanting more and if that’s not enough, Herkimer gives you a small, delicious glass of sparkling water to accompany your espresso. I’ve never seen any other place do this.

Herkimer Coffee is my favorite coffee shop in Seattle.

This should mean a lot since I consider myself an afficionado of not just coffee but coffee shops. Herkimer has the whole package.

Atmosphere/Vibe- 9.5
Espresso quality- 10
Cleanliness- 10
Niceness of Baristas- 8.75
Music they play- 8.23
Good location- 8 (pub across the street, Red Mill Burger down the road)
Roasts own beans- YES
Free WiFi- You bet


This place is everything a coffee shop should be. A few other things that make it great:
-The Barista sings to every word of the Flaming Lips playing on the stereo
-A variety of places to sit for a variety of needs. Stools, boothes, tables. Alone, talking, groups you can do it all
-Clean bathrooms
-If you sit at the right place on a clear day you can see snow capped mountains
-Big windows with nice lighting in the afternoon
-I order and espresso and the barista takes time to ask how it was.
-Rotating art

Sure a lot of coffee shops have at least a few of the above. But this place really is more than the sum of its individual parts. You’ll just have to come and see.


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Back to the Future

Sadly, this weekend I will be in Seattle.

For those of you who know me, right now you are probably wondering if someone has hijacked my Blogger account and taken me hostage. This is because everyone knows I LOVE Seattle. In fact, I don't think I've ever uttered a single sentence in my fleeting little life which has contained both the words "sadly" and "Seattle."

Until now.

Why? Because one of my fondest childhood movies is playing at the Loft this weekend. Back to the Future graces the silverscreen here in Tucson for 2 nights only. This Friday and Sat nights, 10p, $5. What a steal of a deal!

Back to the Future Highlights (feel free to add your own)
-The Delorean. I still want a car whose doors open upward.
-Flux Capacitor.

-Family slowly fading from photograph.

-Marti playing "Johnny Be Good." I like that song because of him.
-Skate Boarding. Prob responsible for countless broken arms across the world.
-George McFly:" Yes. Yes. I'm George, George McFly. I'm your density. I mean... your destiny."
-At the end of the movie when Marti drives off in the Delorean, then comes BACK. This time with Mr. Garbage on the back on the car, into which he throws a banana peal, AND THEN FLYS OFF! This was ridiculously exciting to me as a kid.
- Add your own

Little Cafe Poco Cosa gets Big Love

"So where do you wanna go for your Birthday?" my sister asks me. "Anywhere you want."

"Anywhere?" I reply. "How about Switzerland?!"
"No, Silly. For lunch."

Oh.

In a close second to Switzerland is a gem of a place in Tucson called "Little Cafe Poca Cosa."

This is one of those truly unique places that you couldn't make up even if you tried to.
It's a place that's as much about the people as it is about the food.
It's a place where you get a hug (and sometimes a kiss) on your way out the door.
Everything's fresh.
It's all delicious.
It's even pretty healthy. (Great Vegetarian options too!)
If you don't eat all your fruit and veggies that come with your meal, you'll chastised.
And if you don't want to come back after you try this place, I'll call you crazy.



Listen to me now:
*Don't miss the tamales!! I didn't even like tamales until I had them here.
*The daily soup never disappoints
*If you've never had mole (a sauce made with chocolate and chillies) this is a great place to try it!
*The "Half and Half" is a great way to go; you get two pick to of anything on the menu.
*cash only
*M-F for breakfast and lunch only
*GO!

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A Choice to Remember: Short Film Fest!!!

It's a dark and cold night in Tucson. You're sitting at home, wondering what to do with yourself. "Maybe I'll do some laundry" you say to yourself, or perhaps tackle that Gmail Inbox, or something else equally boring and easily procrastinate-able. I realize a night spent doing something "productive" like this is easy to justify in the moment, especially when it's cold out, you're tired and you think driving 10 min sounds like a long way. But the problem is that by next week, a night like that will merge into the fuzzy gray blank that characterizes most of your mundane life.

Instead, I offer you a choice. A chance to make a decision that will alter your life is a small but memorable way. Months and years from now, you'll look back on this night and remember. You'll be able to point to that night when you laughed seated next to a stranger and a friend, when later, you shed a small tear and wiped it away before anyone could see it. When you saw that one little 5 min film that nailed you and you couldn't stop thinking about....

This could be you.
Or you could just stay at home.
It's up to you.

But as for me I'll be at one of my favorite film events of the entire year. Something I look forward to with such zeal that I alter travel plans and break dates just to be able to go. It's the Academy Nominated Shorts screening at the Loft and it's awesome.
Or if nothing else, way better than what you'd be doing otherwise.

Here's a few other things you can look forward to if you go.
-beer or coffee, pick your pleasure
-pizza on tap
-cheap popcorn
-free smells
-big curtains in front of the screen that roll back when the movie starts
-lots of people that clap after each film shows
-short spans of attention are required to watch SHORTS
-variety
-they're all pretty good cause they're nominated for an Academy Award
-sitting next to me. I know, pretty exciting.

Details:

-2 NIGHTS ONLY!! Wednesday (as in tomorrow!) is the Animated Shorts, Thursday is the Live Action.
-starts at 7:30 each night, but you should get there a bit early
-only $6.00 each night or $10.00 for both. What a bargain!


Loft Cinema Special Events

If you you're not in Tucson find out where the closest screening is to you here:

Event Locations Nationwide

And if i haven't convinced you, check out what others are saying

click here

Godfather Goodness Comes to Tucson

The Godfather is coming! The Godfather is coming!

Yes, The Godfather Parts I and II are coming to Tucson on the big screen for one special week. It's 8 bucks a pop, or $12 for a double feature:

http://www.loftcinema.com/node/678

I saw the Godfather for the first time a couple years back. For me, it was a movie that lived up to the hype surrounding it. It drips with atmosphere and an exquisite elegance. Characters, plot and cinematography come together to create a richness rarely felt in modern film. IMDB shows The Godfather tied with The Shawshank Redemption for the highest rated movie of all time, while the Godfather Part II stands alone in the number 3 slot. Now you, yes you, (well if you live in Tucson) have a chance to take these masterpieces of film in on the Big Screen!

If you're curious about the rest of the TOP 250: http://www.imdb.com/chart/top

The Simple Americano

Some (as in me) use the Americano as the yardstick by which to judge a cafe. It's a simple drink, consisting of espresso + hot water. However, it can yield much valuable info about a cafe. You'd think it would be pretty easy to make, but I've found out that there's lots of ways to screw this drink up. Sometimes it's cold, often it's too weak, other times the espresso is bitter. A couple times I had to tell the barista how to make the drink since they didn't know how. (Lord help us all).

Printer's Cafe on California Ave in Palo Alto serves up a GREAT Americano. And they do something that I've never seen anywhere else, yet is a genius move. They give you the espresso, pulled into a mug and then they give you a seperate little pot full of hot water. This enables you, the rightful owner of this delicious Americano, to adjust it's strength to your exact specifications, by adding more or less water to your espresso.

It's brilliant, it's delightful, it's $1.82 after tax.

Now go get one:

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