Alice's Attic

In Wilton, on Route 7

David Waldman

From 2011

Java Bowl Of Soul

Stemming from Idaho, the Java folks decided to open their fifth shop and first outside their home state in Westport. Cool new addition to the local scene, all organic coffee beans, sweet vibe.

I'm on a quest for a decent cup of espresso in these parts. Having spent time in France and Miami I know what a good cup of espresso tastes like. It has to be pipping hot, and taste like coffee, a rich, thick, almost Turkish* coffee-like thickness, no bitterness, no sourness, a good cup of espresso shouldn't even need sugar, it's naturally sweet.

Sadly, what's happened around here, and it must be a disease, is this ridiculous, almost pathological addiction to high priced, super-extraction machines, which transform any cup of espresso, into tasting like the beans have been wrung out of a dirty dish rag!

Maybe there's a setting on these machines, where you can ask the barista, to set the controls to "old fashioned" so I can once again enjoy an espresso the way it was meant to taste.

A "good" espresso should take 25 seconds to pour, and have very little crema... Busy coffeeshops tend to rush it, which results in acrid tasting shots with too much crema on top!

From Sweetmarias:
"Bad taste? Bitterness in espresso is a popular complaint. Before you blame the coffee, you need to make sure the machine is clean. A very bad, acrid bitterness results from machines/coffee handles that are dirty. A thorough cleaning of a neglected machine can be a considerable undertaking. I cleaned a La San Marco for 2 days straight trying to remove the cause of my bitter espresso. When the machine is clean, you should be able to do a dry-run with no coffee in the portafilter (meaning, run hot water into the cup through the coffee handle) ... then let the water cool and taste it. If it tastes good, your machine should be clean."

*Kibberia which recently opened a second restaurant in Westport down from Danbury makes a pretty decent cup of Turkish coffee!

Nothing Works

Save your money!

Luxe in Westport

Exotic libations at Luxe in Westport

Message to Police from Josie the Outlaw

www.josietheoutlaw.com

facebook page

Launch of Fairfield University FAME Business Incubator

For more information: http://fame.fairfield.edu

1499 Post Rd. Fairfield, CT 06824

Colder Than Iceland

They say that this morning New York was colder than Iceland, Anchorage, Antartica and freakin' SIBERIA!!!

The Granola Bar at Playhouse Square

Coffee makes me happy. But a misspent youth of coffee and cigarettes left me super susceptible to caffeine. More than two cups a day and it's withdrawal migraines and bouts of dementia. 

The new Granola Bar at Playhouse Square in Westport has instantly become so successful, there's nowhere left to park. The place is packed, with college students and business professionals, outside on their cell phones, braving the cold.

My espresso wasn't quite hot enough, and a little too sour/bitter for my taste, but some people like it that way, including the baristas. I just prefer not to smother mine with sugar. A wall of design books and designer chocolates, New York Post and New York Times on counter tops.

They close at 6 pm, they should stay open at night! They also drive a purple food truck!

The Granola Bar
275 Post Road East
Westport, Connecticut 06880
Mon - Fri: 6:30 am - 6:00 pm
Sat - Sun: 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
(203) 349-5202
www.thegranolabarCT.com