I take it back

Almost a year ago, I posted a little rant dissing Stumptown Coffee. Well, I have to sort of take it back, because not long ago I drank a really tasty cup of Stumptown.

So I'll swallow my pride and admit that my main reason for bashing Stumptown had less to do with their coffee and more to do with image.  It started a few years back when Bon Appetit magazine featured Stumptown's founder in an article.  I looked at his photograph and immediately began ignoring the article's content.

This guy looks like every third person in Portland, I thought.  Buddy Holly glasses, greasy hair.  Give me a break.  Then I drank a few cups of acrid Stumptown and thought ha. HA!

The problem is, though, I've had bad cups of coffee everywhere.  Starbucks, Peet's, Tully's (poor Tully's).  The worst cup ever was at the Park Place Starbucks, in one of high-rent areas around Lake Washington. I tasted my Americano and thought wow, they're pulling icky shots today.  People left the store and got in their Porsches, BMW's and Hummers, carrying their grande' lattes which I'm sure tasted awful.

Years ago, I worked with a barista who had transferred north from Park City, Utah.  She told me that during the Sundance film festival, she served terrible coffee to several movie stars. The store was just too busy to tinker with the grind or watch how long it took shots to pull.

She said that when serving the stars during a major film festival, acting is everything. "Just look them in the eye and give them the drink," she said.  When you know the beverage stinks, just hand it over with confidence.  If the customer dislikes it, they might think oh, it's just me.

On the other hand, I've had great coffee at Starbucks, Peets, etc.  It makes me wonder how many of my likes and dislikes are image-related and not based on real experience.

I drank my first good cup of Stumptown (plain, black) this August with R's new fifth-grade teacher.  I contacted her before school started, hoping to share a few e-mails about my son, his unique personality and learning style. She suggested we meet for coffee, and we had a great, productive time.  We talked about our mutual love for Jesus Christ and our struggle to be good moms in this crazy world.

So I'll try to relax and not jump on my soapbox when something offends my crabby 40-year-old mom sensibilities.  Good grief.  That's really what I am. But to quote Robert Zimmerman of Hibbing, Minnesota:

I was so much older then,

I'm younger than that now.