BlueBox Coffee

For all you coffee drinkers out there, today is a wonderful day. For those of you who are not coffee drinkers, today may be the day to get started. If you didn’t read the title of this post, you might be asking yourself why about now.

Today is National Coffee Day. That’s right, a whole day devoted to the cure-all drink we have all come to know and love. Okay, so maybe it isn’t a cure-all drink, but a good cup of coffee does have a number of great qualities, and even some health benefits. And to celebrate this glorious day, many coffee shops are offering discounts on their coffee.

Today is a celebration, not only of a beverage, but of friendship and love. Coffee is often used as an excuse to catch up with someone you haven’t talked to in a while, or to get to know that special someone you have been wanting to talk to, but haven’t made it past a simple smile or “hello.” Coffee is many things to many people, and goes far beyond a simple wake up drink in the morning.

I say the best way to spend today is to pick a person, and sit down with them over a cup of coffee. Even better, try a new coffee shop that neither of you have been to before. This is a great day to try a new coffee shop, or just support your local shop if you’ve already been to them all.

Today is a bittersweet day for many Whovians. For those in the UK, we are moments away from Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill’s final scenes on Doctor Who. It has been an amazing couple of years with the characters of Amy and Rory on Doctor Who, but big changes are on their way.

Since the introduction of the 11th Doctor, there have been two constant companions. This is unusual in Doctor Who, but it has worked brilliantly. The dynamics between Amy and Rory, and of course the Doctor, have brought many laughs, and possibly an equal number of tears. If I am correct in my assumption of how Amy and Rory will be leaving the show, I have a feeling the tears aren’t finished.

Despite the fact that I am a bit sad to see these amazing characters go, I do believe it is time for a change in the show. Rarely do you see 3 seasons without a major cast change in Doctor Who. That, in the end, is what keeps us coming back for more. Even when plots are recycled, they are always new and fresh because the actors change, and the characters grow and move on.

Speaking of moving on, I am excited to see the new companion, and the tailspin I believe she is going to put the Doctor in when she arrives. We already saw Jenna-Louise Coleman as Oswin in the current series’ opener, and it was quite a performance. I haven’t been able to confirm whether this is the same character that she will be playing as the Doctor’s companion, just at a different point in time, or if this is another character entirely, perhaps a descendant or ancestor of Clara, which is the name that has been announced as the new companion’s name.

I am sure I will be posting more about today’s episode of Doctor Who in the next few days, as well as speculating more on what is to come. This next year is a big year for Whovians, some of whom may have been following the Doctor’s adventures for half a century, and the Doctor shows no sign of slowing down any time soon.

Today was a rough day for me. I had decided to visit Enzo’s Gelato and Coffee Bar in Tempe. This is probably my favorite coffee shop inTempe… or at least it was. I haven’t been there in a couple of months, and when I pulled in today, the storefront had a sign saying that a Cricket Wireless store was coming soon and is now hiring.

It is a shame to see amazing coffee shops closing their doors. Of course, there are some that are thriving. I don’t think I’ve been to Echo Coffee in Scottsdale at a time when they weren’t busy, including the day they opened their doors. That place hit the ground running and never looked back. The problem is that this is the exception, not the rule. Almost exactly a year ago, another favorite coffee shop of mine closed its doors.

After a few minutes of sitting in a parking spot outside of what used to be Enzo’s, searching frantically on my phone, I found another coffee shop not to far away. We headed to Seattle Espresso, a chain, but not one of the monsters. While we were there, the barista was talking to a lot of the customers who were surprised to see her there, because she was working alone but they thought she was new. In fact, she has worked for Seattle Espresso for four years, just at another location. The location she worked at previously had just closed down, from the sound of it, unexpectedly.

There are so many amazing coffee shops out there, which go unnoticed by the masses. And yet, the coffee shops that over-roast their coffee to the point of being burnt are thriving and growing, expanding into new markets every day. It’s about time we started supporting the little guys who make the best coffee. Sure, it might cost another dollar or two every week, but that’s worth it to get coffee that’s better than the average joe.

For the Doctor Who fans, tonight is a great night. Doctor who is returning! You can watch the new episode at 7:20 PM on BBC One, or 9:00 PM/8:00 PM Central on BBC America. In tonight’s episode, Asylum of the Daleks, the Daleks kidnap the doctor. Apparently there is somewhere that even the mighty Daleks are afraid of, and they force the Doctor to go on a mission in this terrifying place.

I am quite excited for series 7. The places Steven Moffat is taking the series never fail to astound me, and this new series sounds like it will be no exception. Starting the new series with a Dalek episode is brilliant. From the bits I’m hearing, I expect this episode to be on the same level as A Good Man Goes to War.

After the episode, leave your comments about the episode on my Facebook page. I would love to see some discussion about the episode, but let’s try to avoid the spoilers for those who haven’t seen it yet.

Drink Ordered: Small Cappuccino
Coffee Roaster: Coffee Beanery (Roasted off-site)
Chai: Pacific
Syrups: Torani
Food: Cookies and packaged pastries
Stamp Card: Yes
Wifi: Yes – provided by the mall
Pricing Comparison: $$$

Website: coffeebeanery.com

The Coffee Beanery location I visited is inside the Superstition Springs Mall in Mesa, AZ. The mall itself was relatively busy, but the coffee shop didn’t have a single customer inside. This made me wonder if it just wasn’t a coffee time of day for the mere mortals, or if this was an unspoken warning to stay away. In the end, I would have to say that it is a little of both.

The barista was very friendly, and asked my wife and me a number of questions to help us decide what we want. She was actually very good at this, unlike some baristas I have encountered in some much “nicer” coffee shops. While we were trying to figure out what to order, another customer walked in. The barista immediately called her previously unseen coworker out from the back. One thing this shop obviously had right was the concept of great customer service.

On first glance, the shop itself looked clean and organized. For the most part, the image of cleanliness and organization was accurate. The outer walls were lined with bins of beans, and shelves of drinkware for sale. The shelves were definitely clean, and there didn’t seem to be so much as a mug turned backwards on any of the shelves. What really disturbed me was the way that a company that roasts their own beans was willing to store those beans.

The bins of beans were clear plexiglas bins with loose closing lids. As if the exposure to light and air were not enough of a problem, the bins also looked like they had not been emptied and cleaned out in over a year. The buildup of rancid oils would be enough to ruin the flavor of even the freshest beans in one of those bins. While I wasn’t able to confirm this, I would like to think that this store was not an example of how the company accepts quality, but simply one franchise.

The barista made our coffee relatively quickly, and even offered to top my cappuccino with ground cocoa or spices. When I picked up the cup, it felt about the right weight for a cappuccino. I was beginning to have high hopes for the overall experience, and thought that possibly the only thing wrong with this shop was the way they stored their beans for sale. This illusion quickly dissipated.

After receiving our drinks, we went to the mall play area, about 175-200 meters a way. By the time we got there, the foam in my cappuccino was already half gone, and a couple of minutes later I basically had a flat latte. Despite the small quantity of milk, the espresso still tasted very weak. The espresso did have a pleasant spice flavor, and a mild nutty aroma. But that was only for the brief moments before the little flavor there was simply vanished. Even my wife’s Iced Fudge Ribbon Mocha tasted cheap.

In the end, the experience was pleasant enough, the baristas were helpful and very friendly. Unfortunately, that isn’t enough from a coffee shop. If you want to be treated well, this is an excellent place to go. If you want coffee, I would recommend looking elsewhere.

I’m sitting in my home office right now, frantically working on editing a short film. While I typically work nights, I flip my schedule for my “weekends” so it is getting to be a bit late for me. Of course, I’m starting to feel the need for a cup of coffee. Naturally, most of you probably assume that means that I’m going to head downstairs, pull my freshly bought beans from their airtight container, and put them into a coffee pot that has a built-in burr grinder, and run purified water through the pot to make the coffee. The truth, if you’ll forgive me, is that this scenario just isn’t the case.

Truth be told, I’m about to go downstairs, dump out the remnants of the last pot of coffee, give the decanter a quick rinse, and fill my $15 Mr Coffee coffee maker with Folgers (gasp). I know, it’s hard to believe. One of these days, I actually plan to get around to doing a comparison of “low-end” coffees, because some of them aren’t as bad as I would normally lead you to believe. Sometimes, you just need a good cheap cup of coffee. In reality, the beans I would like to buy are just too expensive to use all the time. Maybe if my filmmaking career takes off, and I become rich and famous, then I’ll stop drinking coffee that costs less than $50 per pound. Until that day happens, I’ll probably have a tub of Folgers Black Silk next to my coffee pot.

There are times you just have to take what you can get, and that’s okay. I even know people who have said that Folgers Classic Roast is the best coffee they’ve ever had, even after I have brought them a coffee from one of my fancy coffee shops. I may tease them a bit for it, but I will never outright tell them that they are wrong. If you have not figured it out yet, I am very opinionated about my coffee. I’m not opinionated about your coffee. As I said in a previous post, the best coffee is the coffee you like the best. We all have different tastes when it comes to coffee, food, music, politics, really just about anything.

Probably one of the most important things you will ever learn from me is to learn who you are, and be you. I may be a double cappuccino, but that doesn’t mean you have to be. My wife is probably my coffee opposite, in that she is more likely to get a caramel toffee mocha frappe, while I am more likely to get a double dry cappuccino. I guess they are right when they say opposites attract. The thing is, she still likes the occasional sip of my cappuccino, and every now and then I just want a sweet frappe like hers.

So, what’s the point of all this rambling? Really it’s two-fold. First, I just needed to clear my mind a bit, and second I wanted to encourage you to be yourself and do the best with what you have. Maybe you aren’t making as much money as you used to since the economy crashed, and you’ve had to start spending less on your coffee. There is nothing wrong with that. If you just can’t stand the Folgers, or whatever brand you have had to start getting, find a way to make it good. Try sprinkling just a little bit of cinnamon on top of the grounds when you brew your coffee. If you can’t afford coffee creamer, find your local Smart & Final or Cash N Carry, or other similar store, and get a $4 bottle of flavored syrup. It will last a lot longer than the $3 bottle of creamer, and it’s easier to cut out the dairy than the sugar. You can even throw in a splash of milk if you want. This will not only save you some money, it will cut down your calories. And above all, look for the good in every cup of coffee.

Here in the United States, coffee is a part of every day life. We make jokes about Starbucks being across the street from each other, and I’ve even seen an article about Starbucks opening a new location inside the restroom of an existing Starbucks. Obviously this was intended to be humorous, but it makes the point that we are a very coffee-centric society. This must mean that we consume more coffee than people in other parts of the world, right? Wrong.

According to the International Coffee Organization, we’re actually pretty far down on the list. So that obviously means that Italy is at the top of the list. Again, not the case. Italy consumes only slightly more coffee per person than the United States. So, who are the top consumers of coffee?  Believe it or not, Finland consumers drink more coffee than anyone else in the world, followed by Sweden and Switzerland. Interestingly enough, these are also the countries with the highest per capita incomes.

So we can obviously assume that high wages relate to high rates of coffee consumption. Of course, that would be in the same way that one study proved that ice cream sales lead to murder. There are some other factors to consider. Sure, the residents of these countries can probably afford coffee, just like the residents of the US or UK can afford coffee, but we are in the 8th and 10th places, respectively. When you think about the three countries at the top, what comes to mind? For me, I’ve always though of snow. These are very cold countries.

As much as this has been about some interesting facts about coffee consumption, the main point is really that you shouldn’t always base what you “know” off of what seems obvious. Maybe you’ve tried a particular type of coffee, and didn’t like it. That obviously means you don’t like coffee. But wait, when coffee is grown in so many places around the world, how can it possibly all taste the same? They can’t. There are so many types of coffee, each with a distinct aroma and flavor. Even if you think you’ve found the best coffee out there, keep trying new blends and roasts.

If you never take anything else away from this blog, take the knowledge that you always have more to learn about coffee. If you can buy beans in bulk, try mixing two or three different coffees together. I used to work at a coffee shop that had one, very popular, blend that was known as 80/20 blend as well as its actual name, because it was a blend of two beans of different origins and roasts. Find what you like, get it regularly, but take some time to be adventurous. You might not always get something you like, but you also won’t find something better without experimenting a little.

Drink Ordered: Small Cappuccino
Coffee Roaster: Cortez Coffee
Tea: Maya
Chai: Third Street Chai
Syrups: Monin
Other Beverages: Tea lattes, loose leaf teas
Stamp Card: No
Pricing Comparison: $$

Having read the mixed reviews online, I was not sure what to expect from Solo Cafe in Tempe. The coffee shop is located next to a salon in an old strip mall. The shop was fairly busy, but there were still tables available both inside and outside. The interior almost had the feel of an old 1920′s home. There was an old wood stove by the door, and a velvet sofa and chairs by the bookshelves. On the shelves was a collection of books, board games and an impressive collection of records. I don’t know if the record player itself works, but I plan to find out on my next visit.

The barista seemed very friendly, which was nice while we were ordering, but wasn’t so nice when someone she knew came in behind us while we were waiting on our drinks. After about 10 minutes, our drinks were ready. The barista put them on the sidebar, which felt a little awkward, because it meant I had to step past the register to pick up my drinks.

The cappuccino was a little on the wet side, but had decent foam. When I reached the bottom of the cup, there was a decent amount of foam left. The espresso had a slightly sweet, nutty aroma. This matched the flavor as well, with the espresso tasting of a smooth mix of nuts and honey. The espresso was a little weaker than I tend to like it, but still an excellent flavor.

Overall, this was a good experience. If you just want somewhere to relax, maybe get some work done, this is a great coffee shop. I wouldn’t stop by Solo Cafe if I was in a hurry to get somewhere, but it is a nice place to relax, have a conversation, or bring a laptop and get some work done.

I have some sad news to share today. Mary Tamm, who played the first Romana in Doctor Who, has passed away today. Mary played alongside Tom Baker’s fourth Doctor, and is viewed as one of the most popular companions of all time.

Mary has been fighting cancer for the past 18 months, until she finally succumbed to it today. In addition to the many fans who will miss her, Mary left behind her husband, Marcus, daughter, Lauren, and grandson, Max.

As popular and well known as she was for her role as Romana, there are a great many people who will miss her on the stage. Mary had a long stage career, which was only interrupted when she fell ill.

Mary Tamm will be missed by all, but at least we will all have our memories and a number of videos to remember her by. I have personally been watching some of her Doctor Who episodes on YouTube recently, and there are a number of places where DVD’s and BluRay’s of classic Doctor Who can be purchased.

One of my dreams is to eventually own a Doctor Who themed coffee shop. If you didn’t know that about me already, now you understand why this blog is a fusion of coffee and Doctor Who. This also means that I get excited about things like the new season of Doctor Who coming next month, or the newly opened Doctor Who Experience.

Just hours ago, BBC News Wales posted an article online about the opening of the new Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff. The Doctor Who Experience is based at Porth Teigr, next door to the Roath Lock studios where Doctor Who is filmed. The 3000 square meter building houses a replica of the tardis, interactive sets and props from various episodes of Doctor Who. The experience will rotate out props over the next five years as new episodes are produced, and new props become available.

For a show that is celebrating its 50th anniversary next year, this is a testament to the amazing writers, actors, directors, etc. that have kept Doctor Who going for so long, without running out of stories to tell. What other show could pull off the creation of an attraction, such as the Doctor Who Experience, after nearly a 50 year run?

I for one am excited to see where the next couple of years will take Doctor Who, and its fans. I am hearing great things about the upcoming series of Doctor Who, including the inclusion of one of my favorite American actors, Ben Browder. I can’t wait to see Ben Browder in action with Matt Smith, even if I have to wait until the third episode of the series to see it.

For more information on the Doctor Who Experience, see the article on the BBC News Wales website.