"Coffee: Induces wit. No good unless it comes through Le Havre. After a big dinner party, should be drunk standing up. Drinking it without sugar is very smart: it gives the impression that you have lived in the East."
-Flaubert

Archive for October, 2006

Grounded Coffee and Tea House

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This is not a coffee forum. This is a compendium of observations of cafe and coffeehouse culture. We have never adopted an official definition, but in the backrooms and penthouse suites of cafetableaux, there have occurred vigorous debates of what constitutes a suitable establishment for coverage on this website.

Coffee-centrism is obviously critical, but how can this be defined? Is it the amount of space on the menu and in the program devoted to coffee-based drinks? Is it the prominence of the espresso machine? Is it represented by keywords such as ‘bean’, ‘buzz’, or ‘grounds’ in the name of the establishment? Can the importance of coffee to the proprietors be judged based on whether the brew is served from an vaccum airpot, an urn, or a carafe?

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