Contrasting Perceptions

Cassia Leidigh has come back to Coffee & Crema with her newest work! This new series explores the idea that our perceptions of people can be totally different depending on our experience with that person, the mood they are in, or even our own emotional disposition. You should definitely come by and check them out.

The 21 new paintings will be available through the month of September.

California Coffee Ramble

OK, here is a pretty disjointed set of observations from Los Angeles. Unfortunately, I have returned home to a multitude of obligations that require immediate attention so this post received hardly any editing at all. What follows is pretty much how it came into my head ...

I landed on Wednesday evening and grabbed a rental car. I had directions to my hotel. I had a GPS receiver. Nothing could go wrong except Los Angeles. And boy did it. I won't bore you with the details but to say that there is a freeway known as the 405 and it is ugly.

Thursday morning I managed to find the Intelli in Venice and see an old friend. He pulled for me the first shot of 'sanctioned' Black Cat I've ever had. It was different in flavor but not in character from the Toscano we use at the shop. Less chocolate, different fruit. I suspect the differences had to do as much with the dosage and water temperature as with the coffees in the blend. Ah, blends.

Their menu changed daily, which meant that their single origin espresso, brewed and iced coffees rotated. Their method for brewed coffee was pour over, weighing the water and pre-infusing for a minute before pouring. No stir. Little circles.

One of the interesting aspects to the pricing is that what you pay for has only tangentially anything to do with the coffee. What you pay for is the technique and the time it takes to prepare. Example: While there I had a double espresso of the Kenya Thiriku espresso. It was the single origin of the day they were pulling. It was a cup full of blackberries and a jammy sweetness that at $3.50 (if I recall correctly) was not unreasonably priced. However, the next time I was in, that same Thiriku was a brewed coffee and cost $8. The difference in dosage was about eight or nine grams so that could not account for the difference in pricing. Adding in a to go cup and sugar and cream (if one was to want such things) would still not increase the price substantially. So you are paying for labor and expertise.

Now, you might think that I'm somehow put off by this and I would have been if the professionalism had not been there or the final product had been underwhelming. But I can say with utter humility that Intelli Venice was the most efficient, professional, impressive coffee preparing establishment I've ever been inside. Even the atmosphere, which I had expected to be cold and sterile from all the photos and descriptions I've heard, was educating. It was a bright and sunny factory for manufacturing amazing espresso and coffee. Every espresso I was served was prefaced with a test espresso by the barista to make sure the taste was where they wanted it. I never ordered a milk-based drink but from what I saw every one was properly prepared, with competent latte art. The baristas were encouraged to talk to customers and prepare drinks at the same time. They never looked flustered or like they were rushing. But they were hustling.

It was not a "coffee shop:" no homey couches, tables, art on the walls, disorganized bric-a-brac on the bar and in the corners, no impulse merchandise like chocolate or gum. But the lack of all that opens a way to rethink coffee. You don't come there for any other reason than the coffee. There's nothing else there to attract you. No reason to wait in line for a muffin and cheap real estate or internet access. There's alway a danger of turning coffee into a talisman connoting status, especially so in a place that does it's job so very well but everyone behind the bar at least was approachable. There was no exclusion except by the customer's own choice. You took away as much or as little as you wanted and the fact that it was all so inviting - to look at, to taste, to talk about - I came away fairly disarmed. People will come away from this particular shop excited about coffee. Perhaps about the shop itself. Likely about some of the employees but definitely about the coffee.

And unlike most "coffee shops" there was a line several people deep all day long.

As the owner of my own shop, Intelli Venice is a the kind of place you leave feeling inspired or despondent or, more than likely, a little of both.

Thankfully, (for my ego at least) there was another shop in town that didn't live up to the hype.

But that is another story.

Sorry for the ramble. I'll try to be a little coherent next time.

California Update

As some of you guys may know I'm in California at the moment attending a friend's wedding. There's been a lot of celebration (in other words, drinking) and I'll write a little more about the coffee I've had when I have the chance. Until then I will leave you with pinot noir, oil rigs, sunflower driveway gates, beach sand with cosmetic augmentation, "I have seven F^(!#& degrees,"1999 laurent-perrier champagne, lots and lots of heirloom tomatoes, Delta-fail, Hyundae Sonata, lentil soup, windmills, old friends, Firestone (as in the tire company) beer, aging friends, pinot noir, mariachis, organic honey lavender ice cream, ostrich farms, cross-bred micro horses, Gainey Vineyards Merlot, embarrassing toasts, red meat, cabernet sauvignon, country bar fist fights, pinot noir.

Thank You

I just wanted to put a quick thanks to everyone that voted for us in the "Best of the Upstate" competition. With your help we won best coffee shop in Greenville. I know we are a small shop and we don't do everything as well as we might but it's gratifying to think there are a few people out there that care about what we're doing.

We have such a good crew up people supporting us, especially the baristas. Younghwa, Alex, Charlotte, Josh and Tigest all deserve some serious kudos for all the great work they've done over the last year. They are responsible for that last 30 seconds before the drink gets into the customer's hand - where everything culminates in a final product. It's not a stretch to say that the above-mentioned people are the best in the city and I'm really proud of them.

Our coffee has alway been a big deal and I think Counter Culture Coffee deserves a mention here. They've given us great espresso and coffee from day one and if we haven't always pulled it right it was never their fault. Their Espresso Toscano is one of the tastiest and most forgiving blends out there and their people - people like Dave LaMont - are some of the best in the business.

Lastly everyone out there that has helped shape and support this shop through so much deserves a mighty bow. I'm so grateful. My wife told me I'm not allowed to mention anyone by name because I would invariably miss someone but there are hundreds of you and you know who you are anyway. Without your patronage and advice and patience and dragging new customers through the doors we'd have been sunk months ago.

Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Art for August

During the month of August pieces of Chinese folk art and traditional calligraphy will be showcased at Coffee & Crema's Forest Park location. The pieces in the show have been collected by Greenville resident, artist, and Christian worker Jonathan Johnson during his trips through mainland China. The show focuses on the two traditional crafts of Chinese paper cutting, called jiănzhĭ, and Chinese batik, known as làrăn.

Jiănzhĭ is the Chinese art of paper cutting, practiced for over a thousand years across the regions of China. Usually the paper is a bright red, known as “Da Hong,” or “Big Red,” and very thin so that multiple sheets can be cut simultaneously. Very sharp scissors with tiny points are used to cut the pieces, and delicate slices are sometimes done with small knives of even pins.

The art of jiănzhĭ is practiced by young and old alike, and pieces are pasted to windows and walls for decoration or fortune. The pieces of jiănzhĭ displayed here were produced by two artists: Wang ChunZhang and one of his college-aged students whose English name is Jenny. Mr. Wang’s works have been featured in numerous books and regional magazines, and he is regarded as one of the three premier jiănzhĭ artists in his province. Both jiănzhĭ artists are from the city of Harbin, in the Heilongjiang province of northeast China.

Làrăn is an art form that finds its home in the multicultural region of southern China. When people think of textiles in China, they often call to mind the beautiful silks crafted through the centuries. China has always been a country of rich diversity, and làrăn textiles are created and worn by the minority groups spread throughout the region in China north of Southeast Asia and east of Tibet.

Làrăn is what is often known in the United States as batik, a technique in which wax is applied to fabric in the shape of a pattern or picture and allowed to cool and harden. The fabric is then placed into inks or dyes which color the fabric. Soon the layer of wax is removed, revealing the original fabric color standing out sharply against the dye. One of the hallmarks of làrăn, or batik, is the network of tracery found in the unstained portions of the fabric, showing where the brittle wax cracked and allowed the stain to seep in. These examples of làrăn were purchased in Kunming, China in the foothills of the Himalayas. The themes of these particular pieces of làrăn are Christian, focusing on Love and Faith.

In addition to the artwork created by Chinese artists, Jonathan has a few pieces of his own on display, as well as a number of informative books. In the back of Coffee & Crema you can peruse a novel by Pearl S. Buck, explore the famous Lin Yu Tang, or skim the heralded modern “China Road.” We would love to have you come by and see the pieces in the show.

Jonathan can be reached for information about the show through the following email account: jwjmedia@gmail.com

Robin Buiter Show this Friday

OK, I'm a little late posting this month's artist. Sorry about that, but at least it's being posted before her show this Friday!

Robin Buiter holds an M.A. in Studio Art. Her work includes cityscapes and landscapes and her latest series was inspired by cloudscapes in SC and was done mostly in oil. Her favorite places to paint are close to home and are inspired by the daily life around her.

Come by and see her Friday, July 16th from 6:30-9:00 p.m.

Katy Davis Plemmons Showing for June

This is a brief post to let everyone know that new art is up for June.

Katy Davis Plemmons is a recent graduate with a BFA degree in Studio Art. "Rhythm of Beauty" is her first show post-graduation, and it includes a range of subject matter and styles from abstract to wildlife in a variety of media.

I don't have an image to put in this post but trust me when I say that her work is worth checking out.

Also, for anyone that is interested, there isn't an artist scheduled to show for next month. If you've wanted to display your work here at Coffee & Crema or know someone that does please get in touch with us at "submissions" at coffeeandcrema.com.

The Best of Greenville!

This is the month when you vote for the best businesses in the Upstate and we would like to ask you to vote for us. No kissing babies or shady backroom deals (unless it involves someone giving me lots of money, then I'm receptive) and I can't promise two rabbits in every pot but I'm still asking for your vote.

We work hard really hard to give Greenville outstanding coffee. We source our coffee ethically and we take the time to brew it properly. We make many of our sauces by hand. Our baristas compete successfully in regional competitions and they put pretty little rosettas on your drinks. Our restrooms have really soft toilet paper. Alex, Charlotte, Josh, TG, Reggie and Younghwa all deserve more recognition than I can give them and your vote would mean a lot to them.

Please go to http://greenvilleonline.com/vote and vote for Coffee & Crema in the Coffee Shop category. Vote early and often, as the old saying goes.

And if we win, then we'll throw a party. Who says I'm above bribery?

Live Music

On June 4th Tim Keesee and Stephen Davis be will returning to Coffee & Crema! You might remember them from their performance last year at the shop. It was a great success and we'd like to invite everyone to come out and see them again.

They plan to share some new, original work but have a few cover songs in their lineup as well. We look forward to seeing them on the first Friday in June. That's June 4th for the Gregorian challenged, like me. The performance starts at 7:30 so get here a little early to make sure you get a seat.

You'll find all of our upcoming events on the Calendar page. If you want to get yourself on that calendar, go to the Contact page and tell us so.

Come out and unwind with some music and great coffee.

Vote for a Slogan!

After great consideration, discussion and throwing of bones we have narrowed down the slogans we could see on a T-shirt. Now it's your turn to vote for the one you like the best. If you have a better idea then put it in the comments but please vote for one in the poll as well.

It's not the prettiest of polls but it should get the job done.

 What Should Our Slogan Be?

• 
  
  One drink leads to another.


• 
  
  Serving the best coffee in Greenville.


• 
  
  Life is short. Drink good coffee.


• 
  
  No snappy slogans, just great coffee.


• 
  
  Everyplace else pretty much sucks


• 
  
  Yeah, it's really that much better.


• 
  
  Where revolutions begin.


• 
  
  The best damn coffee in Greenville.

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Free vote poll