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a welcome reprieve, for now

photo: Dolcezza website

I was disappointed last fall to learn that DC area gelato and espresso chain Dolcezza was about to shutter almost all its retail outlets, particularly the one I frequented in Bethesda, MD. You can imagine my delight while searching for a post-lunch jolt today to find the Bethesda location remains open. Makes sense in our COVID times, given the shop’s small footprint and few tables should favor a takeout trade.

It seems the shop remains open until an unspecified end of the holiday season. Here’s hoping they stay around for Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day…… well, you get my drift.

Salt & Pepper Diner Essential Song of the Day for 1/3

We watched the new Bee Gees documentary this week, and I’ve listened to quite a bit of their music over the last few days. I feel like I’m on the verge of dashing off a 5,000 word thought piece on their genius, where they went wrong, and all sorts of vitally important Bee Gees stuff. Dissecting the songs Tragedy and Lonely Days would probably be worth 5-10 pages alone. In the meantime, I’m going to listen to their best song 21x in a row.

Happy 2021!

first coffee of the New Year, gotta up my milk art game

Well that was a year, huh?

As we leave the train wreck of a dumpster fire that was 2020 in the rear view, here’s hoping for so many better things in 2021. A return to something approaching normal. Health, the ability to socialize, an improved business environment for cafes, restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and other small businesses that are taking it on the chin. A return to travel, hugging friends and family outside those who live in your house. Going to the movies. Date night. Sporting events. Seeing live music, theater, ballet, museums. Not worrying about some random chucklehead who can’t figure out how to wear a mask properly, or refuses to wear one at all. To looking at a face covering as a relic of a time that we can’t quite believe actually happened. To a newer, better, more normal normal. And to more great coffee and mediocre blog posts.

3rd Annual Holiday Gift Guide

also see my 2018 and 2019 guides

As terrible as the year 2020 has been, the holiday season gives us a chance to end on a positive note and get ready for better days ahead. If you’re looking for the perfect gift for the coffee obsessive in your life, or want to treat yourself, here are a few ideas for you. All are available online for those unable or unwilling to do in-person shopping. I also encourage you to take a look through my previous gift guides (links above), as most everything in there is still available and still makes for great presents.

Shop Local
If your giftee’s favorite coffee shop is still open, you can bet they’re fighting for survival. Give a gift that will be appreciated by the recipient and the merchant. Look up the website of that favorite shop, there’s a good chance you can find electronic gift certificates, beans, and merch.

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They Might Be Coffee Drinkers

I’m a long-time fan of indie rock nerd gods They Might Be Giants. Most people know them for seminal albums like 1990’s Flood and for the earwig Boss of Me which served as the theme song for the late sitcom Malcolm in the Middle. They have a long and diverse catalog and continue putting out new material after 38 years together. They will always hold a special place in our family for their children’s album No!, which was the soundtrack for many a car trip when our kids were young and squirmy.

TMBG recently uploaded to the youtubes a compilation “Songs About Coffee.” 18 minutes of short tunes about everyone’s favorite brown beverage. No info behind it but you might be able to match up some of what you hear to this page from their wiki.

the past 4 years weren’t bad enough?

this came up during the vote count for the US presidential election. good god man, haven’t the American people suffered enough?

this would never actually happen, of course, but if it did we’d need to implement the 25th Amendment on Uncle Joe right quick.