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La Terza Onda del Caffé

Here’s an interesting story about Italy’s resistance to third wave coffee.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/italy-invented-coffee-culture-now-its-a-coffee-time-capsule/2019/01/02/aae47a0a-0209-11e9-958c-0a601226ff6b_story.html?utm_term=.8ec3e4e179fc

Lots to digest here. I’m a fan of both approaches.

best of mattymacchiato in 2018

Hi Kids!

Thanks to everyone who took a look at this nonsense in 2018; I’m absolutely stunned to see that, as of this writing, there’s been exactly 1,300 (!) page views*. Here’s a quick look back at those posts that were viewed the most, and the ones I took the most pleasure in writing.

*I reckon I myself must only be responsible for, what, 1,283 of them

a must-try cafe

Maybe the coffee is great, maybe the coffee tastes terrible. For once, I couldn’t care. Next time I’m in Connecticut, I’m going out of my way to visit BeanZ.

h/t npr

the Salt & Pepper Diner Essential Song of the Holiday Season

there’s only one song I want to hear 21x in a row this time of year.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

mini review: Café Georgetown

see my Georgetown field report

A late addition to my recent deep dive into the Georgetown coffee universe. To be honest, I hadn’t included this spot because I didn’t know it existed until reading about it in an article today.

mini review: Baked & Wired

*ignore the fat man reflected in the window*

see my Georgetown field report

Our venture through Georgetown ends at what, at first glance, seems to be a nondescript building next to the C&O Canal, its bricks painted the color of Kaopectate. But look a little closer, at the big casement window framed in hot pink, at the built-in marble bench, and then step inside for the neighborhood’s finest cup of coffee.

mini review: Blue Bottle Coffee, Georgetown

see my Georgetown field report

Blue Bottle, a roaster and cafe operator founded in Oakland, California, is a leading player in coffee’s third wave. It has grown significantly since raising capital from private equity investors, and global food megaconglomerate Nestlé now owns a majority stake in the company.

What was once a spunky little indie now is a growing global presence, with stores in California, New York, DC, Miami, Boston, Japan, and soon South Korea. But unlike certain other global coffee chains (cough cough), you’ll still get an amazing coffee from Blue Bottle.

mini review: Grace Street Coffee

see my Georgetown field report

As you work your way down Wisconsin Avenue toward the Potomac, just after crossing the C&O Canal there will be a narrow little one-way street on your right. On that street you will find a small food hall hidden in an 80s era commercial townhouse. It’s not easy, but you should try to find your way there, because one of the stands in the hall is occupied by Grace Street Coffee.

mini review: Bluestone Lane

update 8/9/2021: Georgetown location now closed; five other outlets open in DC

see my Georgetown field report

Just below the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and M Street, Georgetown’s commercial ground zero, you’ll find a handsome spot serving delicious coffee. This old brick building, originally a firehouse, is the home of the Georgetown outlet of Bluestone Lane, a New York coffee roaster and cafe operator which seeks to replicate the coffee culture of Melbourne, Australia. Bluestone Lane can be found in New York, Philadelphia, California, and DC.

CLOSED – mini review: Corridor Coffee

see my Georgetown field report

updated 9/22/19: Corridor Coffee has closed permanently as of today’s close of business

Corridor Coffee sits behind an unassuming exterior, located up the hill from Georgetown’s retail center of gravity. The name is quite fitting, given it is sited in one of the neighborhood’s narrow old townhouses.