I think the original title of this article was probably something like “Strip Tickles Vistors’ Senses” but this article, featured in the Tribune Review a few weeks back, has now been picked up by ABC News and Yahoo News, among many other news outlets. It’s great press for Pittsburgh’s “Market Area”.
There are a couple of photos online (we’re in three of them) as well that did not accompany the article the first go around- including this nice one of Alexis and I hard at work.
Also mentioned in the article was the ‘Burgh Bits and Bites Food Tour, which we are now proud to be a part of. The whirlwind 21st Street portion of the tour includes:
a high level discussion of fair trade and direct trade
tasty coffees sampled off our Clover (currently sampling Kenya)
a latte art demo and some coffee Q&A (if time/customer traffic permits)
finally the tour concludes in our loft area where Sylvia tells visitors about the historic Pennsylvania Railroad Fruit Auction & Sales Building and the beautiful St. Stanislaus Church. Two buildings we look at every day.
This is long overdue but we’ve decided to free pour our macchiato’s from now on. Previously we were dolloping a tight little cappuccino-like foam on top of the espresso. We like this drink better- it’s cleaner, it looks better, and has a better mouthfeel. Smell you later, dollop!
So the Trib PM had a write up today on latte art. They interviewed the fine folks at Aldo Coffee and they also stopped in to interview me. Here’s an excerpt:
Self-taught latte artist Luke Shaffer, 31, owner of 21st Coffee and Tea in the Strip District, said he’s been doing latte art for a year and a half.
“One day, I figured out what I was doing wrong, kind of the light bulb moment, and all of a sudden it’s working,” Shaffer said. “Then you start showing off and doing stuff for customers because it’s fun.”
Some 21st Coffee regulars have come to expect it.
“We gave him a hard time one time when he didn’t do it,” joked Kalman Pelhos, 39, of Squirrel Hill. “It’s much like going to a French restaurant — you have a certain appreciation for the presentation and not just the taste of the food.”
“People ask, ‘Did you do that on purpose?’ and sometimes we joke around and tell them it was an accident,” Shaffer said.
A reporter from the Trib PM was doing a story on latte art and contacted us for an interview. I rambled on quite a bit about coffee, direct trade, milk, independent shops in the area and a bunch of other stuff- but I do think the write up will primarily focus on latte art.
It should be in Thursday’s Trib PM, barring any late breaking Roethlisberger contract details
Soooo the Trib also sent someone down to shoot some photos for the write up and video for the online version. So in between making drinks for customers I poured four or so example drinks. Below is the montage…
I had a couple of good ones- the rosetta at the beginning was my first pour and the still of the tulip at the end turned out nicely. The triple (Mary’s idea) kind of blew up on me and there were too many customers coming in to give it another go. I guess that’s what the latte art competition is like- you get a limited window, pressure’s on, so you do it or you don’t.
I would also like to add that the gentleman that shot the video paid for a couple of the drinks that I made so he could take them back to the office. By the time he was ready to go the drinks we had put into to-go cups were gone! It appears there is a latte thief on the loose in the Strip. I comped him a few Clovered El Cuervo’s- at least the coffees would be a good drinking temperature (better than the lattes anyway) by the time he got back. I’m thinking about filing a police report with the Strip’s new beat cop Elvis. I’m not done with this… not by a long shot.
More press…
Self-taught latte artist Luke Shaffer, 31, owner of 21st Coffee and Tea in the Strip District, said he’s been doing latte art for a year and a half. 