33884 Mon Jan 24 01:18:40 -0800 2005 16 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 152051 The Blue Bottle Coffee Company kiosk opened for business today in Hayes Valley. We swung by to have a great cappucino and one of their drip coffees that they are so well known for. They have been testing out a few special blends for this store -- The kiosk is basically a garage door that rolls up when they are open. There are two chairs that would be fine to sit in if the weather is good, and a small bar where you can stand. It's on Linden, which is an alley between Hayes and Fell. Blue Bottle Coffee Company 315 Linden in Hayes Valley Open 7 am - 4 pm 7 days a week (I am not affiliated, just a big fan ...) Link: http://flourdesign.blogs.com/photos/blue_bottle_coffe_company/index.html Image: http://flourdesign.blogs.com/photos/blue_bottle_coffe_company/4_dsc_6471.jpg Mon Jan 24 01:18:40 -0800 2005 0 jen maiser 1 152064 I think Blue Bottle is extremely over rated, and very gimmickey...the whole drip coffee thing...give me a break. And not to mention, very overpriced. Mon Jan 24 03:43:52 -0800 2005 152051 0 Lisa 2 152085 Did you try more than one roast for Blue Bottle? Maybe there is another type that you would like better. Since I like a strong roast, I am not fond of some of the lighter roasts. It seems from reading the board that a few people don't like the special blend made for Frog Hollow at the Ferry Building. Actually, I like that one. However, love it or hate it, I really don't think the drip thing is done for the gimmack. Having met James Freeman at Farmer's Markets, it is my opinion that he really has a passion about having his coffee brewed in the way that he feels enhances the flavor. There is more about this in the link below. I'm in no way trying to change your taste. People like what they like. There are a lot of things that I know are high quality but leave me cold. But, I think the people at Blue Bottle are about the coffee and not the gimmick. Link: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/04/11/EB22516.DTL#sections Mon Jan 24 12:19:16 -0800 2005 152064 0 Krys Stanley 3 152112 I must say, though, that I think the whole drip-by-the-cup process is just not practical for a commercial establishment. It just takes too damn long, and the coffee cools off while dripping. Plus, it seems wasteful to me--to get a strong-flavored cup without it taking forever, you have to use A LOT of ground coffee in the drip cone (hence the higher prices)--probably much more per cup than if you were using a more trad method. Personally, at home I use a stovetop espresso maker or a French press, both of which extract a lot more flavor than any drip method. Mon Jan 24 14:11:43 -0800 2005 152085 0 dixieday 2 152455 **Disclaimer: I don't drink drip coffee But I have actually seen this method of making coffee elsewhere. At a wonderful cafe in London. It seems that some do believe that flavor components are lost in the traditional ways of producing drip coffee. when I was trained to make espresso I was told that oftentimes the deelish oils of the coffee are soaked up by the coffee filter and that was why a gold filter or espresso was full of all those enriching oils. what I am excited to see is how they created a tiny little place, just for coffee. I love the photos and that neighborhood is lucky to be able to smell those scents on the open sidewalk!! Wed Jan 26 02:39:31 -0800 2005 152064 0 sailorbuoys 1 152080 Nice pictures -- and I see that they sell macarons! Mmmmm.... Mon Jan 24 11:20:18 -0800 2005 152051 0 em 2 152081 I think GAW reported that he was going to be serving pastries by Miette. Mon Jan 24 11:24:43 -0800 2005 152080 0 Gary Soup 3 152082 As much as I distrust Miette in terms of delivering taste as well as looks, the first thing I ever tried from them was the macroons and I thought the place had promise. I was at the Berkeley Farmers market where Miette's macroons were being sold and there were quite a few favorable comments. The macroons have always been good, but it seems from what I'm reading on the board, perhaps the baked goods have improved. Don't know. Would have to read a lot more to sink any more money in Miette. Mon Jan 24 11:56:51 -0800 2005 152081 0 Krys Stanley 4 152454 yes indeed. grapefruit cake is magnificent. pistachio macaroons can be amazing but they can also be awful. my biggest complaint is when eateries sell really expensive food that is wildly inconsistant. but there's a "relationship" betwixt Miette and Blue Bottle coffee...... Wed Jan 26 02:33:47 -0800 2005 152082 0 sailorbuoys 5 153344 I was very excited to visit the kiosk for the first time this week. I also bought one of each of the three types of Miette cookies on offer. The only one that I can recommend is the walnut shortbread - crumbly short texture and roasted walnut taste. Skip the peanut butter - devoid of peanut flavor. The chocolate macaroon had good chewy texture and silky filling, but wasn't terribly chocolatey nor almond flavored. Sat Feb 19 02:34:59 -0800 2005 152454 0 Melanie Wong 6 153345 did you have a drink? curious how it was ... esp if it was the hot chocolate as i suspect. Sat Feb 19 16:44:08 -0800 2005 153344 0 jen maiser 7 153346 I did have a drink. A cappuccino - surprise! I'd had my heart set on it, since the cap at the Saturday Ferry Plaza market was a new high, but I did almost waiver when I saw the hot chocolate on the drinks list. You'll have to go first. My mother's reaction to this little outing was pretty funny. First off, for those who haven't been there, Linden is a one-way alley with one end blocked off. To drive in, I had to ignore the directional arrow, but this upset my mother greatly. When I turned the car around and then parked it on the sidewalk on the "no parking" side of the street, she got even more agitated. She might have been born in SF, but she doesn't act like a San Franciscan car-wise anymore. (g) To her this block looked unsavory, and she was alarmed when I started to get out of the car and wanted to know why we were there and where was I going. I pointed in the direction of the kiosk and said I was going to the coffee shop. She looked over and said, "that's not a cafe, it's a garage." She did like the cappucino even though it was a little too strong for her. Sun Feb 20 00:35:09 -0800 2005 153345 0 Melanie Wong 8 153352 Every time I drive down that alley I think of this story now. I never even noticed it was one way until this post - funny. I did try the hot chocolate the other day. I am not too much of a connisseur, so bear with me on this description. The hot chocolate is actually a very large bar of chocolate that they have wrapped and leaning against the wall of the kiosk. When you order it, they make it with shavings from this bar. I don't like my hot chocolate too sweet, and this hot chocolate hit the mark on that requirement. I personally think it was more drinkable than the hot chocolate which I had from Boulette's Larder. To me, that hot chocolate is just too thick and rich - as soon as you have about a sip you are done. This one had me finishing it and licking the cup. More about the chocolate from the blog of BBC employee: There has been a lot of discussion in the last couple of weeks about our chocolate. Though we have traditionally created our hot chocolates and mochas with a Ghirardelli powder, our friends at Sketch Ice Cream inspired a change in our menu for the Linden Alley kiosk. Following their example, we have started using a 65% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate from E. Guittard known as Sur del Lago. This chocolate is from Western Venezuela, South (Sur) of (del) Lake (Lago) Maracaibo. Link: http://bluebottlecoffee.blogspot.com/2005/02/chocolate-and-kudos.html Tue Mar 01 20:51:26 -0800 2005 153346 0 jen maiser 9 153353 The hot chocolate sounds lovely . . . it may be a while before I get to try it as my mom isn't keen to break traffic laws. E. Guittard has some good stuff. Wed Mar 02 00:27:05 -0800 2005 153352 0 Melanie Wong 9 153355 I had the hot chocolate on Monday and a mocha today - wonderful. But for me, Blue Bottle can do no wrong. I'm there most days of the week. Wed Mar 02 20:36:06 -0800 2005 153352 0 Celeste 8 153354 Love this story Melanie! Haven't completely braved alley to the end or experienced Kiosk, alley always blocked, which I don't realize until making the harrowing turn at breakneck speed off Gough, then find I'm wedged in and get to back out onto busy Gough. When I emerge pointed in the right direction heading south all the way to Market, I'm wound up at the same level as several cups of good coffee! Wed Mar 02 15:03:36 -0800 2005 153346 0 christinet 1 152153 Michael & I were just lazing around this weekend wondering if had opened yet. I think they have the best macchiato I've had in the US. Alas, dragging myself down to the Ferry Building BEFORE coffee is quite difficult. We're thrilled to have it within walking distance. Fabulous!! Mon Jan 24 16:39:36 -0800 2005 152051 0 Pssst