Back again!
... returned from latte exile and once again enjoying the pleasures of the rich espresso from my home coffee machine and the great cafes of my hometown. There have been two new additions to the Lismore cafe scene in my brief absence which I will be checking out for a full report. My two weeks in New York involved a constant and largely fruitless search for a satisfying rich and creamy caffe latte. I should have heeded the prior warnings and done my research before I left, as after two weeks of dripolator coffee, posing as espresso, or espresso that tasted like bitter herbs, I was becoming desperate - so desperate that this latte purist must now kneel down and beg forgiveness for committing the biggest of the coffee purist's sins.
Yes, dear reader, as a last resort, and after advice from an equally desperate fellow traveller, I was drawn to the green and white Starbucks sign ready to see if I had at last found the answer to the unprecedented success of this multi-national coffee giant. In the absence of any evident espresso cafes in the vicinity of our hotel on the Upper-West side, and after my many years of resistance, I nervously and guiltily ventured inside. Noticing that most New Yorkers drank their Starbucks from huge litre containers I was careful to order a small caffe latte. On receiving my paper cup latte, which was twice the size of the regular I was used to back home, I reminded the barista, who was in no mood for a Starbuck's novice, that I had ordered a 'small' latte, to which she gruffly and loudly replied, "A tall is a small!!".
I realised then I was way out of my depth in this establishment. The coffee itself was very bland but with a second shot it at least resembled something like an espresso coffee and gave me the hit I needed to get through my last day in New York.
The Soup Bowl Latte pictured above was one of my better Brooklyn coffee experiences. At least this huge receptacle was given a double shot of espresso and the milk was smooth and creamy in texture. Overall this latte was quite acceptable if a little heavy on the wrists.
By the way, the Sezen Aksu concert at Carnegie Hall on the last night, surrounded by the New York Turkish community, was stupendous! I was on such a high I threw caution to the wind and ventured to Cafe Europa opposite for a late night latte to bid a final farewell to New York. To my surprise and delight, I'd found it. A perfect caffe latte. Rich espresso and creamy frothed milk blended in perfect harmony!
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