Black Sheep Coffee Cafe

Black Sheep Coffee Cafe
705 Southview Boulevard
South Saint Paul, MN 55075
http://www.blacksheepcoffeecafe.com

Cuisine: Coffee, bakery, deli
Attire: Casual
Cost of Drinks: $3
Cost of Food: $6

This weekend I was finally able to make my way to the Black Sheep Coffee Cafe.  I had heard from a fellow Mugby Barista that this was a fantastic coffee shop.  I even heard rumors that they make authentic cappuccinos - and as you know I love and appreciate an authentic cappuccino.

Before I even walked through the door I knew I was going to like this place.  It's in a quiet neighborhood on the corner near a few other small shops.  I love being able to support neighborhood shops.  Especially when they sell me caffeine.

The cafe has an eastern/colonial flair to it.  At least that is how I feel when I see white paneling with muted colors on the wall.  There was even a large fireplace that made me thing of Holiday Inn.  Not the chain hotel, but the movie with Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire.  My point is that it's not your typical cafe from the moment you walk in.  It is very relaxing and quiet.  You don't hear baristas yelling orders or even hipster music.  All you get is this beautiful sun coming in through the completely glass Northern wall - I liked that the North wall was glass because you don't have to worry about direct sunlight... ever.

The coffee menu was fantastic.  Although I didn't need it because I knew I needed the cappuccino.  Their food menu was pretty good too.  Since we were hungry for lunch we stuck to sandwiches.  There was also soup available but that was about it for lunch food.  Black Sheep did however have a good variety of baked goods such as scones and muffins for breakfast.  They also had some bars that looked amazing!

I knew I was in the right place when I was told the cappuccino only came in one size.  It was a five ounce cappuccino and it was absolutely to die for!  The foam was perfect and really was 1/3 of the drink.  They even served the drink with a spoon - a traditional way of enjoying a cappuccino in Europe.  To top it all off they even gave me some latte art.  I'm a sucker for such a thing because I can't do it myself. 

Our sandwich was also pretty good.  We chose the BLT with ham and turkey on a croissant.  The sandwich was flavorful and I love anything on a croissant.  Not all of the ingredients were very fresh though.  The bread tasted like it was getting towards the end of the batch and the lettuce had some spots on it (I'm picky about my lettuce.)  It's tough to judge a coffee shop's food but anything that is served should be good and match the high quality of the drinks that are served. 

All in all it was a great experience.  I love the ambiance, the staff and the drinks.  I can't wait to go back and try another espresso drink of some sort.  I think this time I'll pair it with a chocolate bar!

Friends Don’t Let Friends Drink Bagged Tea

Tea Bags are teas that are sold in prepackaged paper envelopes.  The tea bags are convenient, but not preferred.  The tea bags contain what are called ‘fannings’ or the dust of higher quality teas.  Many flavors in tea are found in the oils of the tea leaves.  When these leaves are broken the oils evaporate and the flavor in your tea is less vibrant.  The small size of the tea bag doesn’t allow for proper steeping.  Leafs will usually expand while seeping and bag don’t allow that.  You also have little control over quantity of tea to use per serving.

Pyramid Tea Bags are a tetrahedron shape and of slightly higher quality.  They are more likely to contain full leaves and allow for expansion during steeping.  This is a good middle ground since you get higher quality with more convenience.  You still however have little control over quantity.

Loose Leaf Teas are the highest quality teas you can buy.  They are stored in canisters and sold by measuring the desired amount.  They can also be stored in a zip-lock pouch of some sort.  These teas have fully intact leaves and flowers creating a very bold flavor.  The tea is brewed using various methods:
•    You can bag it on your own using a larger paper bag (leaving plenty of room of course)
•    A tea ball (or egg) in a mug or teapot
•    A strainer that fits inside a mug or teapot
•    A French Press
When using loose tea you lose convenience but gain flavor.  I find making my tea to be a calming ritual.  It is also more eco friendly because the canisters used for storage are reusable along with a strainer or tea ball and the paper used is completely degradable.  You are given complete control over how strong you want your tea to be, without over or under steeping.  Generally you would use 1 teaspoon of tea per 8 ounces of water, but with loose leaves you are given control over how potent you want your drink.

I wasn't always a loose leaf tea fan however.  Tazo Tea used to be my favorite brand.  It is a bagged tea (pretty good quality, for a bagged tea) that is not only sold at stores but also at Starbucks.  I always had the Hibiscus because it’s fruity.  I later discovered loose leaf tea and of course had to try the Hibiscus.  The difference was incredible.  The sweetness was brought down a bit and replaced with bold, rich flavors!  I’ll never go back to bagged tea.  Well, the only time I go back to bagged tea is when I'm sick - because I can't taste anything anyways!

My favorite places to get tea:
Fava Tea Company (they will be moving in November to 706 N. Casaloma Drive)
1656 N. Casaloma Drive
Appleton, WI 54913
http://www.favatea.com/

 Adagio
http://www.adagio.com/

Teavana
128 W Market
Bloomington, MN 55425
http://www.teavana.com/
(Teavana has many other locations around the country)

Cappuccino and the art of steamed milk

A Cappuccino is my absolute favorite espresso drink.  I’m not talking about your Venti half-caff skim-milk extra-hot caramel cappuccino from Starbucks.  I’m talking about a real, smooth, foamy, delicious Italian Cappuccino.

A Cappuccino starts with the cup.  I know this sounds weird but it really is very important.  Five to eight ounces is best.  The cup will be ⅓ espresso, ⅓ steamed milk and ⅓ foam.  Note that there is no flavor added.  If your cup is too big you’re not going to get the correct distribution.

Next is the espresso.  A smooth, less acidic espresso is best.  It will mix well with the milk and create a soothing flavor that I can’t get enough of.  Many chain coffee shops will use a more bitter espresso, so the best place to look is a small hole-in-the-wall café.  The espresso – one or two shots – is poured into the cup while the milk is steamed. 

I consider the milk to be the most important step.  You should use 2% milk because it will give you the best foam and nice rich flavor.  If you want really creamy you can use whole milk which is delicious as long as you don’t get grossed out by all the fat.  Skim milk is okay to use but you will be missing out on a lot of flavor.  Rice and Soy milk are right out because nothing is harder than trying to get decent foam from non-dairy milk.

The milk should be hand steamed.  When steamed by hand the Barista will be able to move the pitcher as the milk steams giving you the best foam possible.  The best foam is actually not foam at all until it sits.  When steamed properly the foam mixes with the milk evenly and should look like meringue because it is very smooth and has no bubbles.  When milk is steamed by setting down the pitcher on the bar you just get hot milk with big bubbles on top.  In this video you get a good sense of the milk expanding and creating the need for the steam pitcher to be moved down.  You want the most air possible in the milk for a good cappuccino.

The milk should be about 140º or 160º at most.  You will probably want to tell a barista if you want your drink below 160º.  For some reason most Americans think their drink needs to be at least 180º!  I can only assume this is because of years of bad coffee creating the need to burn your taste buds so you can’t actually taste how bad your drink is.

Finally, the milk is poured into the cup.  The milk should not be stirred at any point nor should it be held back with a spoon.  The milk will mix itself with the espresso and after sitting for a few seconds you can see the foam and milk start to separate.  A sprinkling of shaved chocolate or cinnamon is always a good touch.  Europeans will actually enjoy their Cappuccino by using a teaspoon instead of drinking from the cup.  No matter how you drink it, you’re going to enjoy it. 

There is a documentary about a woman's journey to find the perfect Cappuccino in America and how difficult the journey is.  She is definitely extreme, but I have to say I agree with her for the most part.  Don't worry, I'll save my Starbucks rant for another day.  Here is a trailer for the documentary.  It is called The Perfect Cappuccino.

Caffeine and I – an Affair to Remember

Caffeine and I – an Affair to Remember

I'm not addicted to caffeine. I could stop drinking whenever I want to. I just don't want to.

For as long as I can remember I’ve loved pop. My parents had to keep me to a one-a-day regimen because I really like the stuff. I especially like Coke. Coke is amazing! It goes with everything! You can even add, lime, cherry, vanilla or coconut to spice it up a bit. Or if you really want to spice it up, add some Captain. Once I started drinking alcohol, this became my drink of choice. The best part was that I never got caffeine headaches from drinking pop.

While most people were starting to get into coffee, I added energy drinks. This is partially due to water skiing at 5:00 AM before work on Fridays. The shock of cold water was enough to wake you up in the morning, but it was the energy drink that kept you going through the day. This was early in the Energy Drink days so the pickings were slim. I was partial to Monster because it tastes like Skittles. Red Bull of course is always a good way to go. Now I stick to Java Monster mocha flavored.

Finally one summer in college I had to bite-the-bullet and learn to love coffee. I picked up a summer job working at the local coffee shop – Mugby Junction. It wasn’t until then that I discovered there was more to coffee than Folgers and Starbucks. Mugby Junction made real coffee. All of the coffee was more Fair Trade than Fair Trade Certified coffees. Everything was created by hand instead of by automated machines. All the ingredients were fresh. It was a whole new experience for me and I jumped in head first! There is always something new to try with coffee; a new flavoring, a new method, a new combination, etc. These are my personal favorites which highlights how you can make a drink your very own.
• Small Cappuccino
• Medium Skim Milk Latte with Raw Sugar
• Small Americano with Amaretto and a little cool tap water (never ice)

Unfortunately every fairy tale has a bad guy. My Darth Vader is caffeine withdrawal. Up until this point I never understood why people got headaches from not getting their caffeine. I NEEDED my coffee by noon or there would be hell to pay. I would drink in the morning, I would drink at work and I would even drink late into the night. Luckily I have yet to have a problem falling asleep after taking an espresso shot.

I brought this up at work one day and one of the owners, Carew Halleck, mentioned that although tea has caffeine it isn't as harsh or addictive. So I started drinking the tea that we served at Mugby Junction. This was great! I could start my day with a coffee still, but then switch to tea later in the day and didn't have to worry about a crash. I could even go a few days without any caffeine! It was amazing. I started looking into tea more closely and have discovered that there is so much out there. All I ever knew about was Lipton. I found Fava Tea in Appleton and began my new obsession with loose leaf tea.

I recently read an article in National Geographic which states that when staying hydrated you are not strictly bound to water. University of Connecticut exercise physiologist Douglas Casa says, “The body’s need to keep fluid trumps the small influence caffeine might have on losing fluid.” So when you are thirsty, drink! Click here for article.

As Mugby Junction would say, “Drink to the Lees!”