Gold In Them Thar Cups
All That Is Glittering Is Not Gold
All That Is Brewing Is Not Coffee
a visit to an immersive high-end coffee experience
I received a Starbucks gift card from a friend for my birthday and, hey, I like a good cup of coffee.
On one of my many saunters around the city, I’d come across the gymnasium-sized StarBUCK$ Reserve Roastery caffeine and merchandise emporium. This was nothing like the old cafes in the Village where I’d passed many pleasant hours savoring coffee and conversation. All that coziness and sincerity just aren’t keeping the money flowing at the right clip. I stood at the threshold of the slick and shiny and decidedly not sincere future.
My partner, Tammy, and I went in before wandering down for a dinner in Chelsea one evening. Upon entering we first had to figure out how to even go about ordering something in this multi-level circus. Check this out, they’ve got coffee beans flying through chutes along the ceiling. A good old cup o’Joe? Yeah, I don’t think so.
On one of my many saunters around the city, I’d come across the gymnasium-sized StarBUCK$ Reserve Roastery caffeine and merchandise emporium. This was nothing like the old cafes in the Village where I’d passed many pleasant hours savoring coffee and conversation. All that coziness and sincerity just aren’t keeping the money flowing at the right clip. I stood at the threshold of the slick and shiny and decidedly not sincere future.
My partner, Tammy, and I went in before wandering down for a dinner in Chelsea one evening. Upon entering we first had to figure out how to even go about ordering something in this multi-level circus. Check this out, they’ve got coffee beans flying through chutes along the ceiling. A good old cup o’Joe? Yeah, I don’t think so.
I had the Cardamom Long Black — "two pulls of ristretto espresso poured over hot water and cardamom syrup, finished with a cardamom-sugar rim" and Tammy had the
The Undertow "Espresso suspended above chilled half-and-half and vanilla-bean syrup" (basically an expensive take on Vietnamese iced coffee).
Twenty bucks.
After our beverages we walked around the massive boutique and took some photos.
In brief: Over-the-Top-Grande is the new Regular. The Veneer of Extravagance for a new generation. Checklist item.
In brief: Over-the-Top-Grande is the new Regular. The Veneer of Extravagance for a new generation. Checklist item.
click on images to enlarge
separate stall bathrooms and the shared sink
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