Roundup Copenhagen

In the Mercedes leaving Copenhagen.

My week in Copenhagen is now past. I had a nice time in Denmark. One filled with twists, turns, surprises and friends old and new.

The worst part of the trip was the cost. There's no other way about it, Copenhagen is frakking expensive. More expensive than Paris. More expensive than Tokyo. About on par with Moscow. It's horrifically expensive and I don't look forward towards going back because of the cost. Five dollars for a Coke isn't unusual. Three dollars for a Snickers bar or tube of Pringles is about right. Ten dollars for a beer is the norm. A seven dollar espresso isn't worthy of a raised eyebrow.

Even the rather average meal we had by the canal cost nearly one hundred dollars for three courses. Never mind the cost of a taxi. They say everything in Copenhagen is nearby. Well, for roughly twenty dollars a cab ride from the DGI-Byen Hotel to Cafe Europa - it may be nearby but it certainly isn't "affordable." For twenty bucks, I can get from the Lower East Side to Central Park in New York City, or from downtown Baltimore to my home in the suburbs.

Even a simple hot dog on the street cost in the vicinity of five dollars - and I can't say it was that much better than a Sabrett on the streets of New York.

Another downside of the week (and also because of the cost of hotel rooms) was that our old barista crew from last year were now scattered all over the city. Combine that with larger entourages and the experience gets diluted. Last year, when everyone was staying at the same hotel and only had their coaches with them, the only choice was for everyone to get together and go out as a group.

This year, with both larger entourages and groups of friends, we found ourselves scattered about with Team Africa going one way, Team Mexico going the other, Sanders going off to meetings and myself running off with Sylvia, Adrianna and Ana for most of the week.

But it still was fun, just in a different way. Lots of events and parties to attend. Even the Ambassador from Mexico hosted a number of us at her house with an open bar and lots of finger foods. While I wished she offered us a traditional Mexican menu, the Danish inspired seafood and local produce menu was certainly delicious and I only wish that it wasn't a diplomatic event because I really wanted to chow down hard on the salmon, which necessitated the expensive dinner by the canal before missing the girl in the pretty floral dress at the Kontra party afterwards. Merde.

The just plain weird part of my week came early on while strolling along Istengade and being propositioned by a local hooker. I couldn't help but ask how much (500 Kroner) and kept on trucking after finding out the price. Turning the next corner, I was accosted by two undercover police officers who wanted to know who I was and what I was talking to that girl about. I got nothing to hide, so I told them she propositioned me for sex. They told me then that prostitution was legal in Denmark and that they were trying to get to the pimps. A bit frazzled, I thanked them for letting me go and went on my way with my bag of groceries.

It wasn't until later that it dawned on me that maybe they thought I was the pimp.

Imagine: me, a pimp. Well, maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing...

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In spite of the terrible cold which rendered me chilly all week, I had a nice time in Copenhagen. Most of my time away from the World Barista Championship was spent walking and touring the city with the girls. Nyhavn, Christiana Free Town, The Little Mermaid. The Queen's Arrival. The Changing of the Guard. Falling asleep in a local cafe. Walking along the lakes. Arguing with Sylvia about who should do what and who did what wrong (I'll let you guess who was the wrong party). Good times. Fun times. Odd times. Sad times.

The Copenhagen adventure is over and now I move forward - even if it isn't with as an assured step as before.

Eating Europa

The 50 Kroner ($10) Cappuccino.

It's famous in the coffee world. It's even mentioned in the Time Out and Lonely Planet guidebooks. It's owned by the 2001 World Barista Champion, Martin Hildebrandt.

But as everyone in the know will tell you: don't got there for the coffee.

Take the cappuccino above. First off, it's pretty darn expensive by any standard. Ten Dollars. Yowza. For ten bucks, you'd expect cappuccino perfection. And while you get something that looks pretty with its' latte art, the rest falls flat. Drag a demitasse spoon through the foam and you'll see: it's a latte with that prerequisite micro-thin layer of foam.

If you're looking for a coffee mecca, there are other places to go - including Europa's sister company: Kontra Coffee.

But what you do go to Europa for, night after night after night, is the food.

It's truly delicious and exquisite. In fact, their smoked salmon salad is the best salad I've had anywhere.


Adriana and the Vegetarian Salad - King Trumpet mushrooms served with apples baked in thyme, mixed salad with Dijon sauce, organic lentils, grains beans & roasted nuts, honey glazed apricots, bread & butter. 135 Kroner (for the salad, not Adriana)

The girls and I made our first visit to Europa on my second night in Copenhagen. It was slightly chilly but they had blankets to warm the girls (none for me since I'm male and designed to suffer). While the girls had a beer each (42 Kroner), Adriana had the vegetarian salad (135Kr) while I had the Lamb Special (195Kr), the Ingefaer-lime Limonade (50Kr) and the cappuccino (50Kr.).

I tasted the salad and it was very good, but my lamb was beautifully done. Cooked au point to perfection and served with fresh greens, herbs, roasted potatoes, asparagus and the surprise sweetness of pomegranates. Amazing. Ingredients so fresh and alive that they popped on the palate. This is the kind of eating made for excitement.


The Lamb.

It was a lovely evening in the waning sunlight with good friends, but the lamb, a salad, a limonade, cappuccino and three beers cost me $120! I was quickly learning that Copenhagen was not going to be a visit on the cheap.

But the food was good, the company was excellent and I was still flush with cash.



Sylvia and The Bread.

As the week progressed, it seemed to evolve around Europa. At some point of the day or night, we would end up there. One night was a night of drunken debauchery as Holger celebrated Germany's victory in the Euro Cup. We would also end the week there for the WBC Barista Party where the staff would float around with trays of food (the lamb chops - yum!) and beverages.

It was then that I wished I had more time to chat with the cute server who was quite friendly and more than happy to bring me a Coke from the bar. Thank God for you and if you ever visit America, I will be a happy host and tour guide. You know who you are.

Something else I wanted to mention that was notable at Europa but not limited to Europa. Compared to the "Customer service at all costs" attitude in the United States, server attitudes in Copenhagen sucks. Perhaps it's the lack of a tipping culture or (as one friend put it) that Danes are just frank and matter-of-fact about everything that it comes off the wrong way, but I couldn't help but develop the impression that the presence of customers was just off-putting and a bit too much of an imposition on the servers.

Weird, but I was actually glad the tipping culture didn't exist because the tip would have been small indeed.



Shane, Imma, Sanders and John.

One of our excursions to Europa was after a cafe crawl with the African Contingent. Again, more amazing food. Sanders' description of the yogurt made it a "must taste" and it was truly special. Smooth, creamy, delicious and perfection with the maple syrup. God, I have to remember to do that at home.

It was good to catch up with returning champions Francis Njobu (Zambia) and John Muli Makaw (Kenya) who both had won their national championships for the second year running. It was also fantastic to meet Peter Musana, the first Ugandan barista champion. A truly pleasant and humble man to be around.


John, Claire and Francis, 2007/2008 Zambian Barista Champion.


The Yoghurt - strained with fresh fruit and maple syrup.


Smoked Organic Salmon Salad - smoked salmon serve with mixed salad with Dijon sauce, organic lentils, grains, beans & roasted nuts, smoked cream cheese, lime, fresh herbs, bread and butter.

Ever since I watched Shane and Drew order yogurt and fruit plates for breakfast in Minneapolis, I've been trying to think more carefully about what I eat, so I thought I would go for the salmon salad. I'm certainly glad that I did. Without reservation, that had to be one of, if not the best salad I've ever had anywhere. It was perfectly balanced with greens, grains, salmon and citrus. Unbelievable. I want to recreate it at home, it was that good. From now on, whenever another salad crosses my plate, this will be the benchmark I hold it to. Fresh, light, seasonal and filling. They offer two sizes and this one is the smaller. Can't imagine what it would be like to eat the larger serving.


Chicken Sandwich - organic rye bread, chicken marinated with basil vinaigrette, grilled pancetta, tomato, fresh herbs, curry sauce & mango chutney.


Chicken Sandwich - on organic wheat bread.


Burger Europa 1989 - slices of filet beef from Danish Jersey young cattle, matured by Europa 1989 standards, salad, tomato, pickled cucumber, barbecue marinated onion, cheese & grilled pancetta. Served with baked lemon marinated potatoes, fresh herbs, barbecue sauce & aioli.


At the end, if you ever make it to Copenhagen, it's worth eating brunch and lunch at Europa. In fact, if it should be a must. Start off the day with one of the two brunch selections (I would probably choose Brunch 2), then go off and walk around the city for awhile. Trek up to see the Little Mermaid. By the time you walk there and back, you'll be plenty hungry and then try the Organic Salmon Salad. Afterwards, take a stroll along the lakes and visit some shops in the north section of the city then walk back for an evening meal with the lamb, or whatever special they're running (it'll be worth it, guaranteed). Sit outside with some blankets, have a few beers and smoke a couple of Havanas and you would have spent the perfect day in Copenhagen.

It certainly will not have been cheap, but it will have been delicious.



Europa 1989
Amagertorv 1
1160 København K, Denmark
+45 3314 2889
www.europa1989.dk

Hrvatska

After a generally appealing week in Copenhagen, I've found my way to Croatia's capital city of Zagreb. Nestled in the highlands at an altitude of 2000 meters, it's pretty darn hot and humid here. At least as hot and humid as Maryland, and perhaps as much as SouthEast Asia. Perhaps it's made worse by the fact that I just arrived from a cold and blustery Copenhagen.

My taxi dropped me off at the wrong hotel, allowing me the opportunity (and pain in the ass) of touring the center city with all my baggage in tow. From this short stint, Zagreb seems like an energetic and young city. Optimistic and eager. Granted, it's a superficial characterization and one that will be tested in the days to come.

For first meal, the desk clerk here at the Best Western Hotel Astoria recommended pizza from Capuciner Pizzeria Spaghetteria. I ordered a small pizza for 30 Kunas topped with mushrooms, ham, bacon, cheese and tomato sauce. The crust was nicely done but the toppings were a bit on the heavy side causing the pizza to be a bit on the moist side, but still quite tasty with a Coke.

Tomorrow it's off to Eli's Cafe to visit Croatian Barista Champion Nik Orosi on his home turf and then somewhere to do laundry.

A New Deal, Verdad

There's a saying in the English language: "Don't cut your nose off to spite your face." It's a saying that I haven't tried taking to heart. Until today.

Everyone needs a little voice to help guide them through the pits and falls of navigating relationships. In my case, I need a big "What the fuuuuuck are you doing???" from my voice and I'm glad Syl was there today to throw things back in my face with classic lines such as: "Well, that's not her problem. That's your problem (pendejo)."

It sucks when your voice is without mercy and relentless.

My problem is that I always want to be right. It's a serious design flaw in my genetic makeup. Sure, there could be smoother steps towards resolution and a continuation of a relationship, but I'm determined to be right and I'm ready to prove it - even willing to end and destroy a relationship completely in my pursuit of winning (it's that winner takes all and unless you've won you've lost kind of mentality).

It's dumb, stupid and childish and I absolutely refuse to calculate how many relationships I've wiped out because of it.

What makes it worse is when your opponent is relatively a mirrored reflection of your own personality and character flaws because as the two of us rush headfirst in a game of chicken, expecting the other to blink and give in, the only thing that happens is a horrific crash where each of us is wrong and neither wants to admit it.

With the help of La Voz, I decided today that I would be the one to blink. I'll give in. I won't pursue the "I'm right" line because, in the end, complete and utter destruction is not what I really want - it's what happens because I'm too blinded by fear to see it coming.

So today begins with a New Deal. I've gone ahead and put my egotism aside. Admittedly, it's not the deal that I really wanted. It's by no means ideal. The deal I wanted to push would have achieved everything I wanted but not what she wanted or was ready for. Today's deal gives us the hope for a new beginning - and maybe that will be enough for two Ariens (who are both always right) to have a fresh start.

La Tour Copenhagen

Sylvia and Adriana ready to start the days' adventure.

Here are some random scenes from my visit to Copenhagen. It's by no means a collection of visitations to the city's great tourist spots. Hell, I wouldn't know where those were anyway. In fact, if it weren't for the girls, I probably wouldn't have visited half of these places and would have ended up hanging out at some coffeeshop or restaurant shooting the shit with the staff.

On one day, the plan was rent some bicycles and hit the streets. One problem: a couple of the girls had never ridden a bicycle before. Even though Copenhagen is a very bicycle-friendly city, it's still a city filled with cars, trucks and buses hurtling down the streets and the possibility of getting smushed by one of them when you're balance is dodgy and that you might forget to brake in a panic is very high indeed. Happily, we decided that by foot we would travel.

And a good thing too. Because the other idea was for me to pedal a tandem bike. And while I certainly would have given it a heroic effort, we might have been killed too.


Holger and his machine at Kontra.

The first couple of days were spent touring the various coffeeshops of Copenhagen. It's nice to go to any city and find one place that makes quality coffee. In Copenhagen, there are a couple of choices: Coffee Collective, Estate Coffee and Kontra. Well, Kontra is more of a roastery slash retail shop, but it's a good place to hang.


In front of Coffee Collective


Troels and Beer.

Not a smart way to start your day.

The difference between hanging out with the girls versus hanging out with the boys is that the girls drink far less. Usually when traveling, the mornings start out with freshly ground, French-pressed coffee. On one morning, we headed over to Shane's room where they were flowing the absente. Not the smartest way to start your day on an empty stomach. Luckily, I made it over the girls' hotel without getting run over and I don't think they could tell of my condition.

Ana and Adriana by the lakes.

Bisecting the city is a collection of lakes. They're pretty large and we spent an afternoon walking along its' banks. Overall, Copenhagen is a nice city. It's a bit monotonous in its' seemingly Cold War Era apartments that continue in never-ending rows of sameness. Add to the fact that it's pretty chilly even in June and it's just not a place I would choose to live. I'd like it to be just a few degrees warmer. It would make strolling by the lake perfection.


The Queen of Denmark arrives for work. It was quite anti-climatic.

As we toured the city, we came upon a group of well-dressed soldiers and tourists (not so well-dressed) waiting for something to happen. Evidently, the Queen of Denmark was coming to work and this was her official welcome ceremony. I envisioned her chariot arriving and the Queen stepping out and waving to her constituents before ascending the stairs into the palace.

Instead, a couple of Bentleys came zipping by and sped through a gate and into an inner courtyard. We didn't get to see the Queen and the soldiers saluted.

It was grandly anti-climactic.


Obsessed with Mermen: look closely in the water.

It seems that Danes are obsessed with Mermaids and Mermen. Along the canal someone has sunken statues of a merman and his six sons. I don't know why. It's kinda cool. Interesting to say the least. I wasn't sure if we were supposed to throw money in for good luck.


Team Mexico - Adriana, Felix, Ana, Sylvia and The Opera House.


The Changing of the Guard. Neat.

The Changing of the Guard happens every day at 11:30am. Don't be late. Not because you might miss it (it takes quite a bit of time for them to actually change all of the guards) but because you'll have to fight hundreds of other tourists for a good viewing spot. All around me are other tourists fighting, straining and elbowing to get a better view so they can shoot their photographic memories with long zoom lenses. It's one reason why I only use a 20mm prime lens. I don't have the ability to zoom. If I want a close up, I have to move physically closer. If I can't then I don't worry too much about the image.

This typically means that I get to enjoy the moment more rather than viewing life through a viewfinder (I've done enough of that in my lifetime). I've also come to realize that my friends don't want to watch a slide show. Hell, even I can't stand viewing numerous photographs of my own trips. I mean really, how many photos of the Eiffel Tower does one need to see before they believe you visited it?

Maybe it's just me, but I was slightly disappointed by the Changing of the Guard. It could be my penchant for perfection, but I expected to see these razor sharp soldiers in perfect marching unison and everything aligned. The steps were slightly off and even a couple of their big hats were slightly tilted. It ruined the effect for me.


The Little Mermaid and Felix - I really didn't want to know.

At one point we're arguing (and with a woman it's less about "arguing" and more about "being told") about how some of these expectations are only in fairy tales, while we're traveling to the other side of the city to see the statue of The Little Mermaid. I'm living in a Faerie Tale but we're going to visit The Little Mermaid??? There's something ironic in there somewhere.

The Little Mermaid was a lot smaller than I expected. Faerie Tales must have something to them because there were a lot of people visiting Ariel (but where was Eric?). Somewhere I was expecting a funny crab to jump out of nowhere singing "Under The Sea."


Hiding from the elements on the open seas.


About to get hit in the head in Nyhavn.

From there, we jump on a boat that takes us out to a fort in the middle of the harbor. The trip there is the downwind leg, which means the trip back is the hairy one. The city of Copenhagen is pretty chilly to begin with. Get out on the water and into the wind and it's at least a ten degree difference. The trip back is fun but miserable. Fun because the spray in my face reminds me of my days sailing on the Chesapeake and along the Molokai Channel. Miserable because it's cold as shit and I'm without my foul weather gear.


Sylvia points the way for more hot dogs.

Evidently, Danes are obsessed with hot dogs. And so too is Sylvia. Danish hot dogs are pretty interesting fare. I've tried them and while they're good, I can't get crazy about a hot dog.


The spiral steepled church. Nice.

At one point, we made our way down to the Free Town of Christiania. It's kind of like a glorified shanty town where cameras are not allowed but marijuana is. It's an artist/hippie community and everyone seems pretty laid back and easy going - even though it looks like the roughest part of Denmark. Perhaps that old saying is true: alcohol makes nice people into assholes and marijuana makes assholes into nice people.

Not to say these people are assholes, just that they're laid back and unlike the violent masses I suspected from the news reports.





Ana in Christianshavn.

It was a good week reconnecting with friends in Copenhagen. Lots of parties. Lots of drinking. Lots of fun. But of all the photos I shot in Denmark, this is my favorite one. It's slightly out of focus. It looks sad and bittersweet. The blocked sunlight from the buildings, along with the graffiti gives it a grey and dirty look. The wide angle of the lens gives it a distant quality. All of which seemed poignant for that day.

The Poetry of Silence

The silence of city streets at 2 a.m. is like poetry. Poetry that fills the mind and embodies the senses. The poetry of self-reflection and self-realization that's never pretty or satisfying.

It's the walk I've taken alone back to hotels in cities around the world.

And it seems that it will never end.

The Copenhagen 2 a.m.

After much anticipation, the World Barista Championship is underway. For many of us, it's time to reconnect with friends old and new. Happily, some national champions like John (Kenya), Nik (Croatia), Francis (Zambia) and Salvador (Mexico) are returning for their second time around. Last year, I looked around the room and realized that the chances were that we would not see each other again. Nice to see that the tribe has returned.

And while the tribe has regrouped, some things have changed. While it was just Salvador and Ana last year making up Team Mexico, this time they've returned en masse with a larger team and matching national uniforms. Team New Zealand is fronted by a returning champion as well as an entourage seemingly the size of the North Island, including Carl Sara (who was spotted the other day hauling out waste water buckets lending his support to the entire community).

I didn't get to see a lot of the competitors but Canadian Champion Mike Yung looked absolutely solid on stage and if his drinks tasted as good as his performance, I wouldn't be surprised to see him in the finals.

Meanwhile, the Coffee in Good Spirits competition was going off on a nearby stage. Don't really understand the format but Greece swept the title. Tomorrow is the latte art championship.

Otherwise, I spent most of the day touring the show floor and chatting with friends from around the world. At one point, I was determined to go back to the hotel room for a jetlag nap but kept getting sidestepped with more friends and others who just wanted to chat. It's always a pleasant and fun time but the jetlag means that I'm nearly dozing off while sitting there trying to concentrate.

After the show, with Ana busy getting Team Mexico focused and ready for their performance tomorrow, Adriana, Sylvia and myself headed off to the Shawarma Grill on Stroget street for some much needed shawarma, falafel and beer. I always find those two fun and funny to hang out with and a constant string of gossip and green humor with a sensible balance of serious discussion.

And since I'm typically too dumb to listen to my jetlag at night, while the girls went home, I found my way back to Europa where Holger and our crew was celebrating Germany's victory over Austria. The one thing about Holger is that celebrating means celebrating and the only saving grace is the cool, crisp weather and long walk back to the hotel that sobers you up while Holger continues partying past 2a.m. on a Thursday night.

Oresund Copenhagen

My visit to Copenhagen continues and it's turning into an expensive whirlwind pseudo-holiday in northern Europe.

The first thing about Copenhagen is the cool to chilly weather and very long daylight. As I write this, it's nearly 1am and there's still the dark bluish hue across the sky, by 4am the sun will be rising on a new day. Long daylight like this, while a bit off-putting when trying to figure out what time it is, is really quite nice. Conversely, it means horrifically long winter nights and that must drive Danes to suicide and depression. Perhaps not the best prescription for happy living.

And certainly the odd weather patterns plays on the average Dane - at least the average Danes working as servers in restaurants that we've come into contact with. Invariably, they've been brusque and quite inconvenienced by our desire to spend money, eat their food and our need for them to actually take our orders. Luckily, the baristas who have been taking care of our coffee needs at Kontra, Estate and Coffee Collective have all been warm and inviting.

I'll have to write more but so far, the food has been quite good - at least at Europa. Perhaps the cappuccino wasn't quite a "cappuccino" and wouldn't pass the scrutiny of the judges I've been eating with, but their food has been absolutely stellar. The Organic Smoke Salmon Salad had to be one of the best salads I've ever eaten. More on that in another post later.

The biggest problem about Copenhagen is the cost. It's quite extreme. A visit to the local grocery store yesterday found a 1.5 liter bottle of Coca-Cola for ten dollars. Nestle ice cream bars at the hotel are three dollars. A coffee can easily cost five dollars - and last night's meal at Europa with Ana, Adriana and Sylvia cost 560 Danish Kroner -which converts to $118.40 according to the $4.73 exchange rate at the airport. It might not sound like a lot for a dinner for four but consider that it was only Adriana and I who ate (she with a salad, me with a lamb dish that really was quite exquisite), the girls had a beer each, I had lemonade and a cappuccino and it came out to $118.00.

Time to start making adobo sandwiches at the hotel room...

But for those of you looking for a bit of coffee news from the World Barista Championship front, the tribe has gathered once again and times are good here. There's quite a bit of talk regarding the turmoil between the SCAA and SCAE, as well as the turmoil within the SCAA, but I'll leave you to find out more about those predicaments from other channels - perhaps our little industry will finally get some media critical of its' actions. But maybe not.

Meanwhile, I'm enjoying myself and trying to save money by availing myself of the complimentary hotel breakfast and loading up on yogurt and granola.

BTW, Holger from Dalla Corte will be unveiling their new espresso machine tomorrow. We got a sneak peek tonight at midnight as they were uncrating it. It's quite sexy, hard-working and energy efficient and makes for a very compelling reason to consider Dalla Corte as a new player in the high-end specialty espresso scene. I'll be playing with it more over the next three days but it easily could be a contender for those considering La Marzocco and Synesso - and bear in mind that I'm a die-hard La Marzocco fan who's as fanatical about La Marzocco as many of these Europeans are about their futbol teams.

The new machine: fresh from the crate at midnight.

Copenhagen Pizza

Some fine rum before dinner at Kontra.

Someday, years after homo sapiens have been wiped from this Earth, other beings will come here to study and learn about our civilization. Instead of calling our planet "Earth", they may end up calling it: "Italia".

Seems that no matter where on Mother Earth I venture, we always return to pizza. Whether in some far-flung rural countryside in Thailand, or the blustery streets of Moscow, the sweaty alleys of Rio de Janeiro, or in the late waning light of Copenhagen, pizza is on people's minds and in their stomachs.

After spending the afternoon wandering around Copenhagen with Holger Welz and Andrew Barnett, we end up at Kontra Coffee where we meet up with 2005 World Barista Champion Troels Poulsen and Kontra roaster Michael de Renouard for some shots of rum and cold beers. After our beverages, Michael invites us over to his flat for a pizza dinner and some Euro Cup action on the telly.


Michael setting up the pizzas.

You'll find me complaining in other posts about the seemingly ridiculous cost of goods here in Copenhagen. For this American Dollar spending yokel, this city is way expensive. But as we're about to see, these Danes live pretty well for themselves.

Michaels' flat is in a nice section of the city on the top floor of a rather nice apartment complex. While slightly spartan, it's very tastefully decorated and furnished. What Michael lacks in clutter, he makes up for in thoughtful and valuable - in spades. The furniture has been hand-selected and feels sumptuous. The wines are beautiful. Even the wrought iron outdoor table and chair is authentic and old, not manufactured and new from IKEA. It's impressive all the way around.

While most coffee industry people are content with a Moka pot and some inexpensive coffeemaker, or perhaps a decent espresso machine, for Michael such tomfoolery just won't do. Only a La Marzocco GS3 will suffice - and how often do any of us achieve professional level espresso at home?


The view.

This is fine living and I'm slightly envious. If I had to live the urban lifestyle, this is the kind of lifestyle I would prefer: minimalist with fine furniture and exquisite appointments.

Even the view is lovely. A top floor flat is a must. As I peer out from the balcony sipping whatever lovely chianti that Michael has selected for us, I feel sorry for minions below who were unlucky in their bid for the top floor. It's 10pm and stubbornly daylight. I fancy myself a Hans Christian Andersen looking across the cityscape that doesn't look like it's changed in one hundred years.

Meanwhile, Holger and Andrew have occupied themselves with Germany in the Euro Cup.


Holger and Andrew with Germany in the background.

Finally, the pizzas arrive and Michael has gone all out on four of them, which is probably two too many. It's late night and I can't be eating a whole pizza. Plus, all this boozing has me slightly out of focus.

It's really a frenzy of pizza. Topped with prosciutto, artichokes, olives, basil, tomatoes and so much more. They're delicious. Ooh, there's sausage. And cheese. And maybe I can eat one.

Do I want more chianti? Well, I don't want to be rude.




After about twenty minutes, it's all over. We've attacked the pizzas with much gusto and there's about a pie and half left. Not too bad for three road-weary travelers who just arrived that morning and are pushing 23 hours.

But there's still dessert, digestif and Cuban cigars to be had.

Good Lord.



But before we get into more drinking, I make a quick call to see if the girls got in from their trip. They're doing well and are (smartly) getting ready for bed. Even though I haven't talked to her in six months, she sounds genuinely happy to hear from me. That's nice - and better than ice cream.

Returning to the task at hand, we enjoy a digestif, more good chat, Germany wins and we finally make our way back to the hotel around 2am.

Not a bad way to start your trip to Copenhagen

The Ten Dollar Hot Dog

Getting Phallic after 14 hours.

Journeying around the world is tough business. I can't sleep on airplanes so it's doubly difficult on me. After a grueling fourteen hour journey, I've finally landed in Copenhagen and decided to grab a quick bite at the airport. Hot dogs are evidently quite popular here and they come in fancy clothing.

For the typical American (and I guess most inhabitants of Planet Earth), a hot dog is typically adorned with a plain, old hot dog bun: basically a long piece of bread sliced lengthwise and you place the meat between the bun halves. In Denmark, they've got a unique bun that's also long but it's got a hole on one end that you first squirt a bit of mayonnaise and ketchup before shoving your meat into the hole.

And if you think that sounds phallic, consider the erect hot dog in the picture above...

From there, you hold the whole thing in your hand and start eating the hot dog. Danish Dogs, they're quite tasty actually and they also come in a variety of combinations and flavors. The only problem is that this hot dog and soda combo costs ten dollars.

Not the most economical way to start your visit to Copenhagen.

Copenhagen

Travel Kills.

The thing I detest the most about travel is: summer. The summer season means that everyone and their mother is traveling. I had hoped that the failing American dollar would keep travelers away from Europe but I arrived at Dulles airport only find thousands of people waiting in line to check in. Even the coveted Mileage Plus Premier Executive check-in line had about a hundred people queued. After all that time sitting on my ass in a seat flying across the world meant nothing since the only open like was the International First Class/Global Services/100K member line.

The flights to Zurich and then on to Copenhagen were packed. The Zurich leg wasn't too bad - until I decided that I needed sleep, and then I couldn't get comfortable. By the time the Copenhagen flight boarded, I was so exhausted, I couldn't help but fall asleep. Good thing too since I was hungry and didn't have either Euros, Swiss Francs or Danish Kroners.

After checking into the DGI-Byens Hotel, I wanted to crash out but doing so would only cause me to screw up my jetlag even more. Luckily, I ran into Andrew Barnett and Holger downstairs and we set out on a day of adventure. First stop, the hall where the World Barista Championship would be held. They're still getting stuff together so then we were off to visit the boys at Coffee Collective where we found Sigadorra, Liz, Edwin Martinez and his wife Nina, as well as Peter, Linus and Casey. Klaus was home sick.

After lots of chatting, hanging out and too much coffee, we headed over to Kontra Coffee where we found Troels and Michael finishing up their days' work and ready for a couple of beers in the rapidly chilling weather. From there, we headed over to Michael's flat in a rather posh section of the city for a round of pizzas, chianti, peach liquor, beer and ice cream - along with numerous shots of espresso pulled on Michael's home La Marzocco GS3.

And now that it's past one in the morning, I'm ready to crash out and try to catch up with this time zone.

The One Minute Steak

The One Minute and Ten Second Steak and it's creator.

Stopped by to visit Nelson and see his latest toy.

It's true about boys and our toys. They just get bigger, badder and more technologically advanced as we get older. It's something that women never understand. Just bear with us, please.

For his Grand Cru wine bar, Nelson has been looking for progressive ways to incorporate hot food into their menu without having to spent 50 grand on a full kitchen (not to mention the lack of space for such an endeavor). The Amana AXP 20 oven might just be the ticket.

Utilizing three cooking technologies, the AXP cooks the food with microwaves, convection heat and indirect heat. And it cooks food in record time by cooking the food simultaneously from the inside (microwave) and the outside (convection).

A pink-ish medium well. Not too bad for this super microwave.

It sounded too good to be true. Cooked and carmelized meats in just a few minutes? Hard to imagine. But there it was: a half-pound rib steak seasoned with salt and pepper, tossed into the AXP and one minute and ten seconds later, the steak is cooked through to a medium well with some caramel crustiness on the outside.

A few minutes later, Nelson takes some very hard frozen raw shrimp, tosses them into a bowl with some olive oil and lemon juice and fifty seconds later those suckers are hot, steaming and cooked all the way through. Unreal.

As I peruse the users manual, one thing becomes stark clear: the AXP wasn't designed for this kind of cooking, it was designed for places like T.G.I. McFunster's where they basically reheat food and serve it to customers. It was designed for cooking en masse and not necessarily the kind of cooking we're interested in doing.

But the question remains: how to harness this piece of industrial technology to achieve the results we desire? Beautifully caramelized steak with a pink center is the goal. And while it was meant to blast cook frozen crap in seconds, there seems to be a way to achieve that steak and surpassing the level of Outback.

Hard frozen raw shrimp to hot and steamy in 50 seconds.

I thought it was amazing. The time and the results were unbelievable. The problem was that the steak tasted flat. I can't tell if that was a result of the microwave cooking or if the cut of meat was simply "too commercial." Nelson picked it up from a nearby butcher who seems to be less than forthcoming about the sourcing of their meats, typically meaning that it's standard grain-fed, feedlot fare whose meat tastes bland to my palate to begin with.

Ditto for the frozen raw shrimp of unspecific origin. I have to wonder if we took some of the ingredients we're used to using (as opposed to ingredients picked up quickly for this test run) how they would taste under these cooking conditions. Certainly, there's something to be said about the time it takes to do it the old fashioned way - that the slower cooking method develops sugars and flavors in a way that the AXP cannot achieve because of it's speed, but I'm not knowledgeable enough in food science to determine that.

Still, I'm looking forward to seeing what this little oven can be pushed to do. Maybe if we lower the microwave power to 70% and extend the convection cooking time to one minute and thirty seconds at a lower blast temperature, we might be able to achieve a medium interior with crusty exterior...

Confounded by Standards

I'm still in Towson and still stuck with the same suburban predicament: where to find something tasty to eat? Luckily, I remembered that Three Chefs was along my drive and swung in for a bite.

There were only two other elderly gentlemen sitting at a table shooting the shit and waiting for their order when I arrived. For me, it was Jambalaya time. The last time I was here, I thought it was pretty good and wanted to see if that was truly the case or just an anomaly.

After a bit of a wait, the Jambalaya arrived fresh and hot. Blazing hot in fact. And the still somewhat al dente rice signaled that perhaps it was actually freshly cooked - a good sign. The flavors were fresh, crisp and spicy. Cumin, pepper and onions with sausage, chicken and shrimp in a tomato based sauce. It was darn tasty and well worth the trip.

I ordered a side of french fries because I couldn't help myself and was taught a lesson. The fries were terrible. Burnt and saturated with fat. Disgusting.

The two gentlemen before me had both ordered the four chicken wing and french fry specials. My guess is that their order wiped out whatever fryer they were using and when my fries hit the oil, it was cold. Insufficiently heated oil fails to develop the crust that seals in the foods' moisture that creates the steaming action that actually cooks fried foods. The fries sucked up all the fat, saturating them and as the oil heated, the fries sealed the oil inside and ended up overcooked until dark brown.

I was confounded but figured this was God's way of punishing me for ordering fries. I really need to stop that.

But I was confounded because the chef took so much time to make the jambalaya but sent out these burnt and lame fries? Why hold some level of quality only to destroy it with a crappily prepared side? Where's their standards? It was disappointing.


Three Chefs
912 Taylor Ave
Towson, MD 21286
410-823-2433

Southern Chicken?

Okay, my life isn't always delectable delights. Sometimes I'm stuck and resort to absolute crap for some semblance of sustenance. In fact, I haven't been to a McDonald's since February when I was passing through Frankfurt for a few hours.

In desperate need of food, I swung into a McDonald's and noticed their new Southern Fried Chicken sandwich. Ideas of Chik-Fil-A danced in my head and I tried one. It wasn't that bad.

Sure the crunchy breading wasn't a natural result of being freshly fried and sure the meat seemed like breast, the flavor was still bland. It was not Chik-Fil-A material.

So I took a few bites, tossed half the bun and slowly noshed on the rest as I kept on truckin' down the road.

Cafe Spice

The mystery goat.

Met up with Dai and Marco across the street from The Spro at Cafe Spice - the relatively new Indian restaurant where the Korean place used to be. Outside of Indian "favorites" such as aloo gobi and chicken tikka masala, I really don't know much about Indian food. I know some of it is hot, some of it is vegetarian and typically none of it is beef. Lots of lamb, goat and chicken.

In the few circumstances I've gone out to eat Indian food, it's been with friends for the lunchtime buffet. Depending on the restaurant, a literal smorgasbord of Indian foods - much of which we don't pay attention to beyond the "hmm, that looks good so I'll put it in my mouth" factor.

Which leaves me in a bit of a predicament when actually trying to order Indian cuisine off the menu. I don't have a clue and I refuse to get stuck in a rut of ordering only what I know.

Luckily, Marco is half Indian, half Italian and a subject of the British Empire (he's from London) which means that (happily) he's doing most of the ordering.

We start off with a couple of appetizers: samosas and fried balls of vegetables held together with some sort of batter. Both were quite tasty. The best thing about eating with someone who actually knows the food is that you get a real picture of what the cuisine is all about and how best to eat it. Marco downplays the rice and demonstrates how to tear a piece of naan (the very nicely done traditional flat bread) by using your right hand only to carefully tear a piece then drag it through your dish, sopping up the sauce and pieces of meat. No left hands! Evidently in Indian culture the left hand is used for washing your backside and you never use it for anything else. Lefties beware.

Each of us ordered a main course. Marco had a lamb course, Dai had chicken and I had goat. I would tell you the names of what we had but since they don't have an online menu, I can't recall their names. All I know is that Marco knew what he wanted and I asked the owner what she thought would be the best way to present the goat and went with her recommendation. Whatever it was, it was good. Lightly spicy, rich, complex and slightly sweet - a melange of flavors that went beautifully with the goat.

Indian meals come with side dishes of which I've never understood what to do with them until now. According to Marco, the yogurt is offered to mix in with your spoonful if the spice gets too hot and the weird-looking pickled thing actually is meant to be cut into small pieces and eaten with the main dish, it's pickled and spiciness adding a complimentary tang to the mouth.

Overall, we had a good time and the food was delicious. As someone who's experience with Indian cuisine has been quite limited, it's good to dine out with someone who knows their food. And according to my tastes, and confirmed by Marco, Cafe Spice offers a tasty and quite authentic Indian meal at decent prices.


Cafe Spice
321 York Road
Towson, MD 21204
410-583-7770

Bubba's Breakdown

Bubba's half cheesesteak with everything, no "hots".

The problem with suburban living (or perhaps modern day life in general) is the plethora of crappy places to eat and a dearth of good places. Unfortunately today, I fell prey to the former.

Back in high school, oh some twenty-two years ago, I used to like Bubba's Breakaway in Towson. Back then it was cheesesteaks and pierogies. I hadn't eaten anything from Bubba's in at least twenty years and it's still there in the same nondescript brick building on York Road, with the very same sign that they had in high school. The difference then was that Bubba's was brand new and today's Bubba's looks exactly like the Bubba's from 1986.

Desperate for something different and perhaps a taste of nostalgia, I rang them up and ordered a half cheesesteak sub with all the toppings except for "hots." The "hots" being sweet hot peppers in pickling juice - never my favorite add on, and an order of fries to go with it.

Heavy rains passed through the area and finally, after an hour and twenty minute wait, the driver appeared with my bag of food in tow.

Sad to say that it would have been better had I left Bubba's to the nostalgia of memory.

The meat was the sliced beef you typically find - bland, rubbery and not very exciting. Topped with random vegetables, slathered with mayonnaise and completely engulfed in a enriched white sub bun. Nothing remarkable. Nothing tantalizing. Just crap piled upon crap. Simple, cheap food designed to satisfy the blandest of palates and fill tummies with nothing good for you. It was just bad.

Now, I'm no locavore nazi. I'll take bad for your body so long as it nourishes the soul. This sub was just bad. I felt pangs on the right side of my tummy as though my body was begging for me to stop.

So I did.

I couldn't finish it. Just couldn't. I was hungry and soldiered on through the first half but stopped in the second because it was just too horrible. At least the fries were decent enough (for frozen fries) but served with El Cheap Foodservice Distributor grade ketchup. A ketchup so thin and runny that it's not even worth the effort to cut open the packs and squeeze it out.

I need to stop subjecting myself to suburban sprawl...


Bubba's Breakaway
905 York Road
Towson, MD 21204
410-296-4080

Taqueria La Poblanita

Tacos al Pastor times three!

I found myself in Jessup, Maryland today picking up some equipment and spied this taco truck on the side of the road.

Now, I know on the West Coast the sight of a taco truck is no cause for excitement or concern, but out here in the land of Taco Hell, flour tortillas and lots of grated cheddar cheese, a proper taco truck is quite notable indeed.

The menu is simple: tacos, quesadilla, menudo, flautas and a few other items. I decided to go for the tacos al pastor. Unlike the pastor the taqueros make in Mexico City, these are not roasted on a gyro machine. Sliced pork is cooked in a salsa rojo for the unique flavor and finished on the plancha. Serve with two tortillas, chopped white onion, lots of chopped cilantro, a wedge of lime and a side of salsa verde and puta y madre are they good. I had three.

I was greeted by an elderly man originally from Mexico City but who's been in the United States for 25 years. He's been in Maryland for only 8 months but doesn't quite like it here. He spent the better part of our time together telling me about his journey across America in five buses over four and a half days, interspersed with ten minute breaks for meals, no seat reservations, endless prairies, mind numbing boredom and smelly passengers. It reminded me of my own Bus Trip From Hell and being held and interrogated by the DEA and BATF in the middle of the California desert. Not pleasant.

Turns out his niece is from Puebla (hence the name) and this is her taco truck. She's the one doing the cooking and he's out front entertaining guests like me.

I don't get out to Jessup much, but Taqueria La Poblanita will be on my stop list the next time I'm out that way.


Taqueria La Poblanita
East side of Route 1
About halfway between Route 175 and Route 32 on Route 1
Jessup, MD

The Corner Stable

My old standby: Broasted Chicken Breast, half rack of babyback ribs with fries and beans.

I set out this evening with panang chicken on my mind, but when I arrived at FujiSan restaurant, they were already closed (crap, it's only 8pm on Sunday). I thought of journeying into the city but I just wasn't that committed and ended up across the street at the old favorite: The Corner Stable.

The Corner Stable is known for its' ribs. They're famous around these parts. A verifiable institution. That said, I think rib purists from around the country would scoff at their boiled ribs that are finished on the grill with sauce. I'd be willing to bet that some pitmasters would have a heart attack just thinking about boiled ribs. But this is the stuff I learned to love ribs on and it has a special place in my gastronomic dictionary.

Like I said, the ribs are boiled so they're incredibly tender and falling off the bone. The sauce is smoky and sweet, the broasted (read: fried) chicken is moist and tender, the beans are soft and supple and the fries crisp - what's not to like? Sure, if you're looking for an authentic smoked rib a la Memphis, Texas or South Carolina, you ain't gonna be happy here. But if you like incredibly tender babyback ribs in a smoky, slightly spicy and pungent sauce, The Corner Stable might be for you.


The Corner Stable
9942 York Road
Cockeysville, MD 21030
410-666-8722
www.thecornerstable.com

Flowers In Your Bulaklak

Dad shows off his illegal bounty.

The annual Fiesta Filipiniana was held today in Towson under a blazing sun and merciless humidity. A taste of the worst weather Baltimore has to offer. It was excruciating.

But the best part of any cultural festival is the food. Wild, exotic and tasty. Stuff that wouldn't (or couldn't) prepare at home. Stuff that your mom will lecture you on about the "bad fats." Unhealthy? Probably. Bad for the body but so good for the soul.

One of those things is Chicharon Bulaklak, which literally means "fried crispy flower" in Tagalog, the native language of the Philippines.

It's rich, crispy, fatty and best consumed with spicy vinegar and lots of San Miguel beer (though a cold Coke will do just fine). I highly recommend trying them. However, if you're one of those people that easily become squeamish about your food, it's probably better not to tell you what it is: fried pig intestines.

Yuck, you say? Then you haven't tried it. Absolutely brilliant. I bought a round for my dad and we shared a bonding moment over crispy fried pig intestines. Classic.

Preparing bulaklak is a pretty straightforward affair. Take some intestines, clean them out really well, toss into a pan and boil in water with a little vinegar, garlic, bay leaves and black peppercorns. Boil for a long time or plop it all into a pressure cooker on high for one hour. Once the intestines are ready, cut up into bite-size pieces and deep fry in peanut oil (or for a truly authentic Philippine touch: coconut oil) at 375F until golden brown and crispy. Dip into spicy vinegar (I recommend the organic coconut vinegar) and crunch away to arterial failure. Douse thyself with cold beer. Sleep.