49th Parallel

I rarely drink coffee.  Very rarely.  Mostly because caffeine makes my heart race, and sometimes also makes my hands shake.  LOL.  I know...lame.  But, there will be times when I crave for that hearty coffee flavour, so during those times I would indulge in buying a cup of latte or something (not brewed coffee).

If I do feel like drinking a coffee beverage, I would go to Starbucks for their caramel macchiato, which is full of sugar, I understand that fully, thank you very much.  I always ask for extra caramel drizzle for my caramel macchiato.  HA!  Plus I'm a very loyal person, especially when I believe in that "something" (a person, a company, etc).   I used to work for Starbucks when I was in University, and worked there for 4 years.  If I could work for Starbucks again, I would do it in a heartbeat.  

My other choice for a coffee beverage is 49th Parallel in Kitsilano (they just opened another location on Main Street, but I've never been to that one yet).   And what do I order?   Iced moccha, which is super delicious, or their piccolo cafe latte, which is basically a shot of espresso with a little bit of steamed milk & foam on top.  Here's a picture of the piccolo cafe latte, which they serve on a small cup instead of the traditional macchiato glass.     

I do think it's because of the coffee bean they used for the espresso shot.  Another factor that affect the taste is how the shot was 'pulled' (we used the term "pull" at Starbucks..I'm actually not sure if there's a correct term for it).  Back when I was working at Starbucks, we still used the good old espresso machine that requires us to grind the beans on another station, dispense it to the portafilter, tamp the coffee grounds, place the portafilter onto the espresso machine and pull.   The most important part for me when I worked at Starbucks was the tamping part.   To be able to pull an 18 - 22 seconds shot, the coffee grounds must be tamp at the right pressure inside the portafilter.   If pulled between 28 - 22 seconds, the espresso shots tend to be smoother and sweeter.  If it's too long, they will be bitter.  And if it's too short, it will be too watery and tasteless.  

Anyway.. I'm not a coffee expert in any way, so I think I should quit talking about coffee and espresso.   I just want to say that every time I get the piccolo cafe latte at 49th Parallel, I'm never disappointed.  The espresso always taste delicious, and they always put the right amount of steamed milk & foam.  Perfect way to finish my usually-oily-and-very-hearty breakfast :) :) :)