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Coffee carts and morning routines.


gougetheeyes

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I'm not sure if coffee/breakfast carts exist as prevalently in other areas as they do in NY, but I've grown accustomed to them and simply wanted to voice my support for these guys.

A lot of building owners and BIDs (Business Improvement Districts) hate them, basically because they don't have to pay anyone. Same goes for the pretzel guys, halal food, etc.. I used to work for a BID and when I found out how much they detested the guys, I really enjoyed spending a dollar or two most mornings.

I only remark on it now, because I recently switched jobs and am not anywhere near my old cart guy. He was the nicest dude and I always made a point to tip him. Now, I am faced with blocks of new carts, none of which feel right. The one I've "chosen" now is simply because there are the fewest people in line, though I have found a cart manned by a team (unheard of), who seem pretty jolly, but it's in a busy spot. Which is a downside. My current dude is pretty surly and seems to disappear a lot. Maybe he's got irritable bowel syndrome.

Now, what I have discovered with the new job, is that I'm close to the old deli I used to frequent at a different old job for coffee. This throws a wrench in my overall plans but is generally exciting. The coffee here is better. And my old MS-13 buddy works there. Not sure if he was actually a gangbanger, but he’s got some gnarly fucking tattoos that I’d always meant to ask about. And now I can.

There's no real point to this thread other than I support coffee cart businessmen and am thoroughly distraught at not having my usual high-fiving, free-wheeling coffee-and-possibly-donut-if-the-mood-strikes-me-i.e.-I'm-hungover-interaction.

You’ll find I am also extremely cheap when it comes to coffee. I drink a lot of it and can certainly tell the difference between cheap coffee and good coffee shop coffee. But I hate coffee shops. I’m sure a rant exists somewhere about that, too.

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The other problem, is the new old deli is closer to the Union Square stop but I get off at 6th ave now because I'm a borderline agoraphobic and can't handle the people on the platform, and barely the train. I've apparently made my choice by going to the cart guy in the morning, but usually I get a small there, so I can duck out around 11 and get a second at the deli, before lunch. When I go back for my lunch coffee.

Now you're not missing New York are ya?

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Out of interest how much do you usually pay for a cup of coffee in the USA ?

A small cup of coffee is anywhere from 50 cents (half a dollar) to who knows.. Although my only 50 cent spot is now 75, and the standard seems to be about a buck. If I was smarter, I'd make myself a thermos in the morning.

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A small cup of coffee is anywhere from 50 cents (half a dollar) to who knows.. Although my only 50 cent spot is now 75' date=' and the standard seems to be about a buck. If I was smarter, I'd make myself a

thermos in the morning.[/quote']

I totally get the coffee shop situation ,here in London prices start at £ 3.50 =$5.50 bucks .GULP !!

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Here in Ontario there are "Tim Hortons" everywhere, where a cup of coffee is around $1.50 Canadian, give or take a few depending on the size. Tones of people love the coffee there, but I am not a big fan of it. There are lots of coffee shops around but they are usually more expensive and seeing as I don't tend to hang around downtown too often I don't have a chance to frequent them. I may be a bit of a coffee snob and I like it to be just so. Usually I will buy my coffee in bean form so I can ground it up fresh and keep the beans and grounds in the freezer for maximum freshness. I used to help a guy that roasted coffee beans and sent the beans to various coffee shops around Canada. I learned a lot about coffee from him and what a really good cup of coffee tastes like. Nothing smells better than fresh roasting coffee beans

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I'm a grind-at-home kinda guy myself, RockelMan, but I'm also a 3-cup-a-day kinda guy, so the first one at home is just the beginning.

I see that you keep your grounds in the freezer--stop doing that! I did it for years until a roaster told me that the moisture in the freezer is coffee's mortal enemy. Keep them in an airtight container (think Tupperware) on your counter. You'll really taste the difference.

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And in a weird (and awful) twist of fate, I've been trying to cut my coffee consumption to just one cup a day in the afternoons which I don't think I've done since...before I drank coffee. So 15 years? It sucks but it's proved pretty successful.

Also, I've been meaning to post a photo of my coffee cup tattoo but keep forgetting! Will try to remember soon.

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