Tag Archives: coffee

Kaffetur 18 / Coffee Tour #18: Stockfleths, Oslo

August 17, 2015 Dove Familie Leave a comment

With 10 locations scattered all over the city, Stockfleths is a bit of an Oslo institution. While my niece was here in June, we stopped by their largest location on Prinsensgate for a morning coffee.

Once we managed our way around the construction outside, we walked into a clean and well-lit cafe. Not especially unique in its design, but appealing and comfortable all the same.

Stockfleths has been around since 1895. They are easy to find throughout the city. With a nice selection of coffee, as well as tea, pastries and sandwiches, it it a good choice for breakfast, lunch, or a coffee break.

We were on our way to the airport and a bit short on time, so we opted for their daily coffee. It was a nice medium roast with a good, smooth flavor, although I felt it was served too hot. That’s the drawback of getting the daily coffee, I guess!

The Prinsensgate location is two stories, and the downstairs also has a room for holding coffee classes.

www.stockfleths.as

Coffee Tour / Kaffetur

The Perfect Bus

August 16, 2015 Dove Familie Leave a comment

We were recently taking a shuttle bus to an airport, and happened upon a button I’d never seen before…

Can’t think of a sweeter sign over one’s seat than that little red coffee cup button! While we were riding a late morning shuttle, I would think it would be especially nice for those on a particularly early (or late) trip!

Coffee Tour / Kaffetur

Svartkaffe, takk!

August 13, 2015 Dove Familie Leave a comment

What? No sugar? No milk?
No, it’s very Norwegian, you know.
(Taken from a Norwegian coffee magazine)

It took time. It didn’t happen overnight.

I remember back in college. Yes, many years ago. When we were facing a late night study session, we would head for The Otter (a local convenience store) and both Zack and I would get a really big ‘coffee’.

Well, it had coffee in the name. But it was mostly sugar, flavoring, and other artificial junk.

We gradually graduated to coffee with milk and sugar.Then we dropped the milk.

In 2011, after I traveled to Ethiopia, we transitioned to black coffee with a bit of raw sugar.

And now it’s only the real thing for us. No extras when it comes to a regular cup of coffee. Just quality beans, clean, cool water, and good equipment.

How do you take your coffee?

I recently read an Alton Brown article on coffee that I found interesting, and thought I would share it here.
http://altonbrown.com/how-to-brew-best-cup-of-coffee-at-home/

Coffee Tour / Kaffetur

Kaffetur 17 / Coffee Tour #17: Fábrica Coffee Roasters

August 10, 2015 Dove Familie Leave a comment

It’s always nice when we can work a quick vacation around a business trip – and particularly when it’s to a place we’ve never visited before. Our recent trip to Portugal started with a couple of days in Lisbon, visiting friends and checking out a really cool city.And of course checking out a really cool coffee shop!

Fábrica Coffee Roasters is a newbie. Our barista told us they opened about two months ago.

But with high quality locally roasted coffee, a menu that includes great drinks and a nice selection of food, and an atmosphere that makes you want to sit and relax, we feel it’s safe to say Fábrica has the potential to become a favorite for locals and tourists alike.

The boys had an ice coffee. It was as delicious as it was cute.

Zack and I tried an affogato (espresso shot and ice cream – wow!!) and a V60, as well as an espresso.

From the staff, to the drinks, to the presentation: everything was fantastic. Located just a block behind Hard Rock, the location is close to all the action, yet one street makes a big difference in setting up a quieter and less touristy locale.

Most of Lisbon’s cafes seemed quite similar to each other. But Fábrica has created a place and space all its own. It’s a must if you find yourself in Lisbon.

Check out Fábrica Coffee Roasters on Facebook here.

Portugal, R. das Portas de Santo Antão 136

1150-265 Lisboa, Portugal

And be sure to check out our Tastemade video for this cafe:

Fàbrica Coffee Roasters

Coffee Tour / Kaffetur

Coffee Tour: Coffee Break …. Kaffetur: Kaffepause

August 3, 2015 Dove Familie Leave a comment

Due to travel, we are taking a coffee break this week.

Don’t worry: we’re out drinking plenty of coffee. And we’ll be back next week with another installment of the weekly Coffee Tour!

In the meantime, enjoy a coffee at a locally owned and operated shop near you!

Coffee Tour / Kaffetur

Growing our Bean Knowledge

July 30, 2015 Dove Familie Leave a comment

Recently we were talking coffee with friends, and I realized how quickly both our passion and knowledge have grown. Okay, probably Zack more than me. But we are married, so we share everything!

Moving to Norway two and a half years ago, coffee was a nice drink, one that we liked to make a pot of fairly often. We had already come to the point where we drank it black. But our world had not yet opened up to the wonderful world of hand brews, pour overs, and slow coffee.

Terms like V60 and Aeropress were not yet in our vocabularies, and we knew little of the importance of things like water temperature, filter color, blooming, and pouring techniques.

We still have a long way to go. We are learning more about the types of beans and the roasts that were prefer. We are discovering more about roasting methods.

Have you ever had unwashed beans? Quite unique.

We have not begun roasting at home, although I would not be shocked to see Zack go that direction one day.

And to be perfectly honest, I am not sure I will personally ever be at the level where I can identify the specific notes as I sip a cup of freshly brewed coffee.

Perhaps a proper cupping course is in order.

But we really do enjoy coffee. Finding just the right beans. Learning new techniques. Trying new things.

The process of preparing a Hario or Aeropress is a large part of the overall experience. It really has become more than just drinking the coffee. And the gear is cool. And meeting people with a similar passion is fun. Exploring new shops has become a part of every vacation, day trip or business travel.

We really do enjoy the coffee culture.Are you a coffee lover? Do you enjoy a particular drink or a special brewing method?

Coffee Tour / Kaffetur

Kaffetur 16 / Coffee Tour #16: Prufrock, London

July 28, 2015 Dove Familie Leave a comment

First impressions are important. And having an espresso tamper for a door handle gave me a great first impression of Prufrock, in London.

Prufrock is known for fine coffee, as well as barista training courses and coffee lectures. I would love to see something like this in our area. I know a certain husband of mine who would be there in a heartbeat!

Once inside, I once again saw many of the elements common to today’s trends in coffee bars. High ceilings and wooden floors, well-lit, and a chalkboard menu. Yes, all the usuals. And yet, it still has its own look and feel. It is a nice size space, with lots of seating and room to move around.

Their coffee was great. We had the Suko Quto Ethiopia, from Barn in Berlin, served as a V60.

For those close to London and Prufrock, you might want to check out their upcoming event. Tim Wendelboe (yes, from Oslo!) will be the next guest speaker in their lecture series, on 17 August. (more info HERE)

Prufrock Coffee

http://www.prufrockcoffee.com

23-25 Leather Lane

Greater London

EC1N 7TE

free wifi ~ Open 7 days a week

Travel

Jolly Old London Town

July 24, 2015 Dove Familie Leave a comment

Coming back around to the last post about Anna’s (my niece) recent visit. The last stop on our trip was London.

In December 1993, when I was a junior in high school, I had the opportunity to visit London on a school trip. There were a couple hundred of us on the trip, including my sweet friend, Kristy. Little did I know that a few years later, she would become my sister-in-law! It was a great trip and we both fell in love with the city.

See the 3 faces in the background? 🙂

So what a cool thing that just over 20 years later, I had the chance to take my niece to London! And even better: Zack and the boys joined us on this leg of the trip. It was William and Daniel’s first time in London as well.

It was fun showing them some of Zack’s and my favorite places, and discovering a few new ones as well.

Of course we saw all the obligatory spots, like Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, the Thames…

And the original Hard Rock!

As HP fans, we also made a stop at Platform 9 3/4!

We only had two full days, but we managed to see a lot. On the second morning, Anna and I went to Tower of London.

And the boys took a tour of Chelsea’s stadium.

Of course, there was also coffee!

We took the Tube to Notting Hill, which is now one of my favorite areas in London. Love this area!

The antique store used in the movie Paddington Bear

William Thacker’s (Hugh Grant) travel book
shop from Notting Hill

The Blue Door to William Thacker’s flat in
Notting Hill

A quick stop on Baker Street…

Total tourists on Abbey Road

And we finished off our visit at a great Fish & Chips restaurant in Notting Hill.

memorable eats

Have you heard about Tastemade?

July 23, 2015 Dove Familie Leave a comment

We are excited to announce that we are participating in a fairly new site, Tastemade.

Tastemade is a video community created to “connect the world through food.” (https://m.facebook.com/tastemade/about)

We think it is a great way to check out the best of a city’s eats before a trip. And we also saw it as a great way to share what we discover around Norway.

Our first video highlights our recent visit to Coffeeberry.

https://www.tastemade.com/places/v/VN4p7P2tQb-bThx1daucwA

To learn more and to follow along with our Tastemade adventures, visit: https://www.tastemade.com/@notesfromnorge

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