Fancy Food Show Part 2 - Coffee

One thing I learned at the Fancy Food Show - If I ever go on a culinary vacation, I'm not going to France. I'm not going to NYC. I'm going to Spain.

The best food I tasted was from Spain, but that was only part of it.

Adding to the pleasure was meeting the suave men who were the sales reps. When was the last time you met a suave guy in the United States? Funny, yes, friendly, yes - but suave? Not since Cary Grant.

The Fancy Food Show was full of Spanish men who not only knew their products, but who also had the ability to make a gal suddenly begin to feel the estrogen flowing through her veins or wherever estrogen flows...all the while describing the wonders of single-varietal olive oil. EVOO never sounded so good.

Ahem. Back to the products. Is it hot in here, or is it just me?

Let's talk coffee first because of its place in my heart and my life. I go through a couple quarts a day, so I should know my beans. Lately I have been roasting my own, but that is for another post.

The best coffee I tasted, hands down, was Tarrazu Sustainable Coffee . My new best friend Javier brewed me a cup of the smoothest espresso I had ever tasted while laying that warm Spanish charm on me and Chef Shirley. At the end of the day, she and I agreed this was one of our favorite products at the show, and that Javier was one of our favorite men of the past 20 years or so.

I also loved the people over at Gavina Coffee . I got so busy talking to Jose Gavina about roasting coffee that I forgot to taste his, but he clearly had a passion and love for his craft. I was impressed that someone who had been in the coffee business his whole life still had such excitement about it and generosity enough to talk to me for so long at such a busy show.

I had another fine cup of espresso over at 30 West Coffee. Their website My Best Coffee is rather undeveloped, but they are worth keeping an eye out for. Good stuff.

I won't tell you about all the bad coffee I drank, mostly because I didn't take brochures or keep notes on the stuff I didn't like. But be assured I did choke a lot of it down because I care about my readers and wanted to give them valuable information. I'm a giver, that's what I am.