the daily grind

vivace
Originally uploaded by suttonhoo.

I love Chicago. But it’s not because of the coffee.

You can find an occasional good cup -- Uncommon Ground never disappoints. But they’re far and few.

I worked for a guy in college (making coffee) who told me that the perfect pull had as much to do with the day’s relative humidity as it did with the grind, the timing and the water heat and pressure -- which makes me wonder if that isn’t why there are certain places in the world where a cup of coffee is usually just about perfect. (And other places where it's not.)

Every once in awhile I wax deeply nostalgic (and what is nostalgia if it isn’t grief for lost perfection, real or imagined?) for my give-me-this-day-my-daily-joe at Vivace, on Broadway, in my old Seattle neighborhood.

Today’s one of those days.