I'm with Cville Billy - if there's a better sandwich out there than the croque madame, well, I don't know what it is.
I'm in Richmond, Virginia and we have a place that makes a truly phenomenal one....the perfect combination of every ingredient. That and a beer (or a couple) is my perfect Saturday lunch.
The bottom line is, it's just not very good coffee. I take strong exception to the commenter above who stated that it wasn't burnt, it was just a dark roast. I love a strong, dark roast - the stronger, the better. Starbucks' blends have a bitter, burnt taste to them. The fact that "plenty of people like it" is far from a ringing endorsement. Plenty of people like lots of things - doesn't mean any of them are any good.
Start by getting back to something novel: offering decent coffee at a fair price. You're a coffee shop. Get out of the friggin' music business and focus on your core.
Offer simple pastries that are fresh. You certainly charge top dollar for pastries that are - at times - stale and dry.
Two words: customer service. Your baristas are often misanthropes who think they are too good to be making my beverage because they should be working on their novel or something. And they're slow.
Clean your stores up. I know they all see a high volume in the mornings, but they shouldn't look like a tornado just blew through.
Free Wi-Fi. Free Wi-Fi. Free Wi-Fi.
I agree with the commenter above - a SB employee - who said that there should be nightly entertainment. What a terrific idea. Our local coffee shops do that, and they bring in customers around the clock, while fostering a feeling of community.
For those of you rooting against Starbucks in favor of the local shops, check out the recent article on Slate discussing the ameliorative effects on the mom-and-pop places when Starbucks moves in. Many local operators - fearful of Starbucks moving in down the street - found that their business actually increased.
Let me add a strong endorsement for this wonderful - and simple - sauce. I sort of rolled the dice and prepared it for a small dinner party prior to trying it myself. Very simple to prepare and just a wonderful dish. Superior to many more complicated sauces I've done. Highly recommend.
ChristineB Wrote:
4) You pay for internet at home. Why shouldn't you pay for it at a coffee shop?
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Because I don't pay $5 for a cup of coffee at home... that's why.
OK, I made it and it was great! All gone, no left overs.
It's a lovely photo, but I don't see even one speck of rosemary!
Wow, this is such a wonderful recipe. I love these 'simple' sauces where the flavours absolutely shine, and it's a perfect example of Mario Batali and how to sauce the pasta - so it just sticks to the spaghetti. The flour slurry is such a great idea, I thought it might make it floury but it really helped the sauce coat the pasta. I'll be trying that with other sauces. Thanks so much for posting - I have The Silver Spoon but have been guilty of flicking through it more than actually using it!
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