Ritual Coffee Roasters. The Pacific Northwest flies South.

I am quite belated in letting you all know that I am now the proud author at another blog, Bay Area Bites. BAB is KQED's food blog and I am proud to be on the masthead with some other good eggs in the food writing world.

Here is where you will find a piece I did on Ritual Coffee Roasters, an incredible new coffee shop the size of a small church, on Valencia street between 21st and 22nd streets. What you will find here is espresso smooth and perfect, foam creamy and decorated. If you have had the privilege to drink a cappuccino at Vivace in Seattle you know of what I speak. Ritual is the first SF coffee house to use Portland Oregon's much talked about Stumptown beans which are roasted to order, drop shipped by Fed Ex and turned into liquid sumptuousness within 10 days of their arrival! 

Read more here:   http://www.kqed.org/weblog/food/2005/07/ritual-coffee-roasters-living-here.jsp

Comments

[Kudzu]

How very good to see your words again!

[bandit]

bisous- welcome home

[Becks & Posh]

We are lucky to have you home.
Look forward to seeing you very soon x

[Fatemeh]

Ah, Shuna, you've been so missed.

xoxo

[shuna]

y'all are sweeter than organic dehydrated cane syrup! i mean that. can't wait to see all of yous and eat local yummies again! okra anyone? xxxooooo

[Charlotte]

Shuna's back!

*happy dance*

[farmgirl]

Congratulations! Can't wait to read your articles.

Okra? Sorry, but ick. : )
(Though I couldn't resist buying some the first time I was driving through the south and saw it for sale--hot and freshly fried--at a gas station. I bravely tried a piece and then gave the rest to a very happy cat who was hanging around the pumps. Definitely a southern kitty.)

[Oliver]

Hi Shuna,
I completely share your passion for good coffee. Once you had a perfectly brewed coffee, you realize that most if not all of the coffee shop chains don't even serve mediocre coffee. That there are plenty of cafés which produce only OK coffee and just a few places are willing to walk the extra mile and deliver high quality coffee treats. It seems you have found one of those gems. Unfortunately (like you indicated in your longer post) the margin isn't the same as brewing for the masses. So if customers don't appreciate the quality you produce either of things I see happening (and I see it happening right now): you sacrifice quality in favour of better margins or you'll go broke before you know it.

[shuna]

First of all thank you everyone for your welcome homes! I do so appreciate that. A lot has happened in a month.

Oliver, thank you for visiting! I hope to see you around these parts more. (Your site is extraordinary.) I do feel like it is important to point out the businees that make environmental/quality choices before straight-up 'bottom line' ones. The inside workings of food businnesses rarely appear to the patrons. There is only so much you can print on a menu.

[Will T]

Congrats on the KQED blog -- that's really rad. They have one of the best public radio sites, period. Choosing you just cinches it. I worked with them long distance for a project once, from wbur in boston, and have always been really impressed at their community-based projects and focus. Real cool.

[Lori]

Welcome back, Shuna! Kristin and I sent you a postcard from NYC (to Florida) on Friday -- hope it gets to you eventually. :) Eggbeater is now at the top of my bookmarks, thanks to Kristin's recommendation that I "read Shuna. She's all about the food." So true, and so fascinating. I'm especially enjoying your posts about work.

Oh, and I thought of you last night when I watched the Des Jardines vs. Batali "battle shrimp" on Iron Chef America. Congratulate Chef Des Jardines for me!

[shuna]

Will--- thank you, I agree. It's an honor to be over there. and to have you here!

Lori--- thank you for the flattering words. this blog has meant more to me than I thought it would and what amazing comraderie exists out here in the 'sphere. I will get anything you sent to florida, thanks in advance.