Cole Billings of Verve works the Steampunk. Photo by Chip Scheuer.
A company with the glamorously nerdish name of Alpha Dominche has devised a sleek bit of computer-industrial eye candy that makes four cups of micro-tuned coffee in under a minute. Very urban moderne, the glass and metal device is called Steampunk. Come and check it out at Verve where, according to Verve product developer Jesse Crouse, the machine can turn out “anything that steeps.” And that means brewed coffee, pressed coffee, drip coffee, and even teas. From the purveyor's point of view, what's exciting is that Steampunk not only allows for a seriously customized pour—”we can manipulate water temperature, agitation, time”—it also allows one barista to finesse and deliver four separate styles/cups of coffee at once. From my point of view as a consumer, it means that if I'm asking for a Guatemalan press-style cup of coffee, I'm going to get the same cup every time.
Consistency at the flick of an elegantly designed switch. “There are a lot of new products coming out all the time in the specialty coffee industry,” Crouse tells me.
“Steampunk won the Best New Product award at the 2012 SCAA expo.” The potential for sculpting and tinkering with blends and styles of flavor are endless. The completely programmable Steampunk allows for consistency and nuance. And Crouse assured me that you don't need an advanced degree in Caffeine to operate the elegant device. Training yes, a brain implant no. Verve is the West Coast rep for the gorgeous new brewing system, and once they've test-driven this new concept a bit more, the Santa Cruz-based brew bistro plans to install them in all their shops. You can see the latest invention in coffee brewing—and taste the smooth, richly rounded results (my cup of Colombian was seamless and robust) at the downtown Santa Cruz Verve, one of only six places in the country currently spearheading the Steampunk vanguard.
Manresa Kudos: Congratulations—again—to David Kinch and his wonderful Manresa. The two-star Michelin dining room has been named #6 on the Ten Best Restaurants in America list that comes out annually by a “eat-and-drink tank” of gastronauts under the rubric “Opinionated About Dining.” The list is based on opinions of a mid-sized pool of extremely devoted diners—people who regularly frequent the acknowledged restaurant avant garde. At the top is the French Laundry, and it also includes San Francisco's Saison, as well as Kinch's Los Gatos landmark.
Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh: Four weeks of summer camp at the Live Earth Farm in Watsonville can help youngsters develop a hands-on feel for planting, harvesting, preserving and cooking with some of the 50 fruits and veggies grown at the Farm. And even art-making too. “We strive to develop a compassionate community of young farmers, artists, foodies, naturalists, and environmentalists,” says Live Earth Farm Discovery Program (LEFDP) director Jessica Ridgeway. “We'll begin the summer with a week of Art on the Farm Camp June 17-21. June 24-28 we will debut Young Farmer’s Camp. We cannot wait to meet our first cohort of 3- 6 year-old campers July 8-12 for Sprouts Camp. And we will offer one more week of our tried and true Art on the Farm Camp July 15-19.” It’s a terrific way for kids to experience the unique joys of farm life, and the vitality of the earth. From farm to fork, child to community, this is a prime way to begin connections that can last a lifetime. Visit the Live Earth Farm web site for details.
