IL CAFFE(ine)

I thought it might good to talk about coffee on my return post from my brief absence. Why? Because when a beautiful little girl like this enters your life:


you may find that coffee takes on additional importance. ( She's pretty damn cute, right?)

I'm very particular in my coffee habits to a point. I like it strong and rich. I only brew espresso at home. I buy fine ground coffee in vacuum sealed bricks, and brew it on the stove top in a Bialetii moka pot.

There are two ways to go about this. First there's the Affordable Wardrobe way:When we first got poor enough for me to really pay attention to prices, I tried like hell to shave every penny I could from the grocery bill. My coffee was one of the last things to suffer the cut. Thankfully, I discovered Cafe El Aguila. It's rich and creamy, very strong. I like it with some sugar and a healthy bit of milk in the morning. At a mere $1.59 per 250 gram brick, it's the best deal going. The company is based in Miami, and apparently it's popular with Cuban ex-pats. Last I checked, they know a thing or two about real coffee.

Then there's the uncompromising Italian way:

Caffe Danesi is my favorite. Intensely flavored, but with a mellower, more delicate texture. It's extremely hard to find. Some of the Italian cafes around town serve, but my local Italian grocer is the only place I know to buy it. (I know what you're thinking: "why don't you look online for it?" Because the internet takes all of the thrill out of the discovery of things, that's why.) Today I bought a brick as a celebration for myself of my baby girl's birth. At $6.49 per 250 gram brick it's a bit more dear than El Aguila, but when you consider the fact that some people spend that much (and more) a day on the burnt swill that Starbuck's calls coffee, it's still pretty cheap.

And the way the house smells when this stuff is brewing...incomparable!

Throw away your drip pots and percolators, toughen up, and drink real coffee.

More menswear related drivel coming soon.