A GOOD CUP OF JOE

Saturday, February 03, 2007

Consumer Reports’ picked McDonald’s as the place to get a great tasting cup of coffee. You couldn’t prove it by me. I have had only a few—very few, cups of coffee from McDonalds, just one from Starbucks, and none from Dunkin’ Donuts. I drink my coffee at home—two cups in the morning, two at night. Needless to say, I’m no java junkie!

But oh, the smell of coffee! I’m hooked on the smell! I love the smell when a fresh can of coffee is opened, when a fresh batch of beans are ground—but I especially love the smell of coffee brewing in the pot. Wow!

The best cup of coffee I ever had? It was years ago on the Monterey Peninsula. It was a cool morning. A light fog was rolling in off the ocean. A few hardy souls were walking on the beach. Sea gulls soared around and around at the waters edge. Charlotte and I sat inside a restaurant that was quiet at mid-morning. There was nobody at the tables—nobody at the bar. The entire side of the restaurant was enclosed in glass. I just sat there looking at her, looking at the ocean and drinking that great cup of Joe. It was the best I ever had.