I rather like it.

I’ll start by repeating the particular comment that bothered him from my original post.

Now, I’m not enough of a coffee snob to really appreciate the clover. In fact, I wonder how many people in Pittsburgh really are. The Clover really carried 21st Street Coffee into too much coffee snobbery for me. The moved themselves right out of my market.

Luke took that comment the wrong way. In particular, the use of “snob” really didn’t sit well with him. I can understand that—I think “snobbery” runs against everything he and Alexis aim for over at 21st Street Coffee. If I understand their vision, it is for approachable coffee. Not everyone is a coffee expert, but many people would like to better appreciate great coffee. Over at 21st Street Coffee, they are doing just that, and doing it for quite a large number of people these days.

What follows is a re-statement of my response from the comments. The basic idea is that “snob” is a loaded word, and that “connoisseur,” might be a more accurate (and less offensive) term to use.

Hey Luke! Great to see that you found my new blog–I’m just sorry that you had to find it through something about 21st Street Coffee that you took negatively. I unnecessarily dragged you guys into this whole conversation for the sake of an example.

I guess I use the word snob a little more loosely than you do. I often don’t mean it to be taken negatively at all. I’m the first to admit that I’m a bread snob, a beer snob, and even a chef’s knife snob. I use it to mean that I have an intimate knowledge of each of those things–enough that I can tell good from bad and even know what makes for good and what makes for bad. Maybe A less loaded term would probably be “connoisseur,” but it doesn’t quite have the flare I was looking for.

connoisseur:
“1: Expert. Especially one who understands the details, technique, or principles of an art and is competent to act as a critical judge. 2: One who enjoys with discrimination and appreciation of subtleties. A connoisseur of fine wines”

If I rephrase my snob comment with “cleaner” language…

“Now, I’m not enough of a coffee [connoisseur] to really appreciate the Clover. In fact, I wonder how many people in Pittsburgh really are. The Clover really carried 21st Street Coffee [too far beyond my level of expertise]. They moved themselves right out of my market.”

I certainly meant that to be as much a comment about myself as a comment about you guys. 21st Street Coffee is a great place for an artfully crafted cup of coffee. I started off using it as a place to grab a cup of good coffee and maybe a little conversation on my way to work. Perhaps the appearance of the clover really drove home the point that mine probably wasn’t the best use of 21st Street Coffee.

The fact that you guys have long lines waiting for a drink from the Clover is great. I’m thrilled for you. If there’s a place capable of helping a non-connoisseur better enjoy a coffee that reaches beyond their typical quality horizon, it’s 21st Street. I would stand by my claim that most coffee drinkers would have trouble differentiating between great coffee and exceptional coffee (i.e., be capable of really appreciating the Clover for all it’s capable of).

For the record, I no longer work in the Strip District. The fact that I haven’t been in to 21st Street Coffee for such a long time has more to do with that than anything else. I will always think it’s a worthwhile place to stop for a special treat.

Hopefully that clears things up. I certainly didn’t want to drag anyone’s name through the mud or rub anyone the wrong way.

Now. Go visit 21st Street Coffee. Experience the place, and decide for yourself whether they succeed in making you feel comfortable while trying to help you better appreciate the finer points of a cup of great coffee. I suspect you will—you just probably won’t be stopping in every day. Think of it is a special occassion destination.

It contained the following note:

NOTE: As always, our coffees are french pressed. However, we are now using a  pourover system in the afternoon during the “down” time, not only to minimize waste (as we only let our pressed coffee sit in the airpot no more than 45 minutes, and our afternoons have been quite slow), but to also minimize wait time as individual presses take a little over 4 minutes (prep+brew time). We use a swiss gold filter for our pourover rather than paper, so we’re able to retain much of the oil and fats from the coffee (where most aromatics are found) and each cup is individually brewed in about 1 minute to 1 1/2 minute. If you prefer french press, please let us know and we’ll GLADLY press your coffee but please allow atleast 4 minutes.

Not all bad. I should also take a step back and say, they have a blog; they send out freakin’ menu update email messages. They’re doing something to try and promote themselves. Maybe the biggest problem I ran into is that I wasn’t ready to really experience it. I wasn’t really exposed to their various attempts to get my attention and tell their story before I showed up. That seems to be what they managed to do for Corey, and made a very favorable impression on him.

Not a coffee snob? This whole set of emotions made me think about my own experience with 21st Street Coffee. I started out loving the place. I went in every morning and ordered my small drip coffee–paying a few cents extra for the coffee of the day. I liked the fact that it rotated: I got variety and didn’t have to spend much time making a decision: each day had only one rotating coffee. It was good, and both Luke and Alexis had fun personalities that made me feel welcome. They really brightened my morning. Then came the Clover. I realize that it made better coffee, and it let them brew up a single cup of coffee at a time. I could pick any coffee I want and have them brew it for me right there. It was more expensive, so they got more profit from it (a good thing). I also lost the “coffee of the day.” Now, I’m not enough of a coffee snob to really appreciate the clover. In fact, I wonder how many people in Pittsburgh really are. The Clover really carried 21st Street Coffee into too much coffee snobbery for me. The moved themselves right out of my market.

I guess I reacted. Maybe my 21st Street experience gave me a bad taste for too much coffee snobbery for me to really appreciate it. Maybe I felt the same thing coming from Voluto–without the benefit of getting to know the owners and really wanting to be a good customer for them.

Photo Credit: Voluto Coffee

Voluto Coffee
5467 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
412-661-3000

The restaurants and shops on Penn Ave had a bit of an event on Friday night, and some friends invited me to head out with them to try Voluto Coffee. One of my friends (Corey) had been following Voluto’s blog since before they even opened, and had been interested in giving them a try. Corey tried some of their french press coffee, which was good. I ordered some basic drip coffee: also good. I can’t say I’m able to say more than “good,” and I can’t help but wonder why they didn’t try harder to make me appreciate it a little bit more.

Who is the target audience? Voluto mimics the quiet coffee shop situation offered up by 61C (though I don’t know about their Wi-Fi situation). They mimics the quality coffee offered up by 21st Street and Aldo. They have the live music offered up by…well, Starbucks. So what is it that is going to drive their business? Who are they targeting? Are they looking for the coffee enthusiasts willing to pay top dollar for a premium roast? Are they looking for the busy student who is looking for a quite place to write a paper? Are they looking for people who want a venue for Brad Yoder? Then what?

Good coffee without noteworthy service. I had a single cup of coffee, and I don’t feel well positioned to comment on it’s quality. That  having been said, I think coffee quality is at most half as significant as the atmosphere. In my mind, the defining quality that drives people to any of the other coffee shops I’ve mentioned so far is the atmosphere. I go to 21st Street for technical coffee insights from Luke and Alexis. I go to 61c for laid back barista’s and a distraction-free place to read with hassle-free Wi-Fi. Voluto may have something go for them, but what are they aiming to present?

All that having been said, I’d like to go their again and give them another shot. I want local places like Voluto to succeed, and I am especially fond of coffee shops. Who knows: maybe I just went at a bad time or caught them on an odd night. I certainly hope a return visit proves that to be the case.