Chopbiscuit at home coffee review - Counter Culture Coffee {Apollo Espresso}

Every morning when I'm not on the road, prior to performing 100 one-handed push ups (Jack Palance) style, and flying head scissor moves on my neighbor, I make my cup of morning Joe. Generally, I have a new blend from one of the many favorite joints and roasters I've seen throughout my years on the road. Lately, I've been ordering most of my coffee (mail order) from Counter Culture. For me, it doesn't get any better than this. These guys and gals eat, sleep and breathe coffee and all the nuances around it.


This month's shipment featured a seasonal selection, Apollo.

Good. Good. Good.

 Two words. Per-fection. Well, maybe that's one word. Anyhoot, I was given a bag of Apollo from the fine folks at The Cupcake lab to sample, so I was gladly to oblige. This is the new standard for clean espresso. The blend is 100% Organic Shilicho, Sidama and Ethiopia. It's the perfect body for a nice clean shot with a rich, nutty flavor. The great thing for you local folks is that this blend is available at the Cupcake lab here in Saratoga Springs. So, I would recommend that you make a little stroll over there and try Apollo.

You can see Coffee Review's {review} of Apollo here. If you've never read any coffee reviews from professionals, they are often pretty hilarious - similiar to some of the hoity-toity verbiage that comes from the wine world.

One of my favorites from a guy named Andy is,

Andy described it in multiple ways, from "citrus jelly" to "chiffony and meringuey" in the small cup to "lemon curd" in four parts milk.

As a coffee lover I appreciate the experts and their ability to taste important flavors, but c'mon Andy - "chiffony and meringuey"? You need to go drink a Miller lite at your local dive bar soon.

Chopbiscuit {at home} dining review: The Cupcake Lab - Saratoga Springs, NY

Welcome (again) to another delightful ad hoc Chopbiscuit inspection of some of the USA's most frequented saloons, dining halls, dive bars, food trucks, in-room dining and high end bistro's. At least one of your humble contributors is on the road virtually every week and luckily have the opportunity to dine at some of the finest institutions and loathsome watering holes known to man. Now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, some deity would permit us to be pirates and savage our nutriment.

We like eating. It fascinates us. We sit and look at the food for hours. We often eat while laying down in my hotel room with a bib in my lap and my outlook calendar open. Eating is our tweeting, except it's much cooler. Food is often made into the celebrity of carnage, which makes us appear to be pompous and scarce in regards to the act of eating itself. You eat because you fuel. We eat because we're hungry. We eat because it's our job. We go out to these establishments to consume their lineups with arrogance.

I then judge it. (Mark Mcdonough style)

Great BLT from The Cupcake Lab

The Cup Cake Lab in Saratoga Springs, NY is one of the hidden jewels that you hope you find no matter what city you happen to travel to, or in my case,  live near. Over the last few months I have gotten to know Mike and Liz and I can tell you that out of all the cities and restaurants I visit - this dynamic duo get it!

They understand the connection that they have to the community as well as the connection to the food that is produced around them. Not all of the ingredients they serve fall into the 100 mile locale mantra,  but instead they put quality above all else and in some cases it just so happens that some pretty great food is produced in the counties surrounding our little nook here in Saratoga Springs. Such is the case with my lunch yesterday.

What I ingested:

I met up with my blogging partner Poncho to catch up on some work and see our friends at The Lab. As always, the specials of the day were nothing short of amazing.  Spicy Andouille Potato Soup, Smoked Salmon BLT with Locust Grove black pepper bacon (pictured above), tomato mozzarella and arugula on homemade freshly baked ciabatta.  And, what can you say about the cookies.  Liz had baked some great cookies as she does everyday, but yesterday on the special board was Oatmeal Butterscotch & coconut. Slap me and call me Sally. (Sorry, I'm a country guy from Memphis) The options threw me into an hunger fit,  but I narrowed it down to the miso soup and the BLT.

All I can say is that I think Poncho was "talking shop",  but all I could do was nod and smile between thoughts of how incredible my soup and sandwich was. So, the next time you find yourself hungry in Saratoga Springs get your butt over here and enjoy some great food & beverages in an inviting and warm space.

*Also, don't forget about the coffee. Poncho knows coffee and he'll tell you it's the best coffee from here to NYC.