Incognito Week of 12-7

Hello Friends,

After purchasing my first Christmas tree in three years on Friday, I was left in an unusually merry mood. My wife has accused me of being somewhat of a humbug, as in bah, humbug. This whole setting up the tree and building a fire had me contemplating of the things I enjoy about the season. A tradition in my family was making hot drinks and reading Christmas stories together and this got me thinking about a new drink to present to my kitchen window friends.

For the last few weeks I have been offering a french press coffee from Ethiopia that has that beautiful acidity that borders on crisp. To me this is an apple acidity that very much could mimic a nice apple cider. So the new drink is a french press that contains Ethiopia Yirgacheffe with mulling spices and sliced orange. This is poured into a cup and then a shot of espresso is pulled on top. Then some sweetened cream and a little cinnamon to top it all off. I am calling it Punch. A lovely twist on a holiday favorite, incognito style. Come on by and get yourself some cheer.

Barista Special

Punch – $2.50

Schedule

Monday – CLOSED

Wednesday – 7:45 – 8:45

Friday – 7:45 – 8:45

Cheers,

Scott

Incognito Week of 11-23

Hello Friends,

The fall weather has made me thirst for some nice black tea. I think it has something to do with my childhood days. We always had tea in our cupboard, and on cold days my Mom would allow us to pick any of the 20 different teas we had on hand. As I got older my flavor choices grew darker and darker until I finally ended up with Irish and English breakfast tea, which now looking back, led me into the world of coffee.

So over the weekend, I have visited an old Barista Special friend, The Peacemaker. For those of you new to the list, or people that did not get to try The Peacemaker, I will give you a quick description. I make a simple syrup out of a smoky Orange Pekoe tea that is then combined with some half and half. This is steamed and then combined with a citrusy shot of espresso. Then to top the whole thing off, a spiced orange whipped cream is added. It is very refreshing and comforting, all at the same time. I will be serving this drink tomorrow, until I run out of ingredients.

So here are the goods:

Barista Special – The Peacemaker – $2.50

Schedule

Monday – 7:35 – 8:45

Wednesday – CLOSED

Friday – CLOSED

Happy Thanksgiving to you all.

Cheers,

Scott

Incognito Week of 11-9

Hello Friends,

Today I am thinking about the start of the Barista Championship season. Tons of baristas are starting work on signature drinks that they will use to wow judges around the world. This year I will be attempting to help a friend put together a drink as he goes to competition. You may be called upon to be guinea pigs, and I hope some of you will answer the call. It absolutely boggles my mind how many flavors are out there.

This week I will be continuing the Maple Cinnamon drink and serving Ecco Caffe’s Cachoiera. I will be closed on Monday, but on Wednesday and Friday I will also be serving up a french press selection from Kenya. It has some beautiful purple fruit notes highlighted by plum and blackberry. As it cools, it imparts a tartness that reminds me of a grape sweet tart candy. Very unique stuff. Looking forward to seeing all of you.

Barista Specials

Maple Cinnamon Capp – $2.50 Latte $3.00

Chai Tea Latte – $2.50

Kenya French Press – $1.50

Schedule

Monday – CLOSED

Wednesday – 7:45 – 8:45

Friday – 7:45 – 8:45

Cheers,

Scott

Incognito Week of 10-26

Hello Friends,

I apologize for the late post this week. I had a chance to catch the U2 show down in LA on Sunday and then have had a whirlwind couple of days since. While I was down in LA I also visited my usual hot spots and picked up some things for you all to enjoy at Incognito. On Friday I will be serving the latest incarnation of Intelligentsia’s Black Cat espresso. It is a little brighter than in the past, but still finishes smooth with some caramel notes. I also picked up some Chai Tea from La Mill in LA. Come on by and sample some treats from LA.

Barista Specials

Chai Tea Latte – $2.50

Maple Cinnamon Cappuccino – $2.50

Schedule

Monday – CLOSED

Wednesday – CLOSED

Friday – 7:45 – 8:45

Cheers,

Scott

Incognito Week of 10-19

Hello Friends,

I will only be open tomorrow this week due to some travel that I have to do. I will be serving Ecco Caffe’s Organic Espresso. It has a really lovely lime acidity that opens up the palate to enjoy the Tuscan chocolate finish. I will continue to serve the Maple Cinnamon Cappuccino also. The weather is getting colder, and coffee just seems to taste even better as the mercury drops. Come by and enjoy some chatter and bean.

Barista Special

Maple Cinnamon Cappuccino – $2.50

Schedule

Monday – 7:45 – 8:45

Wednesday – CLOSED

Friday – CLOSED

Cheers,

Scott

Incognito Week of 6-16

Hello Friends,

Summer here we are. I will be serving the Raspberry Macchiato again this week. I will be using Ecco Reserve for the espresso this week. I will also be offering the Guatamala Cup Of Excellence 2008 #2 winner in an individual french press on Wednesday. This coffee has a real tangy note to it. It actually reminds me a little of Sour Patch Kids candy. Be sure to check it out if you are a coffee explorer.

I have an announcement to make as well. My lovely wife is planning to start baking treats for the Incognito summer mornings. She is still deciding exactly what it will be, but it will have lemon and blueberries in it to go with the raspberry macchiato. She will be making her premier on Wednesday morning. Hooray!

Here is my schedule:

Barista Special

Raspberry Macchiato – $2.00

Individual French Press – Wednesday ONLY Guatamala  2008 Cup of Excellence #2 winner – $2.00

Schedule

Monday – 7:45 – 8:45

Wednesday – 7:45 – 8:45

Friday – 7:45 – 8:45

Congratulations graduates! I am very proud of you. You will be missed at the kitchen window.  🙂

Cheers,

Scott

Incognito Poster

I just wanted to share a piece of art with you. If I was an Italian named Lorenzo in the 1940’s and wanted to commission a poster for Incognito, this is what I would want it to look like. Shoot, if I was me now, this is what I would want it to look like. I just confused myself. Anyway, this is awesome, I love it! Thanks Barry.

The first two weeks

This little experiment has been far more fun than I ever thought it would be. It is amazing how much joy I get out of serving coffee to friends and enjoying conversation before starting the work day. Thank you to all of you who have come by and shared part of your story with me.

I have a few things in the works that I will let you in on…

1. I am working on a mocha that will be unlike any mocha you have ever experienced. I am currently tasting different chocolates to try and find the one that will pair best with the espresso that I am using. (tough job ;-)) I will make it the barista special as soon as I get the perfect mix.

2. After spring break I will be switching to an experimental espresso to share with you. It is very fruity and is going to make some incredible cappuccino and latte drinks. It will also be a crazy experience for you select few who drink straight espresso.

That is it for now, be sure to check out the pics that Darren took of opening day on my Flickr page.

Cheers…