Recently, my husband surprised me with a wonderfully romantic night out to dinner and a live show. I have been asking him to go to the theatre for some time and he found a comedy show (Defending the Caveman) that we both really enjoyed.
Dinner was at a French restaurant that came highly recommended by his coworkers. The food was very yummy and dessert looked especially promising. I figured at a restaurant like this, they were bound to serve a good coffee with dessert. I was impressed when I ordered the coffee and it was brought out steaming in a little single-serving sized French press! (Anyone who knows me knows this is my favorite way of enjoying coffee)
I thought it might be fun to try and put my coffee knowledge to use and guess what type of coffee they brewed. The smell was not as full as I expected and when I tasted it, it had a lot of flavor but little body and more acidity than I cared for. After a few guesses, I decided I would solve the mystery coffee by asking our waitress what they brewed. She was a nice young lady with a thick accent and she was very confused when I asked her- I guess she isn't asked that question too often. She politely said she didn't know but she would go and find out for us. She was gone quite a while and when she returned she explained, "I asked another waitress and she didn't know so I went to the boxes in the back to check the label. It read something like (mind this was in her thick accent) 'Folgzerz.'
I thought about it for just a second and raised an eyebrow... "You mean Folgers?" "Yes, I believe so... I do not know where it is from." Then she handed me the phone number she found on the box and said I could call to find out where the coffee is grown. Still a little shocked and unsure if she meant Folgers (after all, she did mispronounce it horribly), I thought it couldn't hurt to give the number a call and settle this once and for all. My husband is so wonderful; he just sat patiently and waited for me to figure this out. Sure enough, I was listening to a recording for Folgers ordering office.
Let me say, I wasn't angry or really upset. The coffee didn't taste horrible- serving it in the press allowed much of the coffees flavor and oils to come through as opposed to brewing through a filter. However, I was a bit surprised. Here we were at an acclaimed French restaurant with great food and to compliment their tasty desserts they serve Folgers coffee? Not what I would have guessed. If they had picked something like a dark French or Italian roast coffee, it would pair so well with the rich chocolate cake, or maybe a Mocha-Yemen with a creamy dessert.
I feel like the attributes and characteristics of coffee are so often overlooked as a trivial thing- and to some people, it is trivial, but why go to the effort to make the most of a main course with a fantastic wine pairing and then get lazy with dessert. I say, go all the way and make the entire meal exceptional from start to finish. Coffee can make the difference between chocolate cake and a rich delectable dessert to savor and enjoy!
