Roasters

Two hot retailing trends are converging in New Orleans during the month of March. Pop Up stores are temporary shops that come and go. Third Wave coffee is a mantra in the gourmet  coffee community. Third Wave represents the search for the perfect cup and often manifests in hand crafted  cups and shots from beans that have been sourced and roasted with this quest in mind.

The Times-Picayune reports that the Orleans Coffee Exchange will be setting up a pop-up coffee bar in Stein’s Market and Deli every Thursday and Friday morning during the month of March.

(Coffee Exchange co-owner Tom) Oliver will serve single-origin coffees and espressos, answer questions about the coffee trade in New Orleans and preach the gospel of “third wave coffee.”

Orleans Coffee Exchange provides beans for many of the city’s most interesting coffee shops. Here’s a chance to learn a little more about what goes into your favorite cappucino.

Has anyone tried River Road Coffee, out of Baton Rouge? I’m curious. I just came across their website. They sell bagged beans and represent themselves as a specialty roaster of the highest standards. To me, though, their presentation doesn’t say “passionate roaster*” but it does say “sales and marketing team looking for a niche.” Maybe I’m wrong. Being slick isn’t a crime.

You can get the coffee at groceries in the Baton Rouge area. Albertson’s, Wal-Mart, and others. Does it have a roast date? Are they aiming at CC’s? Starbucks? Stumptown?

Comments and opinions welcome.

*Try Me Mills’ website seems more like roasters first, marketers second.

Just a note:

The Best of New Orleans blog post Breakfast on Banks mentions that the new Huevos Coffee & Breakfast cafe in mid-city serves coffee from local roaster Try Me Mills.

Oh. . . They say the food is really good, too.

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Originally uploaded by Billy Bob Flickr

The little PJ’s coffee shop on the Tulane University campus has won a few awards from the American Institute of Architects.

This nifty glass and steel, 900 square-foot building was retrofitted into the breezeway of Percival Hall. It is visible from Freret street as you drive through campus.

The coffee shop “transforms a heavy, oppressive void into a meaningful social space” and “the light materials make an elegant contrast to the imposing structure of the existing building.”(Times-Picayune)

PJs coffee shops are a New Orleans based, Starbucks-like, franchise chain. There are locations all around the South. PJs roasts their own beans and their cafes can be a pleasant place to catch your breath. Most have wi-fi. (see location listing).

The espresso comes out of super-autos that are usually staffed by cheerful button-pushers. The shops are ubiquitous and, if you are a visitor to the city, you will probably see a PJs before you see any other coffee place (except maybe SBUX).