Watch out New York!

[Jenise]

No, it's not another Sandra Lee sighting. It's a coffee franchise. From the Puget Sound Business Journal, the most insipid coffee in the world is coming your way:


Monday, July 19, 2010, 11:37am PDT
First Seattle's Best Coffee franchise opens in New York City

The first Seattle’s Best Coffee franchise has opened in New York City, in the Manhattan Mall. Last year, the expansion efforts of the subsidiary of Starbucks Corp. was cranked up by Seattle coffee giant, including creating more Seattle’s Best Coffee franchises across the country.

[David M. Bueker]

Bleh!

No, it's not another Sandra Lee sighting. It's a coffee franchise. From the Puget Sound Business Journal, the most insipid coffee in the world is coming your way:

Insipidity never wants for acolytes.

[Robin Garr]

Seattle's Best Coffee

Mall coffee!!

For all its sophistication in so many ways, NYC was surprisingly slow to adopt the coffee culture, which apparently came east across the country from Seattle and got there last. It must have been hard to wean New Yorkers from that awful deli coffee in pale blue Grecian-style paper cups, where you had to learn a new language: "reglah" means "with milk" and "dark" means "just a little milk."

and "dark" means "just a little milk."

Don't you mean "daak?"

Robin said:

"reglah" means "with milk"

Reglah includes sugar also...

Seattle's Best Coffee

Mall coffee!!

For all its sophistication in so many ways, NYC was surprisingly slow to adopt the coffee culture, which apparently came east across the country from Seattle and got there last. It must have been hard to wean New Yorkers from that awful deli coffee in pale blue Grecian-style paper cups, where you had to learn a new language: "reglah" means "with milk" and "dark" means "just a little milk."

No kidding, Robin. During my years there ('83-'88) the general quality of brewed coffee was atrocious, with the milk of "regla" needed to offset the sour acidity of the underroasted robusta beans used. And that doesn't begin to describe the apotheosis of awfulness that was Chock Full O' Nuts with its chicory-infused coffee lookalike. Having come from the cradle of post WWII coffee culture -- Berkeley -- I was a fish out of water, subsisting largely on passable espresso and brewing my own coffee from purchased beans. Seattle's Best may be insipid, but it is drinkable.

Mark Lipton

[Jenise]

Seattle's Best may be insipid, but it is drinkable.

Mark Lipton

Well, by that comparison, I guess so! But the last time I was at SeaTac I got my standard cappucino from a Seattle's Best and couldn't believe it was possible to make a pulled coffee drink with so little flavor.

Didn't realize all this about NY and coffee. What language is 'regla', by the way?

[Robin Garr]

What language is 'regla', by the way?

New Yorkish!

"Regla" is "Reg-u-lah" and "Daak" is "Dark."

[Robin Garr]

Reglah includes sugar also...

That would be "sugah." And of course you're right, Jim. We were there in 1990-1994, and I quickly learned NOT to order "reglah" - I think I needed only one lesson - and quickly put the memory out of my mind.

[Jenise]

New Yorkish!

This almost makes me feel dumber than peeling my finger did.

And here when I read the title I thought you were finally going to visit.

Another mediocre coffee joint, ah well. Not like we don't have a bunch of them already. At least we also have some good places which, as others have pointed out, was not the case for a very long time.

I miss Gimbels *.





*The Manhattan Mall is on the site of the old Gimbels department store.

I miss Gimbels *.





*The Manhattan Mall is on the site of the old Gimbels department store.

I've only been to New York City a couple of times, but it just seems abundantly clear that "Manhattan" and "Mall" are two words that should never be placed anywhere near each other.

[Jenise]

And here when I read the title I thought you were finally going to visit.

Might happen. I have new local friends whose home the other nine months is Manhattan. They want us to visit!

And here when I read the title I thought you were finally going to visit.

Might happen. I have new local friends whose home the other nine months is Manhattan. They want us to visit!

They sound like sensible people. You should listen to them.

And here when I read the title I thought you were finally going to visit.

Might happen. I have new local friends whose home the other nine months is Manhattan. They want us to visit!

They sound like sensible people. You should listen to them.

Nice to hear you say that we might be sensible people. We'll be in Manhattan comes October, like most Octobers.

Might happen. I have new local friends whose home the other nine months is Manhattan. They want us to visit!

They sound like sensible people. You should listen to them.

Nice to hear you say that we might be sensible people. We'll be in Manhattan comes October, like most Octobers.

Then there are the exceptions that prove the rule. But I'm always insensibly pleased to see you when you're in town so I hope to have the opportunity.

What language is 'regla', by the way?

New Yorkish!

"Regla" is "Reg-u-lah" and "Daak" is "Dark."

Are you sure it's not Boston? I'm here now, and the accents just crack me up. There is a radio ad here for a "spar" (spa) that features a wonderful cucumbaah and paahsley facial.

[Jenise]

Carrie, I have a friend from Boston who named her daughter Lisa. I have to stifle a laugh every time Cindi mentions "Leeser".

[Robin Garr]

Are you sure it's not Boston? I'm here now, and the accents just crack me up. There is a radio ad here for a "spar" (spa) that features a wonderful cucumbaah and paahsley facial.

Boston and blue-collar New York accents both drop the ahhh from words like "cah" and "tah" and "reglah," but if you listen to them side by side they sound distinctly different.

New York's coffee culture has come a long way:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/10/dining/10coffee.html

The only difference is Boston and New York accents are the vowels. They are long in Boston, and short in NY.

The only difference is Boston and New York accents are the vowels. They are long in Boston, and short in NY.

New Yawk, New Yawk. I've lost most of my New York accent but occasionally find myself changing the A at the end of the word to an ER. Like Pizza become Pizzer...wait that just doesn't look right.

The best accent is Brooklynese, as in did you change the earl in the car.

Carrie, I have a friend from Boston who named her daughter Lisa. I have to stifle a laugh every time Cindi mentions "Leeser".

I know. Len has a sister named "Linder" but it's spelled Linda.