For example, I met my friend DJ a while back, and I had him pinned for a pompous jerk that was living on his parents money, a womanizer and a lazy yuppie. I was dead wrong! This guy has had the same girl for going on five years, is hard working and damn near one of the most down to earth people I've ever met, and I jumped to a conclusion based on a first impression and a stereotype I had run into before in this area. I guess that's why they say to never judge a book by it's cover, right?
I use this example with DJ as an interlude to my visit to my state's capital, Sacramento, California! I knew of only one good shop in city, and that was Temple Coffee! I was ultra excited to visit here because I had met the owner, Sean, at Camp Pull a Shot this past year, and just adored him to no end. Later that week he was to be the first of many to offer me a job, but above all, he was the first person in the industry to truly treat me like a professional, and I'll forever hold a special place in my heart for him and Temple because of that interaction. There is no better feeling than being treated the way he treated me, with respect, dignity, grace, friendship, professionalism and love, I felt like I was exactly where I needed to be.
Anyway, my road dog, Chris, and I rolled into Sacramento around 6pm and we high tailed it to Temple! I received a wonderful Panama on the SO, and we left, I had happened to come to town the ONE DAY OF THE YEAR that they were closing early for a company appreciation party! What luck!? But, I had heard of this place called Insight, just about a 1/2 mile away, so Chris and I threw some change in the meeter and headed down to Insight!!!
When we arrived I was overly impressed by what I saw! Being in the coffee industry, I know what to look for in a good shop, and this place had it all, up to and including an in house roaster, piston style lever espresso machine, a wonderful pour over bar and most importantly delicious freakin' coffee!!! Insight was arguably the best brewed coffee I had on the trip! Their El Salvador, Finca de Anconcagua, was well rounded, juicy bodied and simply perfect in every way. Ben was kind enough to send me away with a bag, and all of the fellow baristi I shared it with later in the trip were in agreement about just how simply wonderful that El Sal was! Immaculate, is the word that I would use to describe that coffee, or even more simply, it was divine! Thank you again Ben for my little piece of heaven found in Sac Town!
The more research I did in Sacramento, the more wonderfully delicious coffee I found! There are 4 excellent shops in the small downtown city of Sacramento! Temple (which now has 3 locations!), Insight, Chocolate Fish (which is located inside the city building next to the cafeteria) and Broadacre which apparently is in an old Temple coffee location downtown as well!!!
The Broadacre boys were super rad and were serving up the likes of Stumptown, Intelli and Verve, an impeccably clean and funky shop with an amazing array of artwork from a Long Beach artist who's name escapes me at the moment, that I hold near and dear to my heart!
Chocolate fish, these guys I can not wait to see at the western barista competition! This shop by far had the most amazing staff! Not owners, not management, the staff, the low on the pole baristas, (YES! THEM!), these guys and gals took the home the trophy for the whole trip in the category of customer service!!! AND, not just to me, every person that walked in the door was treated like a king, I am really excited for their shop to grow and for their roaster to refine his craft. The coffee was super good, but I think will a little more time and practice by next year it will be excellent!!! I know, I know, with a name like Chocolate Fish, it's a little uneasy to get coffee their for all you folk with dirty minds, but regardless, stop in and grab a cup, the experience itself is worth the detour!!!
All in all, when Chris and I had first pulled in to Sacramento, I had to admit that I had assumed that this place was going to be the low spot of the trip, but HELL NO!!!! The crew at Chocolate Fish even set us to some of the best damn sandwiches of our lives!!!!! Hit up Dad's if you're ever in Sac, the food is unbelievable and cheap!!!!
I judged Sacramento, before I had ever even visited there, a prime example of contempt prior to investigation! If it hadn't been for my baby brother getting ready to have a baby in April, I am very sure that I would have relocated to Sac Town, drowned in fantastic coffee and gained 60 pounds eating at Dad's everyday!!!
I am always the one that is talking about how I get so irritated that people judge me, my family, my friends, or every Tom, Dick and Harry by the way they look, talk, act, race, color, creed, and religious beliefs, but aren't we all subject to judging others, so we don't have to look at ourselves? How dare I judge and ENTIRE CITY!!!! Sacramento was my wild card of this entire trip.
Another lesson learned. another truth about myself brought to the surface for me to see, another city to check off the bucket list, and above all another city closer to the boarder of the state!
Although Sacramento may have been the wild card of my trip, my next stop was definitely the full house that won my heart.... Until next time Sacramento, please, from the entirety of my soul, keep making great coffee and I'll keep coming. Cheers!
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