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Coffee

Department of Coffee and Social Affairs

There’s no escaping it.  The first and most important thing that must be said about Department of Coffee and Social Affairs is that it has the best name of any espresso bar in the city. The name, rendered above the door with pitch-perfect lettering and logo, was the reason that this …

Mother’s Milk

The original two iterations of the Rocket Cup were both 3D printed in ceramic by Shapeways (the second iteration was a mild adjustment to the first, based on feedback from Shapeways). As far as I know, Shapeways contracted out its ceramic 3D printing to Figulo, a small company in Boston. Because …

Coffee Lounge

Although I spend most of my work days in the centre of London, I certainly don’t live anywhere near there. I live well out in the southeast of the city, close to one of the main rail arteries. Out here the lands are wild and uncharted, at least by the …

The Attendant

Let’s just get the obvious pun out of the way immediately: Looking for great espresso in the heart of London?  Urine for a treat! Ahhh, that’s a load off my mind.  I’ve been carrying that around in my head for weeks. I can safely say that no tour of London’s …

Taylor Street Baristas, Monument

The trains heading downtown from my home station come in two flavours. While they all eventually find their way to London Bridge, at that point they diverge. Some immediately cross the Thames and terminate at London Cannon Street in the financial district; the rest stop briefly at Waterloo East before …

Monmouth, Covent Garden

With my submission to Bridges 2014 in the can, I have some time to proceed with the next stop in the Rocket Cup World Tour (of London). As I’ve spent more time commuting in London, I’ve gradually decreased my reliance on the Tube. I used to ride the Southeastern train …

Dunne Frankowski at Sharps

As it turns out, this is an auspicious time to begin the Rocket Cup’s tour of London. Just a couple of days ago I received a quarterly sales report from the company that manufactures the cup (the parent company of Fred and Friends). I’m pleased to say that I’ve earned …

The London Espresso Scene

In the past few years I’ve become a regular drinker of espresso. For most of my twenties and thirties I eschewed all coffee drinks, believing that they upset my stomach too much to be worth the effort. It look a long time to realize that the problem had more to …