Lavazza and Illy and the pods
A reader was wondering about espresso service in restaurants.
What's with the pods?
He's noticed more Lavazza and more Illy in higher-end restaurants. The pods are clearly part of a coffee program that the restaurant has subscribed to -- espresso is served in cups with the Illy (or Lavazza logo).
(Restaurants owners -- shed some light if you can. Do these programs work -- seems like they'd keep waste to a minimum?)
Diners, are you down with the pods, or do you expect your espresso to be hand-crafted? What are you drinking these days after your meal?
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Comments
A few months ago, friends offered me an espresso made with a Nespresso CitiZ machine at home. I was so impressed with the higher-than-expected quality of Nespresso, that I bought my father a CitiZ for home and switched our machinery over to their commercial system a few months ago.
While nothing can match a proper, hand-made espresso, the pods are consistent and produce an espresso with a rich crema and very good aroma and flavor.
We had a fully automated La Cimballi machine before the Nespresso, which ground whole beans for each, individual cup; and even with fresh beans, etc, the Nespresso espresso is far superior.
Besides the consistency, the sealed, air-tight pods keep the coffee fresh (IMO) and also help us track inventory more easily.
Lavazza SuperCrema is a great espresso, but I find Illy espresso--while elegant--a little over-roasted for my taste; it's very bold and extracted (name-drop alert: Riccardo Illy recently dined with us. That was the only evening I can remember, out of respect for Mr. Illy, that we've ever served Illy coffee. He also owns Mastrojanni winery, which produces fantastic Italian wines).
Posted by: Sergio Vitale / Aldo's | March 1, 2011 12:58 PM
Pods are also great for home use. I bought one as a gift for my cousin locally from DiPasquale's Espresso Company.
The website with all the info is:
http://dipasqualesespresso.com/
And i strongly agree with Serg, illy is not my cup of tea...lavazza and miscela d'oro is the way to go! (sorry local roasters)
Posted by: Lou Catelli | March 1, 2011 3:06 PM
RUN RUN RUN ... Sergio is a pod person!!!
Posted by: Owl Meat GetOutOfTown | March 1, 2011 4:04 PM
Of course Sergio is a pod person. That's one of the reasons we love him. GO GO GO SERGIO!
Posted by: clancy dagger | March 1, 2011 8:26 PM
hahaha. They're just pods, not Soylent Green! LOL
Posted by: Sergio | March 1, 2011 8:39 PM
Pods are weak. One step forward in convenience, two steps backwards in quality.
Idiot proof means it can be made by idiots... which is never a sign of quality.
And why pay restaurant prices for something that can practically come out of the tap at home? That's hardly the special service we expect from our restaurants. That's just lazy.
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I happen to know that he has no plans currently to relocate - just doing a bit of freelance stuff right now and has an IXIA cookbook signing coming up mid November.
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