My Quest for the Perfect Cup of Coffee

I like coffee but not in a "I drink 20 cups a day and need the caffeine" kind of way.  On the contrary, I maybe drink two 6 oz cups of coffee a day.  I am no coffee connoisseur by any means.  I just enjoy the taste of a good cup of coffee.  I have always thought about one day opening up my own little coffee shop somewhere, but before I do, there is still a lot I need to learn.  I mainly brew my coffee using a French Press and have been for the past several years.  About a year ago I was introduced to the pour-over method after reading several articles about the growth of all these new hip coffee shops and how different brewing methods were starting to go mainstream.  The pour-over method caught my attention maybe because it seemed like the complete opposite of using a French Press - a clean, smooth cup of coffee versus a thick, gritty one.  It also seemed quite simple.

After a year of being lazy and drooling over one, Nadya finally bought me a Hario V60 ceramic drip cone for Valentine's Day (pictured below).  Isn't it pretty?  So now I am on a quest to brew my perfect cup of coffee.  Notice the use of the word my.  Everyone has their own preference and I can't promise that my perfect cup will be the same as yours.



Hario V60


I am aware that the most recent trends for brewing coffee involve weighing the amount of coffee and water instead of measuring them by volume.  However, since I am still in my early stages of my perfect cup of coffee experiment, I will just have to estimate the amount of coffee using the included Hario scoop.  I'm sure the time will eventually come when I will feel the need to purchase a scale.  (Well, I kind of want one now, but cannot justify its purchase when there are so many other things that I need.  Oh well.)  After doing some research on proper brewing techniques with a Hario V60 (there are plenty videos out there on YouTube) I have run into a few coffee/water ratios:

17 g coffee/275 g H20 (225 g - 250 g for a stronger cup)

29 g coffee/415 g H20

25 g coffee/16 fl. oz H20

2 g coffee/1 oz H20

One fluid ounce of water is approximately 1 ounce, which is approximately 28.35 grams.  So, after converting the mass of water to a volume I get:

17 g coffee/9.7 fl oz H20

29 g coffee/14.6 fl oz H20

25 g coffee/16 fl oz H20

2 g coffee/1 fl oz H20

I started with about 17 g coffee/9.7 fl oz H20 for now and will experiment from there.  The Hario scoop has markings to estimate 8, 10, and 12 grams of coffee so for now I will just estimate the amount using that.  So, my first cup was probably closer to 18 g coffee/10 fl oz H20.  After brewing my first cup of coffee I realized why all the videos I saw online recommended the use of a Buono kettle.  You can't get a precise pour with a pyrex measuring cup like you can with the Buono.  But it will do for the time being.  Another item to add to the shopping list unless I can find something similar that does the job.

My first dive into pour-over coffee resulted in one damn good tasting cup of joe!  I think I might like it better than my french press.  I will document my quest for my perfect cup of coffee as it continues.  If you have any brewing tips or useful facts to broaden my knowledge, I'd love to hear them!

Smooooooth

Another Weekend of Edible Goodness

I had another taste bud satisfying weekend with trips to two restaurants that I have not been to before: Katalina's Cafe Corner and Aloha Hawaiian BBQ & Asian Bistro.

Let's talk about Katalina's Cafe Corner first.  Katalina's is this tiny little white building situated on the corner of West Third Ave. and Pennsylvania Ave. in Victorian Village.  The building is very small and cramped and definitely does not seem like it was initially meant to be a restaurant.  There isn't much inside seating either but there are plenty seats outside for when the weather is lovely making it a great place to eat in the warmer, sunnier months.  My parents were in town for the day so why not try another new restaurant?  I remembered seeing an article about Katalina's in one of Columbus' dining magazines, Crave, and have always wanted to give it a whirl.  Nadya also recently had lunch there with a friend and both found the food to be delicious.  My parents, Nadya, and I arrived at Katalina's around 1pm on Saturday and the place was packed!  All the seats were taken inside, but luckily a group of people sitting outside under the sun got up to leave as we were making our way in.  It was a good thing it was nice and sunny out and unusually warm for mid-February.  My mom ordered the 3rd and Penn (pastrami, swiss, spicy mustard, mayo, and sauteed balsamic onions grilled on marbled rye), my dad ordered the Classic Reuben (corned beef, swiss, sauerkraut, and russian dressing grilled on marbled rye), Nadya ordered the Figs & Prosciutto (kalamata figs, prosciutto, provolone, balsamic reduction, and white truffle oil grilled on old-world loaf), and I ordered the Chimichurri Steak (roast beef, sauteed onions and mushrooms, provolone, topped with house-made chimichurri sauce on a toasted roll.  And of course we had to order the Swedish Pancake Balls filled with Nutella to share.  After waiting an excruciating 40 minutes or so we decided to make our order to-go.  The clouds rolled in and we were all starting to get cold.  We were hoping the food would have arrived sooner to warm us back up, but it didn't.  After another 10 or so minutes we received our order and headed for home as fast as we could.  We were all starving.  The food was definitely worth the wait.  It was soooo good!  All of our sandwiches were tastier than tasty and the pancake balls dissolved in our mouths.  We wanted more!  Even my mom finished her sandwich, which she rarely does.  I can't believe I haven't been to this restaurant before!  Aside from the terribly long wait, one million thumbs up for the food!  Sorry for the lack of pictures.  I'm pretty sure I will make a trip back there again and I will be sure to take some pictures then.

That same evening Nadya and I carried out some Aloha Hawaiian BBQ & Asian Bistro for dinner.  If we had not put in a 9-miler beforehand we probably wouldn't have eaten out again on the same day.  Although the 9-miler was kinda miserable (Nadya ran circles around me and then left me in the dust), I'm kinda glad we did it because we were rewarded with more tasty food.  Since we were too lazy and tired from our run, Nadya and I decided to call in a carry-out order.  Looking at the menu, the dishes were split up into Hawaiian meals and a mix of Japanese, Korean, and Chinese meals.  I'm not quite sure how authentic their "Hawaiian" menu is, but we wanted to try it anyway.  So, we ordered the Hawaiian BBQ Chicken and Beef Combo, the Chicken Katsu, and the Spam Musubi.  When we arrived to pick up our food there were no other customers there and we started to second guess our decision.  But, the place was recommended to us by my sister who, like us, has been spoiled with lots of good food.  So it can't be that bad.  The restaurant is setup like your standard order-at-the-counter Asian joint.  The place was very clean and the workers at the counter were very pleasant and nice.  Driving back home, the aroma of the food filled the car and started making us even more hungry.  Once back, we opened up our carry-out containers and BAM!  Although very simple, the food looked delicious.  The Spam Musubi consisted of a slice of Spam over rice and wrapped like sushi.  It was delicious although it could use a little less rice.  I'd say half the amount of rice would be perfect.  I think too much rice covers up the tastiness of the Spam.  For some that may be a good thing, but I LOVE Spam, so less rice for me please.  The two entrees were served over lettuce with a side of steamed rice and a side of macaroni salad.  I didn't care much for the macaroni salad, but everything else was delish!  The sauces used on both entrees were tasty, the quality of the meat was pretty darn good, and the portions were quite large for the price.  Our first experience with Aloha Hawaiian BBQ was excellent.  Our post-run hunger may have added some taste to our meal but I would like to think that it didn't.  We'll be back for sure!  Maybe I'll try the Loco Moco next time...

Spam Musubi (Mmmmm Spam...)

Hawaiian BBQ Chicken & Beef

Chicken Katsu

Another Year Under the Belt

Last weekend I spent some quality time with my family to celebrate my birthday.  Just like every other visit we ate lots of delicious food.  We like to try different Columbus restaurants every time my family comes into town and this time we decided to try G. Michael's Bistro in German Village.  I lived in German Village for a year a little bit ago but never had the chance eat at this fine restaurant.  They say they focus on local, seasonal food and I like that.  For appetizers we ordered the Shrimp and Grits, Oyster Gratin, and the Crab Cake.  Soooo good!

Shrimp and Grits

Oyster Gratin

Crab Cake

For our main entrees mom ordered the Seared Jumbo Scallops and Smoked Brisket, dad ordered the bone in rib eye special, Kris ordered the Devilled Crab Stuffed Mahi-mahi, Mike ordered the Grilled Pork Tenderloin, Nadya ordered the Almond Crusted Trout, and I ordered the walleye special.  I really enjoyed the combination of the scallops with the brisket, the medium-rare rib eye with all of its glazes and seasonings was mouth watering, the mahi-mahi with mashed potatoes and honey tabasco cream was tasty, the pork tenderloin was yummy, and the almond crusted trout with the cranberry compote and wild rice was amazing.  Everything was super delicious with the exception of my walleye special, which unfortunately was just so so.  The fish itself was really good and cooked nicely, but the ingredients just didn't go well together and didn't satisfy my taste buds.  Overall, a very delicious birthday dinner.

Bone-in Rib Eye Special

Devilled Crab Stuffed Mahi-mahi

Almond Crusted Trout

Delicious...All gone!