21 Best Cups of Coffee in America

As for polling, that ends up being a popularity contest.

I don't entirely disagree, Nimbus, but I do believe a poll in this forum is a little more interesting, if not scientifically rigorous, than a popularity poll in print media or television, in that the audience here is largely limited to "foodies," and it's a bit more difficult for a company to stuff the ballot box by getting a large number of friends and customers to vote.

I forgot that I had promised to put up a just-for-fun coffee shop poll. I'll try to do that in a new thread today.

Robin,

I TOTALLY agree with you. Foodies know much much more about food, and quality, and other nuances than the general public. So polls here should be a bit more valid. I was mostly just dissing the WLKY poll (in that polls are just mostly popularity contests - but really, unless you do side by side then isn't it???). We got third (out of 10+, but the poll had little to do with quality). I don't know. My brewery in Tucson started winning "best of Tucson" every year, but was it becaue we had great beer (we did), or because we had all of the best bands there and a great atmosphere (also yes).

One nice thing I've found here in Louisville (I'm a relative newcomer at 7 years in town) is that the new coffeeshops ALL seem to be run by great people and we all support each other. I mean, I met Christopher and Sandra (Jackson's Organics) in Chicago by chance while we were all doing some super-cool espresso training course at Intelligentsia coffee. They hadn't opened yet, We hadn't opened yet. Matthew at DCE has been nothing but awesome and friendly (we actually met through a mutual friend who plays in the orchestra), the guys at Sunergos have been both helpful and supportive when I bug them with a tough question, etc, etc...It reminds me a lot of the microbrew culture in the west. We're all looking to raise the bar in coffee.

And yeah, I've run out of odd products (coffee cup sleeves, industrial size coffee filters, etc) and gone to my friends (my "competitors") and they've hooked me up. That's what it is all about. Buy local!!!

cheers!!!

I'm almost feeling the need to defend my win in the WLKY Poll category. So what if it is a popularity contest? How do you think vendors get popular? By providing a great product that people will buy, at a fair price and giving great service. That's always my goal.

[Robin Garr]

I'm almost feeling the need to defend my win in the WLKY Poll category. So what if it is a popularity contest? How do you think vendors get popular? By providing a great product that people will buy, at a fair price and giving great service. That's always my goal.

Leah, I think the point here - and I know you don't do this - is that a lot of companies "stuff" those general media polls by getting all their friends and family to enter, so it becomes a numbers game rather than an accurate sampling of community opinion. I doubt anybody did this in the wedding cake category but you can bet it happens with pizza, burgers and probably coffee.