As another in the series of “Burque Baristas“, I need to draw attention to one particular favorite, a spot that has pulled a decent shot of espresso for me, even throwing one out when it was not exactly to spec:

Ecco Espresso and Gelato

Now, I’m not saying that I’ve found the holy grail of espresso here in town, or that there even is one.  I give you as example that our bar of expectation is not yet high enough, a photo of a working “joe” having his morning beverage with rounded fingers barely able to grip the tiny cup and a portly wallet ready to throw a fiver on the counter:

…and then, let’s zoom out to take in the whole scene so that you can feel the seriousness that is espresso at 7:50am on a weekday in Manhattan:

Now, this is a place where it is all about the delivery of a premium product with lightning-fast service, perfection of skills, and style to boot.

Each and every one of the employees looked like they had been doing this for years, each wore a button down light blue shirt with a tie tucked in halfway so as to convey both formality and function as they darted up and down the 40′ space delivering hot brown beverages to customers who sipped and gulped them down standing up before heading to their train.

No to-go orders here, no chairs, no wifi, no music.  Just pure efficiency and a rigorous adherance to what they know to be holy and good:  ground fermented roasted berries assaulted with pressurized steam served in heated porcelain cups.

Capisce?

So I suppose I need to experience more Tom Collins in my life.

I am a huge fan of gin, mellow, strong, pungent, aromatic, everything.  But when I have a drink called simply, “The Collins” (at Nob Hill Bar & Grill), I hope to have some nice junipery flavor and a good kick from the alcohol.  Unfortunately, I got neither. 

Perhaps I’ll stick with a straight gin martini or just go for a more over-the-top drink like the the Ginger Refresher, with 3 kinds of ginger and bourbon.  Mmmm, ginger.

A flower for my mom’s birthday, crafted with precision out of hot dairy foam by the excellent barista at Ecco Espresso & Gelato in lovely Nob Hill neighborhood in Albuquerque.

I could just have a flower, enjoy it, sip it and be done, of course, though the macchiatto was delicious.  I had to follow it up (short shelf life, ya know…) with some quickly softening and strong like it should be rum raisin gelato.  Sampling about 5 flavors like zabaglione, plum sake, ginger lime from the awesome list of choices, I finally decided on one of my old favorites, though Haagen Dazs does do a really fabulous and strong example of it.  Gelato is just much cleaner in flavor, not heavy or tongue-coating like the cream in ice cream.  I wonder if there’s a rum raisin “light” in the HD line… hmm.

Anyway, I definitely had to drink the espresso first.  Because I have my priorities, of course.  Coffee over gelato?  Actually, yes.  When its done really well, it can blow your mind.  And even if its just good, it is still comforting in a way that cold sweet things just can’t be.

Apparently everyone is GETTING community, too – Jennifer James 101 is selling out their Community Table dinners (every Tuesday and Wednesday night) even before they announce the menu.

Trust in your chef is a grand thing – just know that whatever Jennifer and Nellie are going to cook, it will be awesome, no matter what it is.  I love that.

Here’s the email I received this week from them:

Bacon, meet Donut. Maple, meet Bacon. Now, you kids don’t get into too much trouble, you hear? Hey, hey, keep your crispy fried crust away from cold homemade ice cream! It might drip as it melts, leaving wisps of steam to escape into the fragrant air all around the plate.

Uh-oh. Looks like Deb the amazing pastry chef has orchestrated a most unholy melange of a dessert, called the Maple Bacon Donut, hopefully a permanent resident at Nob Hill Bar & Grill. To add compliment to curiosity it goes for the phenomenal bargain of five bucks. Doesn’t a molten crapola cake at some Italian chain restaurant go for the same price? I rest my case.