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Colombia is a huge producer of coffee.  Are there as many coffee shops as one would see here in "The States"?  Do they sell espresso, cappucino, latte's, and fancy coffee that we drink here?  Bogota has a Climate that is cool like Seattle.  Do all the hep cats and kittens congregate for conversation in these kind of places?

... in response to coffee shops, posted by Colonialjd on Dec 6, 2001

belive or not the better coffees of colombia are exported , however they still have good coffee in colombia, you have to look around a little try different places. yes they have cappuccino,lattes,espresso,etc. every mall has one or two or three coffee shops. theres one i frequent in cali at the uni-centro mall called CAFE CAFE, you cant miss it.

... in response to coffee shops, posted by Colonialjd on Dec 6, 2001

The only good cup of coffee I ever had in Colombia was last year when I took my own french roast down with me.
For a country that produces coffee they don't seem sophisticated about roasting it.It was all folgers or worse to me.Also when you go out to breakfast you are lucky to get one cup of coffee.Keeping you cup full service I never found.Service in general is pretty poor in most restaurants.The upscale ones are a little better.Colombians don't tend to tip,so the waiters are laid back about service.There is no little light bulb that goes off that say,"hey,if I give good service,I might get a tip."
When I came back to the US after my second trip I stopped along the turnpike in Florida and found a Starbucks.It was the first good coffee I had had in 3 weeks and I had stayed in several 5 star hotels.Then I went and had dinner at Chili's.These college kid type waiters were all over me asking if I needed anything else.They no where the money is.Give good service and get a 20% tip.They probably make more in one day than that Colombian does in a month.
The other thing I never had In Colombia untill lastbvtrip was a good steak.They tend to be pounded thin and fried and they art still tough.Last trip I did have some fairly good baby beef,but it wasn't up to US standards.
I'm sure lots of you out there have found good places to eat
and maybe even good coffee.Its possible but rare in my opinion.
The beer is good though.

Pete

... in response to Re: coffee shops, posted by Pete E on Dec 6, 2001

pete even though colombia sends its best coffees to the US they colombians still have and drink some of the best coffee in the world, their worst coffee is better than alot of countries worst coffee.

... in response to Re: Re: coffee shops, posted by pack on Dec 6, 2001

oops! last line was meant to say "colombias worst coffee is better than many countries best coffee"

... in response to Re: coffee shops, posted by Pete E on Dec 6, 2001

The best coffee is sent to the good old U.S.A. The same happens with the bananas, shrimp, emeralds, petroleum, etc.

... in response to Re: Coffee, posted by Kenfer8 on Dec 6, 2001

THIS IS TRUE. I HAVE BEEN STUDYING UP ON THE IMPORT/EXPORT BUSINESS AND WHAT ALOT OF PEOPLE DONT KNOW IS THAT COLOMBIA AS DOES MANY OTHER COUNTRIES SENDS THEIR TOP SHELF PRODUCTS TO THE U.S. , BEST COFFEE IN THE WORLD ENDS UP RIGHT HERE ON OUR SHORES.

... in response to coffee shops, posted by Colonialjd on Dec 6, 2001

there are only a few shops like you'd find here-- everyone drinks coffee, virtually every small dinette sells coffee- and it ranges in price- 400 - 1000 pesos depending on the shop.  No starbucks that i've seen (gracias a dios).

People drink coffee at little dinette-looking places, but the coffee culture of the US and the coffee culture of Colombia are quite different.  in Colombia, one coffee wihtout re-fils is the standard, not a bottomless cup. When you find that you're paying 15-20 cents for a coffee, it's reasonable. Also, nescafe has started placing some machines around that make instant mocha, mochachino, etc-- but you get the same sized cup-- smaller than the US, and there are no refills, either.

The quality of the coffee, or rather the grind, or the roast, and the inherent sweetness or perhaps lack of bitterness, make it much more enjoyable to me than available coffees in the states.

Also, if you want a cafe en leche in Bogota, ask for a 'perico.' it's cafe en leche or cafe con leche in the rest of south america, but it's a parakeet in Bogota. Why? It's Bogota... Don't be surprised if the waiter or waitress brungs you a tinto  instead. service workers in Colombia don't expect either a large tim or much of a small one for a coffee.  Thus they don't seem to care about whether you're satified or not, and sometimes, whether the order's correct or not. It's Colombia...

... in response to Re: coffee shops, posted by JeffA on Dec 6, 2001

In Caldas it's cafe pintado.

... in response to Re: Re: coffee shops, posted by Cali vet on Dec 6, 2001

glad you're here to keep me straight, vet... I can tell you i use pintado and cafe en leche interchangeably if there's no sign, but the signs say pintado, and I ask for pintado when i see it on the sign. maybe in the REST of south america... or at least it seems that way...

... in response to Re: Re: Re: coffee shops thanks again, c..., posted by JeffA on Dec 6, 2001

Hey Jeff wasn't trying to keep you straight just amplifying the topic. The Colombians are SO regional. You have to learn new jerga everywhere you go: On the Caribbean coast it's "pelada", in Cali "sardina", ninos in Bogota are "chinos" and on and on. And on regionalism, when I visited Parque Tayrona near Santa Marta we'd see a group on the beach and my companera costena would say "cachacos" (from the interior) and I'd say ?porque? and she said because they're wearing sneakers and socks on the beach. Only cachacos dress like that. And she was right. In no time at all I was identifying cachacos as she nodded approvingly. Later we saw two young guys in bathing suites only and drinking and singing and she said "!costenos!". And I said ?porque? And she said because they're loud and grosero. So much to learn, so little time but ain't it great!

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Re: coffee shops thanks agai..., posted by Cali vet on Dec 6, 2001

It is great, and always a new chapter-- I was glad you pointed out the difference. I took no offense, and intended none. made me think... thanks.