CoffeeStudyTalk

Finally made it out to Merit Coffee.  And it was worth the trip.  Nestled in Deep Ellum near downtown Dallas, it’s one of several good coffee shops in all of DFW. Merit is one of the few that doesn’t burn the coffee and makes excellent espresso drinks.  I’m not sure why DFW likes burnt coffee? I ordered an affogato and cappuccino.  They used ice cream instead of gelato for the affogato, but it was still ok and it made the espresso rich and creamy.  Cappuccino was also good. Magnolia Sous Le Pont has a better affogato but it’s due to their using gelato.  Cappuccino is just a tad behind Fiction and Otto’s but still exceptional. Deep Ellum is also cool place to walk around and explore the artwork.

I’ll admit becoming a bit of a snob after I discovered the world of wines.  I used to think it was a matter of types of grapes and wine was wine.  So I bulk bought the $4 Charles Shaw red wines and settled on the Cabernet Sauvignon; Pinot Noir are hard to find now. But after a while sampling finer wines in the $30-50 range…I noticed CS didn’t taste that great and shunned them for a bit. I’ve come full circle and while they don’t taste as good and probably never did, I can appreciate that they were the gateway to the wine world and I still keep a bottle of Charles Shaw - Cabernet Sauvignon as a reminder of my humble beginnings. Yes, I’ve tried every version of Charles Shaw and settled on Cabernet’s as the best deal.

The online reviews are accurate and this $7 Trader Joe wine is a bulk buy.  The 2021 - La Sonriente is pure Garnache/Grenache and the main component of many Red Blends like my growing favorite GSM wines.  I also picked up another bulk buy the 2016 Rancho Viejo a GSMT, T for Tempranillo. The Rancho Viejo was delicious and a good Segway from the pure Garnache La Sonriete.  I’m pleased with both and these are worth the bulk buy status at $7 a pop. To round out my growing collection, I went upmarket and picked up a 2019 Margaux Grand Cru from Chateau Giscours.  I’ll try to grab 1 nicer bottle of wine each month to eventually have 4-5 nice bottles for special events. I’ve also mostly filled my 24 bottle wine rack from IKEA.  Paid $60 for the Omar Bottle Rack.  I’ve now 19 bottles loaded and drinking a bottle a week so I can refill now 2-3 bottles every 2 week visit to Trader Joe’s.  And monthly get a nicer bottle.  I’m going to limit this to 20 bottles and keep the top row empty. Update - 1

Wanted to try this place for a while and stopped in for a Cappuccino and Macchiato at The Book Shoppe.  Overall, it’s ok.  The espresso feels a little burnt, but they don’t overdo it on the sweetness from the milk.  I’m finding that’s the way to compensate for Texas espresso being burnt is to not overdo the milk. I’d prefer more balanced, but this is how I’m finding to enjoy coffee based on what is available.

Bought another pair of Air Jordan 1 Lows as I wanted to test if the foot pain I’m suffering is due to wearing a size too small in 9.5M and moved up to 10.5M. So far I have zero foot pain and think it really was wearing shoes that are too small for my feet.  Air Jordan 1's do not stretch, fit for comfort The Air Jordan 1's do not stretch so if your gonna wear these, wear them for the size you feel comfortable and I also went in the afternoon after having walked for 3 miles in the morning so my feet were likely swollen to the largest they would be during a typical day. Uncomfortable Shoes are a big deal You have no idea how big a deal it is to wear comfortable shoes.  The 9.5M Air Jordan 1's Mid & Lows, Court Vision and Converse were making me miserable and it made my whole life miserable.  All I had to do was go up a size in my shoes, and done.  And if you look at the pics the difference in size between a 9.5M and a 10.5M is quite small and for me it's not the length

I’ve been liking the French reds now and especially the GSM’s and Côtes de Rhône’s.  I also grabbed a Cabernet to round out this month’s haul. I got 2 bottles of the Ponticifics GSM as I really liked that one, so doubled up.  I’ll try the others and if I find more labels I like and stock up on those. Moon X - Cabernet Sauvignon - 2021 - 🫤 meh Pontificis - GSM - 2020 - 👍  Laurent Dublanc - Cotes de Rhones - 2021 Vignobles de la Vallee du Collection Rhones - Cotes de Rhones - 2020 Maison Barboulot - Cabernet Syrah - 2021 - 👍    So far only dud was Moon X Cab.  Issue is the finish feels like drinking a sugary juice and hurts my teeth. The Pontificis and Maison are good and I’ll buy more. 

It was on my list and I stopped by Houndstooth Coffee in Dallas near Northpark Mall.  I tried the Cortado and was impressed it’s decent.  I’ve stopped trying cappuccino’s in Dallas as few can make it the way I like. They used whole milk for this Cortado.  While the El Paso one was better, this was good and I give it 8.5 out of 10. It’s also a very beautiful coffee shop with indoor and outdoor seating.  Very scenic.

This is a good wine.  I was surprised as I also bought the higher end Reserve version of the Carson Ridge Cabernet and was disappointed, so I wasn’t expecting much from the cheaper version…I was mistaken and never judge a wine by its label. I love the fruit forward bold Napa Valley Cabernet’s and so I expected something similar from the cheaper Paso Robles wines.  It’s been hit or miss so far but I’m starting to find and appreciate several Paso Robles Cabernet including this hidden gem. It’s not an amazing wine, but it’s amazing for the price I paid of $10.  There are better wines at $10, but this one is acceptable and better than some $20-30 wines I’ve felt I wasted money on. Taste Notes Fruit forward, blackberries and dark fruit.  Slight acidity.  Smooth finish, slight aftertaste that has a dryness that I think is due to the acidity. Nose is weak but it’s after a day being opened.  It still tastes fine after a day which is good.

Final leg of my 2 week vacation is a weekend in Vegas.  Arrived Thursday night and went to a couple casino bars and met up with friends.  I’ll hit up the buffet then Shin Lim magic show before heading back home. Day 1 - Arrival, Downtown - Golden Nugget - Decent Day 2 - Vegas Strip - Caesars Bacchanal Buffet - Crap Day 3 - Shin Lim @ Mirage - Meh Day 4 - Departure Overall - Vegas is Meh unless you spend big. Overall Vegas is no longer worth it unless you plan to spend at least $500-1,000 per day minimum for a good hotel, food and entertainment.   I spent $1200 for food, hotel, transportation and a show for a mediocre experience.  You would think I’d get something good out of that?   Only highlights was 1 amazing Old Fashioned at Alto Bar in Caesars.  A decent magic show and that's about it.  Only $100 of what I spent was worth it, the other $1100 was a waste. 1st Day - Flight into LAS from LAX, Stayed Downtown at Golden Nugget I first flew into LAX on ANA and got to ride on the Sta