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The Boston Globe 3/31/10 The Boston Globe 2009 Barista Magazine Apr/May 2009 Issue (pg. 24 & 26) ******************* |
Regional Barista Championship 2010 By: Abbey Niezgoda March 22, 2010 See above link to watch video from the Northeast Regional Barista Championship. The video features Nik Krankl and his wife, Julia Krankl. ****************************************************************************
By:Andrea Pyenson March 31, 2010 SOMERVILLE — As they pull shots, pour steamed milk, and assemble signature drinks, simultaneously describing the features of the coffee they have chosen, little in the competitors’ demeanor suggests the intense pressure they’re under. A slight hand tremor, visible only to those in the first or second row, give some away. Thirty-six baristas are doing what they do every day, except that an audience and seven judges are watching them. And they have a time limit. “It’s like ‘Iron Chef’ on caffeine,’’ says Matthew Hodges of Peace River Coffee. At the 2010 Northeast Regional Barista Competition, held this month at the Somerville Center for the Arts at the Armory, baristas have 15 minutes to make and serve four espressos, four cappuccinos, and four espresso-based signature drinks. The latter range from the culinary-inspired (hollowed out pears lined with dark chocolate and filled with pureed cooked pear, hazelnut whipped cream, and espresso) to the shockingly simple (a shot of espresso that its creator promises will taste totally different from her previous one in the “espresso’’ round). The event, held in New England for the first time, drew competitors from the Bay State, Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire, and New York. Any lingering doubts about Boston’s legitimate coffee culture can be tossed out like the grounds from yesterday’s moka pot. This is the largest of the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s 10 regional competitions of 2009-10. Of the six finalists, three are locals and three are from New York. Nikolas Krankl, owner of Taste Coffee House in Newtonville, placed second, behind Danielle Glasky, from Stumptown Coffee Roasters in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood. Both will go on to the national competition in Anaheim, Calif., next month, Glasky with her expenses paid. Finalist Claire Cheney, a barista at Boston’s Flat Black Coffee Co., says she loves the intensity of the competition. “These are all awesome baristas.’’ Todd Mackey of New Harvest Coffee Roasters in Pawtucket, R.I., was the other local finalist. A steady crowd of coffee aficionados, competitors’ friends and relatives, and industry insiders kept the Armory buzzing for the three days of the event. “The New England region is turning a corner in a big way,’’ declares George Howell, president of George Howell Coffee Co., who brought specialty coffee to the Boston area in the mid-1970s through his former business, Coffee Connection. “We’re seeing a renaissance. Cafes are declaring independence from roasters. They’re all doing rotating espressos. It will lead to increased education.’’ That the competition took place locally was due in large part to Jaime van Schyndel, co-owner of Barismo in Arlington, which hosted the event and cosponsored it with New Harvest and Howell Coffee. Van Schyndel says his goal “was to get the community together. We invited people to cosponsor with us and invited roasters to serve their coffee.’’ A coffee bar was unique to the Boston competition. Being on stage, which is set up to imitate a coffee bar, is “beyond words nerve-racking,’’ says Nathaniel Hoyt, a barista at Simon’s Coffee Shop in Cambridge. He competes, he says, because “it’s the best way to become a better barista. It’s also the most painful way. It pushes you to be perfect.’’ “I’m going to let my coffee speak for itself,’’ says Jordan Barber of Cafe Grumpy in New York, as he prepares his signature drink during the finals round. Taking his lead from what he describes as his coffee’s hazelnut and blood orange features, Barber, who placed third, mixes espresso with a blood orange reduction, almond- and hazelnut-infused water, cream, and a pinch of fleur de sel. Krankl mixes panna cotta and a reduction of dried cherries and blueberries — both of which he had made — and sets them over a low flame while he prepares his cappuccinos and espressos. For his signature, he adds 70 percent Valrhona chocolate and espresso to the panna cotta, then whisks everything together. Glasky’s signature drink begins with a base of coffee infused with rosemary, and steamed milk with honey. She adds espresso shots, and tells judges to stir with rosemary stems that she had dipped in honey. The competition may be over, but Beantown’s coffee community is fired up. ******************************************************************************************************* "These Baristas Stay True To The Bean." By: Andrea Pyenson
At Taste Coffee House, Nikolas Krankl pours a latte, complete with a design in the foam. Krankl, 25, bought the coffee shop in March 2008, renamed it, and invested in high-end equipment. (Photos By Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff) NEWTONVILLE - Walnut Street doesn’t seem the likeliest spot to celebrate the West Coast coffee culture in the Boston area. But Nikolas Krankl, the owner of Taste Coffee House, has already attracted national attention for his skills as a barista. Krankl bought an existing coffee shop in March 2008 and renamed it. He invested in high-end equipment - including a fully manual Synesso Cyncra machine manufactured in Seattle (the only one in Massachusetts). But he did little else to redecorate the cozy space. In the first year he owned Taste, business increased 100 percent over its predecessor. In Brookline, Maks Milstein opened the bright, sleek Cafe Fixe on Beacon Street, across from the Starbucks in Washington Square, almost a year ago. He does not consider his neighbor to be a competitor. “The culture of an espresso bar is one of the hardest things to bring,’’ he says. The newest entry in the market is Sip Cafe in Boston’s Post Office Square. Open in April, Sip occupies the space previously inhabited by Milk Street Cafe, then Z Square in the Park. These entrepreneurs are determined to reproduce the kind of casual coffeehouses, which take the drink very seriously, that have opened in cities like San Francisco and Portland, Ore., and have a devoted following. It’s a culture in which friendships are formed and businesses are started. Krankl, 25, who grew up in California, “fell in love with coffee,’’ he says, while traveling in Italy during college with a friend who was studying there. “I caught the bug and couldn’t get enough and wanted to learn how to reproduce my experience.’’ Largely self-taught as a barista, Krankl came in second in the Northeast Regional Barista Competition in Pennsylvania in February, and competed in the United States Barista Championship in Portland, Ore., the following month. In the first round, he placed 18th out of 50. “I had a blast and learned a ton,’’ he says. He uses terroir beans from Acton-based George Howell Coffee Co.; barismo, a small-batch roaster in Arlington; Intelligentsia from Chicago; Ritual Coffee Roasters in San Francisco; and Ecco Caffe in Sonoma County, Calif., and assorted others. “We are constantly sourcing new coffees from other roasters,’’ Krankl says. At Taste, drinks are written on a blackboard along the wall in the seating area; the limited menu includes pastry, crepes, and sandwiches. You can order several espresso drinks; drip coffee, cafe au lait, and iced coffee, plus a handful of specialty drinks and tea, beer, and wine. Some purists would say the diversified menu - the fact that it serves food at all - means Taste isn’t a true coffeehouse. But there is nothing lacking in Taste’s devotion to coffee. Milstein of Cafe Fixe started drinking espresso when he was working as an attorney in the Public Defender’s office in Western Massachusetts, an area he calls “a coffee mecca on the East Coast. The culture of coffee appealed to me. I started waking up a half-hour earlier every day so I could make my espresso. Then I started making cappuccino.’’ “Espresso is the most delicate preparation you can make of coffee,’’ he says. “The experience of drinking takes only 20 seconds, but [espresso] blooms in your mouth. The aftertaste should be long, sweet, and chocolaty.’’After 3 1/2 years, Milstein, 32, left the Public Defender’s office and went to work at Northampton Coffee in Northampton, where he learned the intricacies of making espresso and espresso drinks, and how to run a shop. He wanted to open his own shop, and learned that the Beacon Street space was available. Milstein modeled Cafe Fixe on Northampton Coffee. The small room has light walls, blond wood, tables with high stools and funky music in the background. The atmosphere is hip, rather than cozy. Cafe Fixe coffee is made from beans roasted by Barrington Coffee Roasting Company, and Milstein features “guest espressos’’ from time to time. He is “constantly on the lookout’’ for new beans. He has a Marzocco machine, custom made in Holland, that he says is “as high end as it gets.’’ Drinks at Cafe Fixe are smaller than other places because, Milstein says, “you can’t put enough espresso in a 20-ounce cup. No healthy person should be able to drink that much.’’ Cafe Fixe serves pastry but no other food, and Milstein has no plans to expand his menu. And he will never put whipped cream or flavored syrups in a coffee drink. “I offer a coffee experience, not a sugar-free vanilla experience,’’ he says. Owner Jared Mancini of Sip got into the coffee business almost by accident. About nine years ago, he took a job as the manager of Torrefazione Italia, a small cafe on Newbury Street. When he went for his interview, he had his first latte. “I had never tasted coffee like that,’’ he says. Torrefazione Italia’s owners were from Italy, so “it was about the espresso,’’ says Mancini, 34. Working there for five years, until the shop was acquired by Starbucks, Mancini received a comprehensive education in the art of coffee. He wanted to make Sip “a coffee destination,’’ he says. The spacious, glass-walled cafe is inviting and attractive. Mancini uses single-origin beans from George Howell Coffee Co. for both espresso and drip coffee. “With single-origin, it’s harder to mask defects, but you can bring out lively, more complex flavors,’’ he says. He has a Marzocco machine that is almost fully manual. In addition to drip coffee and a full assortment of espresso drinks, Sip offers iced specialty drinks, like its shakerato, espresso over ice with a little bit of natural sugar, shaken, and teas. The cafe also serves pastry and sandwiches (the latter made on-site). But coffee is the real reason Mancini opened Sip. And the reason these three newcomers just may succeed in turning our city-by-the sea into a coffee town. Taste Coffee House, 311 Walnut St., Newtonville, 617-332-6886 Cafe Fixe,1642 Beacon St., Brookline, 617-879-2500 Sip Cafe, Zero Post Office Square, Boston, 617-338-3080 ******************************************************************* edible Boston (fall 2009)
"Nikolas Krankl Has Great Taste" Nikolas Krankl is on a mission. The 25-year-old owner of Taste Coffee Shop in Newtonville wants to bring West Coast coffee culture to the greater Boston area. With his infectious passion and an abundance of knowledge that he is bursting to share with customers, employees—probably anyone who crosses his path—the California-bred barista is well on his way. That the espresso, cappuccino, latte and drip coffee at Taste are better than most similar drinks in the area doesn’t hurt his cause. My first meeting with Krankl lasts four hours—a record interview. After an espresso primer and tasting on his home turf, we visit three other coffee cafés (including the ubiquitous “fast food of coffee,” which shall remain nameless) within a five-mile radius to taste, analyze and compare both the drinks and baristas’ skill and knowledge levels. My Krankl grew up surrounded by the kind of food many people only dream about. His father, Manfred Krankl, is an artisan winemaker whose highly sought-after Sine Qua Non California wines are available only through the winery’s mailing list—which itself has a sizable waiting list. His aunt, Nancy Silverton, is one of the country’s preeminent Whether due to nature or nurture, it’s hard to imagine Krankl doing anything else with his life. A journalism major at the University of Arizona, he says he “fell in love with coffee” when he was in Umbria, traveling with a friend who was studying there. The beverage became part of his daily routine and, he recalls, “it was all delicious.”When he returned The California transplant, who is largely self-taught as a barista, bought his shop, which was already a coffee café, inMarch 2008 and renamed it. He invested in high-end equipment—Taste’s fully manual Synesso Cyncra machine, which is manufactured in Seattle, is the only one in Massachusetts and Krankl recently invested in a Mazzer Robur, “the biggest, baddest coffee grinder on the market”—but did little else to change the cozy space. Krankl reports happily that though the majority of his business is from the neighborhood, many customers tell him they “go out of their way now for a cup of coffee.” A lot of the aficionados like to talk about the coffee as much as they like to drink it. Taste features beans from the leading roasters in the United States, including local specialty coffee pioneer George Howell’s Terroir Coffees; barismo in Arlington; Intelligentsia in Chicago; Ritual in San Francisco; and Ecco Caffe in Sonoma County, California. The rotating of coffees, with their varied characteristics and flavor profiles, “creates an exchange between the drinker and barista, which is what I’m all about,” Krankl says, admitting that sometimes an element “almost like wine snobbery” sneaks in. “I want to try everything, then get to the point where I roast,” he adds. “And that means going to the farm.” The best beans and top-of-the-line equipment will only take you so far, though. “Espresso wants to taste bad,” Krankl says. “Under the perfect environment it shines.” That environment includes the right water temperature, the right amount of pressure and beans ground consistently enough to allow water to flow through just so. Standing at his Synesso machine, holding a freshly tamped disk of ground coffee, Krankl explains that espresso’s flavor comes from the oil that is extracted from the beans.Water temperature affects that flavor dramatically. Higher temperatures reduce the sourness of the coffee; lower temperatures bring out the fruit. Tamping the ground beans to form a disk is important because it determines the way water is channeled through to make the drink. The barista “pulls [the oil] out like a syrup,” he says, making a cup. Placing it on the counter, he indicates the thin layer of foam on top, noting, “Crema is the hallmark of a good espresso.” “I [compare] it to a good cut of meat, and how a chef might feel,” Krankl says. “The [coffee bean] roaster is like the sous chef.The barista is the executive chef. If someone comes in and says, ‘I want a latte scalding hot with no foam, I think this is how a chef must feel if someone says, ‘I want my Kobe steak really hot with A-1 steak sauce.’ But Last February, not quite a year into his tenure as barista/owner, Krankl came in second place in the Northeast Regional Barista Competition in Pennsylvania. This qualified him to compete in the United States Barista Championship in Portland, Oregon, the following month. In the first round, he placed 18th out of 50. Not bad for a first-timer. “I had a blast and learned a ton,” he says. He has analyzed his performance, determined what he could have done better and is already planning for next year. Krankl extends his standards and level of perfectionism throughout the café, training every barista for a minimum of 100 hours. Steaming milk (an art in itself ) and latte art are integral to the job because milk is such an important part of so many drinks. The antithesis of the chain coffee shop on every corner, Taste is a reflection of its owner, and Krankl’s first step toward fulfilling his mission. A first visit should come with a warning: could become addictive. Don’t fight it. If Nik Krankl has his way, and there’s no reason to think he won’t, Beantown may take on a whole new meaning. Taste Coffee House Andrea Pyenson is a food writer and editor. Her publication credits include the Boston Globe, Fine Cooking, Yankee magazine, msn.com and oneforthetable.com. You can reach her at apyenson@gmail.com. * All photos taken by Michael Piazza * ******************************************************************** The Newton Tab
The Art of Making Coffee
Behind the yellow stenciled windows, and past the crowded seating area which is usually full of people reading through thick books or shifting data on Excel spreadsheets, a team of staff drizzles cream in heart shapes on lattes and balances the ingredients of the store’s cappuccinos. “At Newtonville’s Taste, there are some of the best baristas in town,” said Ben Kaminsky, who runs a small batch roaster in Arlington and works as a consultant for local coffee shops. “There is always someone on hand that can talk your ear off about coffee.”
The owner — the 24-year-old son of a winemaker — has carefully studied and measured every step of the process, beginning with the bean, which is handpicked from dozens of taste trials. With an espresso machine imported from Seattle, he carefully balances temperature and flavor for coffee-based drinks that evolve into more than a caffeine shot. For Nikolas Krankl, who grew up in a family that valued perfection in consumption, selling coffee is so much more than pressing a button.
Krankl bought a neglected shop on Walnut Street last March, and is working to transform it into the birthplace of the nation’s best coffee. To get there, he’s put himself through a rigorous training program, partnered with coffee consultants at Barismo on Massachusetts Avenue and enrolled in a national competition to see where he ranks. “I would say we have the best in terms of product [in] Newton,” said Krankl, whose shop has seen a doubling of coffee sales since he purchased it. “But how do you prove you’re the best? You try to win this competition.” Krankl will load a few suitcases with coffee mugs, espresso glasses and a coffee grinderthis weekendfor the regional barista competition in Cranberry, Penn. “I’m a little nervous,” he said, after finishing a training round in a practice facility for baristas. “There’s still a long way to go before I am ready.” On a rainy Wednesday afternoon in mid-January, he poured small shots of espresso, layered cream on wide-rimmed mugs of coffee and dropped flakes of granita on a small bed of his signature drink. “I think decadent is the perfect word to describe this coffee,” Krankl said in between grinding the coffee and setting the small grains in the machine. “It’s rich and lush with a strong emphasis on the fruit …[it has a] very focused acidity … brown spices, cinnamon and coco and hints of vanilla on the nose…” Two coffee consultants looked on, judging the consistency and flavor of each drink and dissecting his every movement. “A lot of practice and preparation goes into these competitions,” said Kaminsky, a regular judge in such competitions, as he studied Krankl’s every motion that afternoon. “People take them very seriously.” Krankl will be one of more than 50 baristas from 11 states competing in this weekend’s event, where his drinks will be judged on taste, appearance and temperature, among other things. Two years ago, Krankl may have envisioned a career in restaurant ownership, but he fell into coffee almost by accident. After graduating from the University of Arizona, Krankl followed his fiancée to Boston, where she enrolled in medical school. Several months of working the espresso machines at JP Licks led Krankl to open his own shop. “I came to the conclusion I wanted to be my own boss,” he said, adding that he began collecting information on coffee making, training as a home barista before he pursued his own shop. He discovered Newtonville’s Taste through a restaurant broker, who called it a “diamond in the rough.” The location promised potential, but Krankl would have to restore the reputation, which he said was hurt by a largely absentee owner and a staff that didn’t speak English. Krankl enjoys the variety of people who enter his shop, from a morning crowd of academics and professionals, to a mid-morning clientele of mothers and nannies to the after-school rush of students.
Joanne Rosenthal has made a habit of stopping by Taste, where she enjoys watching customers sail through a N.Y. Times crossword puzzle over a cappuccino and often finds herself “talking coffee” with the staff. “It’s really interesting to see the different people come in here,” she said. For Jonathan Walker, who sat at a table reading through a book on Einstein, going back to machine-made coffee is not an option, after experiencing the drinks made manually at Taste. Because baristas at Taste do more then press a button, the temperature, pressure and flavor comes out in perfect balance, he said. Written by: Chrissie Long/staff writer, on February 03, 2009 * All photos taken by Mark Thomson, Wicked Local * *********************************************************************
The same article from above was also featured on the front page of The Daily News Tribune, by Chrissie Long, on February 05, 2009. ********************************************************************* From Endless Knots "Best thing to happen to Newtonville in five years." Julia Tatum, writing the board at Taste No secret how much I likeTaste Coffee House in Newtonville - and I like to patronize the establishments of friends. When I'm not twisting people's arms to go to Shogun in West Newton, MA, which truly deserves a post of its own (it's coming, it's coming), I'm forcing them to meet me at Taste. Nik, the owner, greets me yesterday when I arrive for two back-to-back meetings. Well, commiserates with me might be a better way to put it. Or blames me. "You're responsible for this," he says, as I stand forlorn at the counter, wishing for a seat for me and my two companions. The place is packed at 10 AM (and they don't even all seem to be people working on their resumes). Then a man, sitting at a table by himself, offers me the chair across from him. I explain that there are two more coming. At which point, Nik repeats his view of me as the cause of the standing-room-only. And explains that I've blogged about Taste. At which point the man pipes up: "Here's a quote for your blog: 'Taste is the best thing to happen to Newtonville in five years.'" Asking for a name to hang that quote on, he obliges: "Les," he says. I press on. What does he do? Turns out he's Pres and CEO of The Epilepsy Foundation of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, a most worthy organization. I should have been offering him a seat. Posted by: Jessica Lipnack on January 14, 2009 *********************************************************************************** From Baristaexchange.com Taste Taste is located in Newton, MA and has the only Synesso in the area. The owner, Nik, is always looking to talk about coffee and for feedback on what they serve. Their current roaster is Barismo (in Arlington) for their espresso and Terroir for their drip. In my opinion, they're quickly becoming the best place in Boston for a consistent double shot. Posted by Ben Salinas on January 1, 2009 ********************************************************************* From Barismo.com Taste in Newton, MA Today, I dropped by my friend Nik's new digs in Newton called Taste. He is taking over a space on Walnut street where it was an existing crepe bar with limited coffee service. Nik is hoping to change the coffee service and is working on upgrades and renovations with an idea of expanding the coffee program to be more progressive. Particularly, an interest in espresso that peaks my curiosity. Of the new additions, Nik scored a nice three group Synesso and is in the beginning stages of building a nice little coffee scene. With a small dedicated staff and continued investment, it looks like it will progress in a good direction. ********************************************************************* From TheGardenCity.net Newton Gets a REAL Coffee Bar I'm a coffee snob.
Tasting the Good Stuff Submitted by Chuck on Thu, 2008-05-08 11:58. coffee | newtonville Just so you don't think I'm the only one with a crush on the new and improved Taste in Newtonville, Jessica Lipnack goes well beyond my own writing with her own: ********************************************************************* From Endless Knots A matter of good Taste Very tasty |
