Bad Java Blues: Why do we get bad coffee in good restaurants?

Thursday, October 23, 2008
By China Millman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Great restaurants are great because of their attention to detail. Whether in Pittsburgh or Paris, they serve high-quality bread, use freshly squeezed juices in cocktails and make their desserts from scratch in house. Too many restaurants in Pittsburgh treat these elements of the meal as if they were only details, as if they don't matter in the overall scheme of success.

There are many easy changes that restaurants could make to improve the quality of their meals (so-called whipped cream that actually comes from a canister is ubiquitous and frustrating), but instead I'd like to examine a problem that isn't so easily solved, but is definitely worth solving. Why is it so hard to get a decent cup of coffee in a Pittsburgh restaurant?

More >>