Famed Noma in Copenhagen decided a while ago to rebuild its coffee program from top to bottom. Working with Tim Wendelboe was the obvious choice, but nothing else was. Espresso? Not yet. Pourover drip? Yes.

A surprise: Noma's adventurous customers, who are happy to be served wood ants on beef tartare, aren't quite so eager for new coffee experiences. Story in today's Sprudge: http://sprudge.com/coffee-noma-mads-kleppe.html,

"Mads Kleppe elaborated: "It's incredible how much you **** with people when you change what their perception of coffee is.""

Man, that's a classic quote that sums up a great deal of behavior and general hot air.

Excellent insight too in this article about the difficulty and expense involved in adding serious coffee service to a high end dining venue.

Great piece, Marshall, thanks for posting.

Thanks for posting, very interesting to read this, and not surprising. Introducing specialty coffee to fine dining is an interest of mine, and I have been trying to help some restaurants here locally with the process. I just finished a eighteen month long project to setup a coffee bar inside a hospitality schools training restaurant and witnessed bewildering reactions to what I guess I should call my H-B or "third wave" coffee style. The Michelin starred chef from France, MOF as well, would watch me weigh beans, time shots, and steam milk and say it was astounding to see someone put so much care in to coffee. (This is after he would spend twelve hours himself preparing livers in special sous vide bags). He has owned and operated restaurants in Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Paris with owners such as Rubuchon. He said the espresso was the best he had ever tasted, his wife a highly regarded sommelier, said after having my espresso she cannot drink it at any other restaurant. But interestingly, I also had many adverse reactions; "it's sour!" "This isn't coffee", " there's no bitterness, I don't like it ". Seeing people add sugar to my freshly prepared capps was hard, but adding sugar and cream to a freshly brewed V60 of Panamanian Gesha made me want to cry. Some days just trying to explain the difference in a brewed coffee versus an Americano was an exhausting regular event. Fine coffee in the fine dining world is coming though, I just meet with the manager of a five star restaurant here who wants to do table side pour over, until recently all their coffee was prepared in a superautomatic. Challenging guests preconceived notions is always hard, and can be dangerous to the bottom line if not handled delicately. It is a great opportunity to enlighten and educate as well, as these diners often are the kind of people who can appreciate the craft of coffee as they do for food and wines.

Jeremy, Thank you. I often bemoan the state of coffee at restaurants and in cooking shows. When asked if I want coffee with my dessert, I've learned to ask what brand they serve. Chef Gordan Ramsy is happy to "transform" a dining area and buy new commercial ranges, but at the end of the show, that 2 group La Marzocco is STILL being paired with a Bunn bulk grinder. Don't even get me started on that 3 group Gaggia lever hiding in the back of a truck that "...might be a cappuccino machine."

The "no bitterness" and similar comments I refer to (in my head) as "The Hump"; once you get them past it, they won't and can't switch back. *knock on wood*