Of course I'm not eligible to win the Sink Shots Contest, so here's my entry for the bragging rights from a review I wrote awhile back...

Bean Traders
December 2003

Today I did some holiday shopping at the Streets of SouthPoint mall. Just around the corner is Bean Traders, a cafe that another local mentioned might be worth a visit. It seemed encouraging since they have a big roaster operating in the store. The two employees had a very friendly, cheery attitude. The first warning bell sounded when I asked for a ristretto ("Is that a long shot?"). I got a blank stare when I suggested they would have to move their grinder setting just a tad finer to shoot for a ~1.5 ounce double. Undaunted, I suggested instead adding a few extra grounds and tamping harder. That was accepted as a reasonable request.

The next warning bell was when I looked at their aluminum tamper. It was 53mm and looked like it had been tossed out the window of a speeding truck at least a half-dozen times. Another blank stare when I mentioned that the tamp might be better if they acquired a 58mm tamper. The good news is that the patient barista timed the shot and proudly announced it was right on ("Hey, not bad for my first ristretto!"). Indeed, the timing and volume were correct. The taste? Good by what passes for cafe standards in the Triangle, in fact better than the majority I've tried. The body was medium, crema was light to carmel colored and maybe 1/8" deep. The flavor wasn't particularly remarkable, but wasn't bitter or harsh either. I suspect channeling along the untamped edges accounts for much of the shortcomings. I don't think they were interested in hearing any critiques of their product, despite their friendliness and evidently ample free time.

I hung around for 5-10 minutes as two other customers came and went. A holiday cappuccino they prepared was topped with fresh whipped cream, a nicely drawn chocolate syrup design and red/green sprinkles. Not my thing, but very festive looking. That's when the third and final warning bell sounded: Recycled milk and seafoam bubbles. Little hope of finding any microfoam there. The next customer after the holiday cappuccino lady was served a regular cappuccino (latte? hard to say at those dimensions) with a 1/4" crown of dishsoap-sized bubbles. Given the weak finish of my (pseudo) ristretto, I wouldn't expect their milk-based drinks to stand out. I'd be willing to try, but only if they allowed me to do the steaming. I imagine that idea would be met with raised eyebrows and perhaps reluctant acceptance. I didn't push my luck on this visit.