CoffeeBeer >> Double Shot Buzz >> Le Blé
Before I start talking about this new Sheffield coffee shop, I want to mention a couple of birthday presents I received in January from America. As it was a milestone birthday my brother and sister-in-law, who had just visited an old friend on his coffee plantation on the Big Island of Hawaii, sent me half a pound of Kona Gold Trading Company’s Medium Dark Whole Bean Coffee, sourced directly from the South Kona Farms. And oh my, it was the most amazing coffee I’ve tasted in a long time. It had a real Whoompf! to it, like a perfectly hopped beer. The Whoompf! suggested the volcanic soil, perhaps refreshed by the recent eruption of Mauna Loa not far from the coffee farm. My god, this was good coffee. Sadly, as I drink two cups of coffee a day, the half pound didn’t last long. So then I started drinking another caffeinated present, this one from a very old friend who lives in Bandon, Oregon. She sent me a custom-mixed pound of Espresso Blend from the RayJen Coffee Company in Bandon, which had a note taped to the bag saying it was 4 parts Brazil, 2 parts Tanzanian, 2 parts Sumatran, and 2 parts Guatemalan. It wasn’t the Whoompf! coffee I had just had, but it was a very fine and mellow medium-dark roasted blend, and I was very content drinking it for the next couple of weeks. It was such a disappointment to return to my usual Sheffield coffee.
Meanwhile, I became excited a couple of months ago when I was walking up School Road toward the top of Crookes and noticed a new coffee venue had opened. As the road is mostly residential, with two pubs at the bottom, a micropub at the top, a doctor's surgery and dental surgery along the way, and a tiny cluster of shops in the middle, I thought it was a great idea to have a caffeine stop halfway up.
To start with, I was intrigued by the name. With a little research, I’ve learned that “Queen of the Suburbs” commonly refers to the London borough of Ealing, far away from the central Sheffield neighbourhood of Crookes. But the name still appeals to me, as I'm suburban-born-and-bred. Having spent my childhood in the Long Beach, California suburb of Los Altos, a roomy neighbourhood of detached 1950s-built stucco houses, with a large swimming pool in the back yard and my schools less than a mile away, I dreamed of getting old enough to move away from my parents’ house and into “the City”, meaning the older, more urban part of Long Beach. (This is probably one of the reasons I got my driver’s licence as early as I possibly could, on my 16th birthday.)
But at this point in my life, I’ve realised there is nothing embarrassing at all about being from the ‘burbs. So in January, after I had my teeth cleaned and polished just up the road, it made sense to me to stop in to Queen of the Suburbs for a coffee, if only to get a head start on some fresh dental stains. I was pleased to find cortados on the menu, so that's what I ordered. And my cortado was served in a proper shot glass, with a friendly heart rosette on top, and it was pretty nice, I must say.
Queen of the Suburbs was opened by Jordan O’shea, who is the owner of Whaletown Coffee up on Crookes, and Elle Brown, who was formerly a barista at Whaletown. The idea of it being situated in this location is because it was hoped that the cafe would offer an ethically sourced caffeine reward for local hillclimbers who have successfully scaled up the famously steep Conduit Road. Although the place is small, according to my count there is seating for about ten customers. When I sat down at a table in the corner, I noticed a few perusable books sitting around, including one featuring Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, whom I remember from my youth. There was also one on the films of the 1990s, back when I saw lots and lots of films, and a little gardening book as well, I suppose for when one isn’t at the cinema or streaming the latest releases. There are a few mirror balls sitting around, with one suspended from the ceiling, rotating and casting little dots on the walls and ceiling. And deli case displays a small selection of pastries.
As I sat quietly enjoying my drink, I watched as a customer ordered an iced latte to go. Considering that it was a ridiculously frigid day, I pondered the enigma of wanting to hold something iced in your hands while walking around outside in the frozen Arctic. But hey, to each his or her own.
While I was there I noticed a friend walking by, and I would expect to see even more people I know, because this location is right in the heart of this part of Crookes, just at the end of the small strip of shops that includes Ali’s News, Whitworth Chemist, and New Hing Wah, with the Cobden View Pub just around the corner.
And there is even more happening at Queen of the Suburbs since I visited in January, with a new book shop called Novel having been launched inside the cafe. Measuring a mere 2x2 metres, this pop-up store sells books recommended by the founders. So I'll definitely have to stop in again soon.
Speaking of literature reminds me of an email conversation from last year with my Bay Area friend about brain cells:
Here’s a short little article for your Halloween reading about how scientists have taught brain cells in a Petri dish how to play Pong.Related Links