brasil exports some of the best quality coffee in the world and provides a stable market price by supplying the largest amount of coffee on the market...
However.
Brasil coffee culture is quite different than that of north america and it is very difficult to find a quality espresso or espresso based drink.
I have tried supliciy and santo grau in sau paulo and amazonas in rio which were all pretty nice ...
alsterling Senior Member Joined: 28 Dec 2005 Posts: 625 Location: Dana Point, CA Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: La Spaziale S1 (Had Expo) Grinder: Macap M4 & Gaggia MDF Vac Pot: Not yet... Drip: Capresso MT-500 & Melitta... Roaster: Hottop Digital
Posted Wed Aug 22, 2007, 8:48pm Subject: Re: Sao Paulo specialty coffee?
This may or may not surprise you.................a response eventually comes in, even if it is one month out! :-) At least you've hit the two best spots in town......
I have a coffeegeek friend in Sao Paulo who works PT at Santo Grao; not for the money, just to spend time in and around the cafe. Anyway, he says that there are some new espresso cafes croping up. Don't ask me, ask him. I can't remember his comments as I won't be back until late this year or early next. You're welcome to email him and get the latest scoop.
alsterling Senior Member Joined: 28 Dec 2005 Posts: 625 Location: Dana Point, CA Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: La Spaziale S1 (Had Expo) Grinder: Macap M4 & Gaggia MDF Vac Pot: Not yet... Drip: Capresso MT-500 & Melitta... Roaster: Hottop Digital
Posted Sun Aug 26, 2007, 9:00am Subject: Re: Sao Paulo specialty coffee?
Jason,
Best of everything to you and your fiance'. Some of our friends met their Brasilian wives while "on mission" in Brasil. I sorta' smile when I met a young guy, about your age, who tells me that he's been to Brasil. If he's clean cut and I know he doesn't smoke (big smile right now) I anticipate that he did his Mission in Brasil. There are more Mormon missionaries in Brasil than any other country or region in the World. Aside from doing a youthful religious trip, many of my older friends met their wives during business relocations, where they were sent by their corporation for an extended managament stay. I, on the total other hand, met my wife, many years ago, here in the States. All of us guys feel very fortunate. It's a great culture and in many cases, brings strong family ties into the marriage. That means alot of family support. If that happens, it's a great bonus in these days of the decentralized family life style.
I won't guess where your wife is from, as even though you may have met her in SP, or on the Coast, her home could be anywhere. We have family in the interior; Brasilia, Goiania, Anapolis, Uberlandia. We also have friends and family in SP and Rio. One thing I can share with you is that many Brasilian wives, when they leave Brasil for North America, go through a period of "homesickness." That's the simplest way of putting it. It's really important to have some support, maybe Brasilian friends, and definitely a Brasilian home cooked meal every now and then. I don't know your situation, and can only humbly offer these thoughts. I believe Montreal, if that's where you're settled, has a substantial Brasilian population. Of course, New York, if you ever make it there, is another major market. I've only visited Canada in the Vancouver area, and know that the entire West Coast of the US up to and including Vancouver has large pockets of Brasilians. In any case, and you may well know this, many Brassilians come from large families with a very special closeness. I've found that regardless of personality, artist, deep thinker, professional, home maker........they all miss Brasil, and I don't find that hard to understand.
By the way, and to get it back to "coffee".........and although I have access to green coffee from Brasil, we buy our traditional "cafe" for "cafezinho" at our local latin import markets. Here in SoCal, the coffee comes through Miami, and is sold for about $4.50 a pak. We used to get Cafe do Ponto, then Cafe Pilao, and now, because it seems there's a problem importing Pilao brand, we're seeing Cabocla brand.
When you get back to SP, Edson will gladly join you for coffee. My wife returns in a couple weeks, and as we usually do, finish our trips in SP. I couldn't go this trip, and look forward to my next trip with great anticipation. I may just fly into SP and then drive directly to Sul de Minas for another coffee trip.
Again, good luck, Al
Member No.12047 - SCAA "Space Available Here for Something Really Prolific"
Funks Senior Member Joined: 17 Mar 2004 Posts: 85 Location: Montreal Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Silvia Grinder: MD40 Drip: bodum Roaster: for someone else to do well
Posted Sun Aug 26, 2007, 10:16am Subject: Re: Sao Paulo specialty coffee?
Thanks for the advice... I met her here in montreal but immigration for her to come back is a long process... I am very aware of the adaptation and prepared to deal with it... I love cooking as well as coffee so making a fijoadah or some other nice treat will be fun for me to do :).
I wont be back to SP before march or so but talking coffee with someone from the business next time should be fun... Im workig on my own project in the mean time.
alsterling Senior Member Joined: 28 Dec 2005 Posts: 625 Location: Dana Point, CA Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: La Spaziale S1 (Had Expo) Grinder: Macap M4 & Gaggia MDF Vac Pot: Not yet... Drip: Capresso MT-500 & Melitta... Roaster: Hottop Digital
Posted Sun Aug 26, 2007, 2:41pm Subject: Re: Sao Paulo specialty coffee?
Funks Said:
Thanks for the advice... I met her here in montreal but immigration for her to come back is a long process... I am very aware of the adaptation and prepared to deal with it... I love cooking as well as coffee so making a fijoadah or some other nice treat will be fun for me to do :).
I wont be back to SP before march or so but talking coffee with someone from the business next time should be fun... Im workig on my own project in the mean time.
Well, sounds like you have things covered. Unfortunately, immigration is getting a bit sticky here in the US, as our government makes it hard on those that should have it easier, and easy on those that are only looking for a handout......go figure!? Our close family friend and attorney from Sao Paulo stayed with us late last year through early this year, and had one hell of a time simply visiting BC. He'd been all over the world, visiting China, Viet Nam, Cuba, you name it....and he's a well established atty. in Sao Paulo. The Canadian consulate here in L.A. made him jump through hoops. It really pissed me off, as here in SoCal we're so damn liberal that we end up letting felons enter, commit a crime, then reenter. Canada tightened their requirements, I believe, like Brasil did a few years ago with Americans, simply because of political issues. The US tightened things up for Brasilians along with other countries, and then in retaliation Brasil got rediculous. Three years back or so, I, along with 15 other Americans, had to wait in a special line upon entry. All other countries passed through. We stood watching Brasilian immigration stooges stare into space, just stalling to show that they could do it. It wasn't pleasant, and frankly, made for horrible public relations. But then, it showed just how childish governments can be. I really hope you don't encounter any unnecessary problems.
Best, Al
Member No.12047 - SCAA "Space Available Here for Something Really Prolific"
Unfortunatelly we are having a generation of governors with no brains, not only in Brazil, US, Venezuela, Colombia, but all around the world... I can talk a lot about Brazils political situation because I'm envolved in some Young Entrepreneurs Associations here and still trying to make a better future for us...
Buuuut.. talking about coffee, Sylvia Magalhaes is not at Bunn Cafe anymore, she sold it for Vinicius some years ago and started working for a politician called " Quercia", who has a lot of coffee farms next to Sao Paulo, and is now investing a lot in this Specialty coffee business, but she keeps giving some Barista lessons at Santo Grao Cafe sometimes.
I've heard that Vinicius has already sold his business for somebody else, but I'm not updated about it, may be some time this week I'll go visit bunn cafe again and check how's it going...
By the way, I've just started a photoalbum about coffeeshops here in Sao Paulo..
I just spent the last couple minutes going through all of your pictures. I really enjoyed seeing Santo Grao and Suplicy from angles other than my video camera! As for Sao Paulo, my wife is going to arrive in Sao Paulo on Sunday night, and will be traveling with her Aunt and Cassio to visit friends and family. I really, really, wish I were there again for this trip. Unfortunately, I have too much to do, and will be doing business travel through the end of the year....traveling throughout the Western US and up to Canada.
The photos you took of some of the shops I've never visited, like Havana, tells me that I need to go back to catch up on what's happening. Maybe early next year? I see that Nespresso has built something that is very much like an "Apple-Macintosh Store." Here, the pod machines are not doing that well, at least from my point of view. I've seen promotional tables at some of our kitchen stores, but the coffee isn't espresso to me, it's more like somewhat medium strength drip brew.
Thanks again for the photos!
Best, Al in SoCal
Member No.12047 - SCAA "Space Available Here for Something Really Prolific"
yemanha Senior Member Joined: 9 Apr 2005 Posts: 10 Location: Brazil Expertise: Professional
Espresso: La Marzocco Linea AV 2G,... Grinder: Mahlkönig K30ES Drip: Clover
Posted Sat Feb 2, 2008, 6:10pm Subject: Re: Sao Paulo specialty coffee?
Ed is certainly a great coffeeshop guide for Sao Paulo. ;-) If you want on top of this any indications for places outside Sao Paulo you can email me. For example "Grao em Grao" in Rio, "Feito a Grao" and Portela Cafe in Salvador, Cafe Castagno in Fortaleza.....
Quality in the nationa market is improving here in Brazil a little bit every day.
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