Behind the Scenes with Two Baristas

Baristas: they’re the heroes of the morning.  They know your drink when you walk in the door or when they see your car coming in a drive-through. They also know the personal details of dozens of customers. Here two former baristas dish on what it’s really like to work behind the espresso bar and what the average customer might not know.

What is so fancy about pouring a cup of coffee that it requires a professional? There’s more to what they do than mix grounds and water. Leah White was a barista for six years at the Java Haus in Snohomish.

“Coffee to me is science! I can spend all day mixing things together seeing what taste good or bad,” said White.

Many coffee drinkers have taken the first sip and noticed that it’s bitter or doesn’t taste as good as yesterday’s. Kristian Rizuto, who formerly worked at Rainy Days Café in Lake Stevens said the way shots pull from the espresso machine determines how it will taste. She said you can visually tell if a shot is going to be good depending on the color. It should be dark at the bottom and fade to a light caramel on top.

“If it’s a good shot,” said Rizuto, you need to, “immediately put something in shots to preserve the flavor of the shot.” Milk or flavor will do, but if a shot sits unattended it will end up tasting bitter.

When it comes to flavor Rizuto believes the grind is more important than the particular roast of coffee. She admits, “We bought our beans from Costco and nobody noticed when we made the switch.”

On taste White said, “The same coffee will taste different to everyone. One person’s sweet is another person’s ‘Blah!’”

Making coffee isn’t usually classified as a dangerous job, but it does have some hazards. Steamed milk for lattes is usually heated to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. If a customer requests an extra hot drink, the milk can explode splashing onto the barista. Rizuto often wore an apron to protect her clothes, but said most of the damage hit her shoes. White has been burned as well, but says it doesn’t happen often, “once you develop a rhythm.”

Another job hazard is dealing with silly questions from customers. One of Rizuto’s favorites was when people asked for a “caramel macchiato upside down.”  She explained the order of the ingredients is what makes a macchiato and an inverted caramel macchiato is simply a latte with vanilla and caramel flavors. It sounds simple, but she warned against arguing with or trying to educate customers, especially before they’ve had their coffee.

According to White the worst questions are the ones that are never asked – like when a customer never asks for flavor then complains it’s not sweet.

A big part of the job is socializing, according to White. Customers sometimes overshare, or treat their barista like a therapist.

“There are times when there is a lonely customer, someone who had a bad day, or lost a cat and they will vent to me,” said White. It “begins with, me saying ‘Hi.’ After I greet a customer they tell me all their issues but I don’t mind.”

Rizuto had a similar experience. “I knew everything about that man’s life,” she said about a customer who frequented the coffee shop.

For all the things going on behind the counter, from feisty customers to spilled milk, baristas handle it all and usually still have a smile for the next person in line. 

Returning Home: Inside Proper Joe's Coffeehouse

Aaron Donohue fell in love with coffee in the 1990’s in a coffee shop up the street from where Proper Joe’s is located. He recounts, “They were selling cappuccinos and bagels, and I was like, ‘what is this stuff!’” Snohomish is a town where coffee stands dot nearly every street corner, and there is no shortage of Starbucks or coffee shops. Proper Joe’s coffeehouse has joined one of the many businesses in Snohomish serving coffee. Formerly Rock City Café, Aaron Donohue bought the establishment last April and reinvented it.

“I have always wanted to own a coffee shop” He says. Donohue and his wife grew up in Snohomish then moved to Seattle, where he played music and worked in various coffee shops.  “If you played music in Seattle, chances are you’ve poured some coffee.”  He and his wife thought about opening a coffeehouse in Seattle but chose not to because the market there is really competitive.

Snohomish “is a special little town” says Donohue. When he and his wife returned to their hometown the possibility of opening a coffeehouse came alive. “If we’re not going to do it now, we’re never going to” they decided. While looking for a place to open a coffeehouse, Donohue’s mother discovered Rock City Café and found out it was for sale. Donohue remembers, “I made an offer the next day.”

Along with the business, Donohue bought the espresso blend from former owner Christopher Dayton who had spent seven years perfecting it. Unlike many other places, Proper Joe’s grinds and roasts its own coffee in-store every morning.  The former owner’s son Julian Dayton continued as a barista for some time and often tells customers about the amazing coffee.

 The espresso blend at Proper Joe’s is a mixture of Brazilian and Sumatran coffee.  Donohue describes the taste as having a, “really full body with a kind of spicy acidity, almost peppery.” He says it has earthy undertones and the “smoothness comes from Sumatra.” They also grind the coffee extremely fine. Dayton credits how good it tastes to being freshly roasted.

“I started roasting coffee on the stove using a Worthy Pop popcorn-maker” says Donohue. In addition to the espresso blend, he now sells and roasts single origin Tanzanian, Sumatran and Guatemalan coffee. He is working on a few others, including organic decaffeinated Guatemalan coffee and organic coffee from New Guinea. Costa Rican and Papua New Guinea and Ethiopian, which he hopes will be available by the end of the month.

Aside from bringing new blends of coffee, Donohue and his wife, Angela re-did the interior when they bought the place. Within a few weeks new paint and new furniture led to an altogether new atmosphere. There’s a red couch in front of a brick wall with string lights hung near the ceiling. It’s a popular place for customers to sit while waiting for their drink, or just to hang out. The coffeehouse is usually quiet with oldies music playing in the background. Regular patron Sarah Casel says there’s “always fun music” and compares the atmosphere to the ever popular Spotted Cow in Mill Creek.

Donohue says he wanted to do something that felt like what you walked into 20 years ago in his own coffeehouse. “I love this neighborhood” he says of historic downtown Snohomish. You can pay a visit and taste for yourself at 1101 First St, Snohomish, Washington.

A Guide to Everett's Nightlife

If you ever spent time in Everett you are sure to have herd others complaining about the lack of things to do in town, and they couldn’t be more wrong. There are many things to do during the day but the nightlife is something that tends to stand out above the rest, but many of the great places aren’t well known.

If you’re of drinking age and like the bar scene it’s easy to find things to do any night of the week. One of the most talked about things to do at night is the Hewitt run. For those who aren’t from the area there is a street, Hewitt Ave, with bars all the way down to the waterfront.

The Hewitt run is shorter now then it was in the past, most anyone who participates in the Hewitt run starts from either the Anchor, which is on the end of near the water or the Y Nott, near Broadway. The Hewitt run is a favorite for 21^st birthdays since you are usually able to get free birthday drinks at each bar.

The Anchor is another fantastic place to spend your night with friends and an overall good crowd.  With a large calendar on the wall you are able to see the different events they have going on each month. They are always having someone come in a play live music on the stage with room to dance in front and in the summer months, you can find a large garage like door opened to a gated area where you can enjoy the music while staying cool.

Kenny Wilson, a regular at the Anchor, says “I enjoy the atmosphere as far as the music and the people who work there.” The people who work there are about the same age as the customers making it easy to strike up a conversation with them.

If you do decided to venture to the Anchor be sure to pay attention to the train tracks near. They serve “train beers” which means when a train goes get in line at the bar and you get a one dollar schooner.

Machael Decelles, who lives near downtown Everett, has done her fair share of bar hopping through the city but one stands out the most for her, Tony V’s Garage. Decelles says “They have all styles of music and a good surrounding people, a good set up and it’s just a good time.”

If you are looking for a more calm environment, The White Buffalo might be more your style. With TV’s mounted all around and typically softer music compared to the others it’s a good place for people who just want to hang out and enjoy their friends.

The White Buffalo is also filled with pool tables, enough that you are almost always sure to have a place to play. To make it even better they offer free pool every Monday.  It, however, is not part of the Hewitt run. 

The problem with Everett is not its lack of things to do but many people aren’t aware of the hidden gems in the city. If you spend a little time looking and trying out the different places you are sure to find a place that fits you perfectly.