About MsC

If you were hoping for a carefully crafted description of my physique, a demonstration of my stellar sense of humor, or witty remark that conveys my stunning intellect, then you may have inadvertently hit the wrong link in google. Sorry about that. Be comforted by the fact that you’re probably not the first to make that same mistake. But now that you’re here, why not look around. I promise I won’t shy away in telling you more about what I expect in a good cup of coffee.

Just to help you out with what this blog is about, I’ve prepared the following FAQ.

1) What is Man Seeking Coffee?

Man Seeking Coffee is my humble contribution to the coffee-centric, food-writing world of blogs. Part travelogue, part review, it’s a record of my successes (and failures) seeking out great cups of coffee.

2) Why should I read Man Seeking Coffee?

Because you like coffee. As I see it, this blog will: a) allow you to live vicariously through my coffee seeking adventures, b) serve as a resource for coffee research of your own, c) provide you with an opinion to corroborate your own, already well-established opinion of various coffee you’ve already tried, or d) give you an occasion to vehemently disagree with my opinion and to post a comment of your own.

4) What coffee expertise do you have?

A passion for great coffee. A long trail of good money thrown after bad coffee. A mild caffeine addiction. Endless charm and wit. O.K. I don’t have an answer. Please see question 2.

5) Do you have a set of principles guiding your search?

Well, nothing I’d nail to the door of the Castle Church. I just like to call them ground rules. Here they are.

Rule #1 – Keep your eye on the prize. Think about what you drink.

Plenty of sites already discuss cafe culture, brewing, grinding, tamping, latte art, roasting, barrista contests, coffee equipment, etc. I love them all. But what I really care about is a good cup of coffee. I may mention one or all of these things, but only a means to an end.

Rule #2 – Coffee comes in many forms, shapes and sizes.

I applaud espresso purists. Your dedication to a single beverage is admirable, and I’m jealous of your ability to standardize your approach. I also have to admit that if you know espresso, you probably know the other stuff as well. I’ve decided to take a different tack. I’m going to sacrifice uniformity and go for nuance. Someone may have perfectly fine espresso, but amazing drip coffee. If so, I’d want to know. Or, I’m just lazy and not very disciplined.

Rule #3 – There’s no place I won’t look for a good cup of coffee.

In full disclosure, this blog will have a Bay Area bent because that’s where I live and that’s where I drink most of my coffee, but I look for good coffee wherever I go. I also may write about something other than cafes – mail order beans, diners, hotel rooms, or supermarkets are all fair game – assuming I have some reason to believe that the coffee might just be good.

Rule #4 – Bring enough to share with others.

No. I’m not starting a mail-order business, but I will share what I drank, where I got it and what I think. I even have a rating system of sorts so you know whether that cup of coffee is worth your time. How do you know you can trust me? See question 2.

Thanks. Now on to the coffee…