Morning Coffee...

So, it goes like this, would you like some coffee? Yes, please! Minutes later the Irishman begins to orchestrate a symphony heralding the morning. The electric kettle brings water to a near boil, the cozy hum soon overtaken by the percussion of coffee beans in the grinder, releasing the intoxicating aroma of what's to come.

Meanwhile, Gappolini, aka Miles, the household feline sentinel oversees the proceedings from his favored kitchen perch. The occasional meow punctuates the morning tranquility as the Irishman continues the ritual of the morning's first coffee of the day.

The Irishman has mastered morning coffee, whether making perfect lattes from his espresso machine at home or steaming cups of coffee from my cherished bright orange Le Creuset French press pot.

Some mornings, the coffee is fortified with a touch of the Irish, if you know what I mean, making the already delicious coffee, just a little happier. The Irishman has a twist on the classic Irish Coffee, which many a local barman has mastered with tutelage from the Irishman, called The Black Eye. Two shots of espresso, one shot of Baileys Irish Cream, and one shot of Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey, in a coffee mug, topped off with freshly brewed coffee. When asked why he calls it a Black Eye, the Irishman answers with an ever-present twinkle in his eye, it packs a punch.

Despite the Irishman's much-appreciated efforts at home, we invariably return to the Buena Vista Cafe. Here we indulge in take-out doubles of perfectly crafted Irish Coffees. One of the secrets behind the infamous coffee is to age the heavy cream a process that ensures the velvety layer remains delicately afloat atop the whiskey and sugar-infused coffee. The takeout versions are perfect when sitting at the water's edge as we watch the world by.

The Buena Vista Irish Coffee

1.5 ounces Tullamore Dew Irish whiskey

Hot brewed coffee (Buena Vista uses Peerless, roasted in Oakland), I use Graffeo, roasted in San Francisco

2 sugar cubes

Heavy whipped cream

Grab a glass mug and begin with a hot water rinse for warmth.

Add the hot coffee and stir in the sugar cubes until fully dissolved. Stir in the whiskey. Finally, gently pour a spoon-sized dollop of thick cream on top. (The Buena Vista ages its cream for 48 hours, making it hardy enough to float atop the hot coffee until all the obligatory photos have been snapped.)

Bia maith leat.  Bon Appetit. Spis godt