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A Starbucks Virgin
When our local Dairy Queen closed down last year in favor of a Starbucks, I wasn't real happy. I was sort of a regular at Dairy Queen, unable to resist their Peanut Buster Parfait Cluster or their Banana Splits. Those flame-grilled burgers weren't bad either.
Not being a coffee drinker, I wasn't interested in Starbucks. Perhaps half the world have been in a Starbucks establishment, but not me. Not until a day or two before Christmas. A friend, let's call her RT, was in town and we decided to meet to update our lives. Not that mine has that much to update, but I figured I wouldn't turn down the chance to spend the afternoon with a nice girl with a pretty face.
She suggested a stop at Starbucks. I wasn't sure what to expect. Coffee doesn't interest me, but in the past few years I've come to enjoy a vanilla chai. Do they have that at Starbucks? Or, maybe on this cold winter's day I could have a simple hot chocolate.
When we entered the Plattsburgh version of Starbucks, I noticed that there were six female customers and one male. The women were talking quietly at little tables, while the guy was focused on his laptop computer.
RT, a regular at Starbucks in Albany, was my mentor as I tried to select something to drink. She showed me the menu. "Drink options to fit the way you live." That's on the front of the menu. OK. I'll have the "Foxy Gagnon eBay videotaping chillin' with friends havin' fun vanilla chai."
That wasn't on the menu, despite the claim "we offer up to 87,000 different drink combinations." It's time for them to add one more drink with whole milk, lots of whipped cream and plenty of chocolate. There was no way I could figure out the menu, so I simply said to RT, "Order me a hot chocolate."
"What size?" she asked.
"Medium," I retorted. Problem is -- at Starbucks there is no medium. You can order a "tall," which is really the smallest of the three size categories. "Tall is the smallest?" I asked RT. She smiled. She knew I was a Starbucks virgin, and I was in over my head.
I can handle Dunkin' Donuts, but Starbucks is too much for this North Country guy. "Do you want tall, grande or venti?" RT asked with a smile.
"Just pick one," I said as the customers behind us stared at me. They knew I was a Starbucks virgin, too. I ended up with a "whole milk hot chocolate without whipped cream grande" and RT ordered some six-word tea drink.
I decided to set the menu down rather than discover how many calories my drink contained. Had I been more experienced, I could have checked how much total fat, trans fat, saturated fat, dietary fiber, protein, vitamins, sugars and iron were in my "grande."
I'm not sure that I've fully recovered from my first time at Starbucks. I'm not sure I'll even go back. My friends Jack and Lynn like it there. They like the atmosphere and the beverages.
But it's just a little too much for me. I don't know the difference between brewed coffee, espresso, caffe Americano, caffe latte, caffe mocha, cappuccino, hot chocolate, chai, frappuccino and nearly 87,000 other possibilities.
I think you might need a masters degree just to work there. And the good people at Starbucks sure are environmentally conscious. I drank my complicated-name hot chocolate out of a "first-ever 10% post-consumer fiber cup" with a "60% post-consumer fiber sleeve." That's something good, isn't it?
Even their napkins make a point: "Less napkins. More plants." I put three napkins back on the counter for someone else.
The Starbucks menu reminds us, "You're in control of what goes into your drink, so you're in control of what goes into your body." I'll have to keep that in mind the next time I order my extra hot bucket of wings! What? No bucket of wings at Starbucks?
Comments
I have been in the Plattsburgh Starbucks 3 times since it has opened and each time I was working and making a delivery; beyond that, give me my medium Decaf, 4 and 4, and 2 chocolate frosted at Dunkin Donuts. $3 for good coffee and donuts as opposed to $4-5 just for the coffee at Starbucks. My daughter Megan loves Starbucks and I surprise her now and then with a Starbucks giftcard.
Starbucks has mentioned that it will be slowing its growth and may even close some of its underperforming stores so I will be curious to see if our Starbucks survives, as the parking lot is fairly empty whenever I drive by and the (over-priced) ice cream shop next door has closed.
(Foxy, I haven't been able to participate for the same reason Goose hasn't--I kept getting knocked off after just a few seconds. I use Internet Explorer but it seems to be working fine now. Happy New Year!)
(Foxy's note: Great to have you back, UPS Dave.)
Posted by: UPS Dave | January 11, 2008 8:31 PM
Well hey, I know they are a little expensive but Starbucks does serve good to great coffee depending on the beans they are using. My favorite is Sulawesi then Sumatra, both come from the Java Islands. Starbucks blends beans from different geographical areas - Yukon/Gold Coast/Cafe Verona are all great choices. That Starbucks on Route 3 is a very nice one also - you can even sit outside & enjoy the fresh air. Some of us require caffeine on a daily basis. I don't spend much on alcohol or tobacco - an occasional drink or cigar - so I have $$ to splurge on caffeine. If you haven't tried a good hot arabica bean coffee and a Honduran cigar for breakfast you're missing out. Give it a try, Foxy.
(Foxy's note: Oh, my, Miney, that would be a big change from my Egg McMuffin!)
Posted by: Miney Rowlson | January 2, 2008 8:21 AM
Glad you discovered Starbucks, it's all about the experience and the culture. And the fresh brew when you enter.
As far as those shots against Canadians and tipping (TBI) I have a letter to the editor in the December 26th PR that gives my thoughts.
Posted by: norm | January 1, 2008 2:47 PM
Foxy,
Just returned from out west and have been out of circulation. Wished I could have jumped on the bandwagon on the last blog. The North Country has had a lot of great catchers, runners and many other superb athletes. When one brings up gymnatics I will throw out 2 names who were not only the best all round gymnasts several years running but were also CVAC MVP's in Volleyball. These ladies, Micki Flynn and Shana Fessette went onto very successul college careers as well in volleyball.
Also, for the record, the only time I was a retriever was when Miney was pitching.
Bullet -- As for Starbucks, to each his/her own.
Posted by: Bullet | December 31, 2007 12:21 PM
Fox,
I,too, am a Starbucks virgin and I have no plans to lose that virginity any time soon. I don't particularly care for coffee, even if I do love the smell of fresh ground coffee beans or fresh brewed coffee. The closest I get to a cup of coffee is when I order a french vanilla cappachino at one of our local convenience stores. No, it's not gourmet. No, it doesn't have a well known name on the cup. Yes, it tastes really good. Best of all, it only costs me $1.25 for a 20 ounce cup.
Starbucks strikes me as no different than when I was in high school and you weren't considered "in" unless you wore this brand of jeans or that brand of tennis shoes. In other words, I'm sticking with what I'm comfortable with, regardless of what everyone else is doing. Conformity....never had it, never will!
Posted by: Kathy | December 30, 2007 11:09 PM
Foxy,
I, as well as many other North Countriers, have found the secret to affordable gourmet dining in Plattsburgh. If you want a real dining experience linked to Starbucks, get a late, grande, mochiata, decaf with Madagascar cinnamon sprinkle and low fat cream to-go and head out the door. (It looks cool if you walk around with the brown cup in hand) Then head West up Rte 3.
No, don’t think road kill or the fast-fooderies, head directly to SAM’s Club while the coffee is still hot. Talk about good dining. I took the little lady there again yesterday (we try to make it 3-4 times per week) and were delighted with the selection. I especially enjoy the Saturday & Sunday brunches. At times the lines are long and unruly, but the wait is worth it and you’ll stand out with your Starbucks cup in full grasp. We dined on small portions, a good idea since we’re all watching our weight up here on the tundra, and the selection was to die for. They had shrimp, chimichangas, spicy sausage, cheesecake, and there was even a water sampling to wash it all down. A quick trip to the rest room where we dumped our cup and we were set for the day.
I saw Tom-A-Hawk there promising free memberships to city residents, and I think there was money exchanging hands. It’s not only a great place for dining, but also a great place for politicking. The Donald better watch his back, I know my vote is now on the fence. One can only hope the Canadians don’t find out about this place, especially since you don’t have to tip the servers. Your total cost is the $4+ you paid at Starbucks, but it’s worth it since everyone will appreciate your discriminating tastes.
I can’t wait until they get some of those steamed clams I keep asking for. See you there, and remember, be kind to runners & cyclists.…TBI
Posted by: Forrest | December 30, 2007 10:11 AM
Foxy,
Congratulations on losing your virginity. I think the Carver had a pool going, on when it would happen.
Craig Mathews
Posted by: Craig Mathews | December 30, 2007 8:55 AM