I Am Alert (but not alarmed)

Views from the Floor

kate says:

Damn shame those Eye-ties don't have a word for Espresso, or Local Independently Owned Cafe. I'd never realised that American marketing was so constrained by the Italian language.

Aaron says:

I'm not sure if you're being sarcastic or not, but the evil empire was started in Seattle, Washington. Only the inspiration came from Italy.

Virginia says:

Yeah, I was being sarcastic. In fact, I said to the counter-girl "I don't think 'tall' is an Italian word", and she looked at me blankly.

Aaron says:

Brilliant, that never even crossed my mind.

Cinnamon says:

Next time I order coffee in Italy I'll ask for a Venti (which means 20) and see if they know what I want.

Joseph says:

Totally off-topic, but now six days since the Cats won the night final and still no gloating?

Bob says:

I just happened to wander in here following a link, but it's for that reason I avoid SB like the plague everywhere in the world except the US, where it's almost impossible to get an espresso (without risking getting mugged). That and a philosophical objection to buying coffee from someone who thinks that a litre of goo called an 'extra tall grande caramel double decaf venetian with cinnamon chocolate sprinkles and a twist of lime'... is coffee.

But I'm just intolerant. I also get peeved in many cafes in Oz, where I ask for an espresso or a short black and get a ristretto. Whatever happened to the demi-tasse?

Speak, friend, and enter