By Eric W. Schoen
As we near by the end of the year my 500th column, you know my love for coffee. I’m not an all day coffee drinker but I like my morning jolt. Preference is 4 ristretto shots (a little stronger than espresso shots), venti (Starbucks terminology) cup, 5 Stevia and a splash of half and half and a splash of 2% milk. All over ice.
At the start of the Covid 19 pandemic a friend from Italy (who also owns a pizzeria so he has food credibility) told me to stop drinking the cold beverages. A hot beverage will kill Covid 19 when you drink it as it doesn’t like hot environments. Cold beverages don’t do that and let Covid 19 live in your throat.
So for 3 months I pretty much drank hot coffee everyday. My theory with hot coffee. The best hot coffee is sold at the places that have specials where they charge $1 for any size. I don’t know if it’s the fact that the coffee is always fresh because they are brewing it constantly or if they hope that when you pay $1 for coffee you will buy other accompaniments (bagels, pastries, sandwiches).
So with the 7-Eleven app I can get a large hot coffee for $1 (I like their hazelnut), add a free espresso shot (they have them in little cups), my sweetener, splash of Hazelnut coffee creamer and splash of fat free half and half and be on my way, no Barista required.
Fast forward 3 months. I go to my doctor for a regular appointment, and my doctor who is of Italian descent tells me that what my Italian pizzeria owner friend told me is incorrect and I can go ahead and drink iced coffee. Gotta listen to your Doctor.
So lately when it comes to coffee I have been all over the place. The coffee is important to me, but the freedom to make it the way I like it is most important. Don’t get me wrong. I still love my Starbucks baristas, but I want to put my own condiments in my coffee. I like it perfect.
Mind you this whole coffee thing is based on limiting the ability for you to get Covid 19. And I have yet to figure out who is making the decision as to what condiments I can put in my coffee safely and what condiments the barista or store clerk needs to put in. And the condiment escapade is all over the place.
In terms of coffee freedom 7-Eleven gives you the most freedom and greatest choices all for a $1 any size, free shot of espresso included. You take a cup, fill it with hot coffee of your choice, and add the milk and sweetener all by your self. You even have the freedom to taste it to make sure it’s just right. Put the lid on, pay and I am out of there.
Now Starbucks, a place I have been going to since the first one opened in Bronxville many years ago gives you the least freedom. The Barista prepares your beverage and you must tell him or her what condiments you want in it, sweetener and creamer. If they think they are going to spread Covid 19 by giving you the sweetener packets to put in yourself and the ability to add milk or cream, someone really needs to give the corporate guy or gal making this decision a psychological evaluation.
I have discovered Panera with several locations in Westchester and their coffee is good and their prep model is sorta of hybrid. They have a good deal now. For $9 a month you can get any size iced or hot coffee you want every 2 hours everyday,You must tell the clerk how many packets and what kind of sweetener you want and they physically hand you the packets. No packets on the table where you dispense hot coffee yourself. Cold coffee is dispensed by the clerk behind the counter who gives you the sweetener packets and the creamer is on the counter for you to add as you please.
All of this coffee craziness is done with the goal of stopping any Coronavirus spread. Who are they kidding!
Same mishegas (Yiddish word for craziness) goes for fountain soda, the soda water that is mixed with syrup when it enters your cup vs. bottles or cans pre-made and sealed. I don’t drink this stuff often, but again 7-Eleven gives you the most freedom. Pour away your fountain soda into your cup, put the lid on and you are set to go. Target cafes have eliminated fountain soda, Panera let’s you pour your own, and many McDonalds have eliminated fountain soda period.
All of this craziness with the hope of stopping the spread of Covid-19. Are you kidding me! These policies are not written down anywhere in the laws of the land. It’s just some high paid corporate executive without a medical degree probably making a lot of money making these stupid decisions instead of focusing on customer service.
Now after you drink the hot coffee, cold coffee or fountain soda you have to go to the bathroom. And some places (like the Burger King on Central Avenue in Yonkers across from Cross County Center) have either closed their bathrooms or closed sinks or stalls.And the federal, state and local governments keep saying wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds? How do they expect you to do this when the bathroom is closed.
The sinks with with the water dispensers where you push down and your get 5 seconds of water need to be adjusted to 20 seconds. Soap must be available. And to properly preform the hand washing procedure, you need real paper towels not those stupid hand drying machines. The towels allow you to turn on the water without touching anything with your bare hands,and take a fresh towel to dry your hands and if need be turn the water off.
By the way, if the bathroom is closed and they claim it’s because of the pandemic, tell them to open the damn doors and stop being stupid. Do they tell their employees they can’t go to the bathroom and wash their hands? If they do the employees should call the Department of Labor. And don’t eat there, even drink a cup of coffee!
We are all going a bit crazy during this pandemic, yours truly included. Time to get back in touch with reality!
SOME CLOSING NOTES: We lost a giant with the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Don’t like the Judge the president appointed to replace her? Picketing in Yonkers won’t work. Take yourself to a state where a Senator is up for re-election who supports the candidate and put pressure on that Senator either not to vote for her or to hold off the appointment until after a new President is sworn in. 2 more votes is all that is needed to block the appointment!
CENSUS numbers are low in Yonkers. Community groups and individuals should be devoting their time to getting people to complete the census and register to vote. Instead of blasting noise from a stupid truck about the census as they are doing in Yonkers, put people in key locations to have folks fill out census forms and register to vote!
Reach Eric Schoen at thistooisyonkers@aol.com. Follow him on Twitter @ericyonkers. Listen to Eric Schoen and Dan Murphy on the Westchester Rising Radio Show Thursday’s from 10-11 a.m. On WVOX 1460 AM, go to WVOX.com and click the arrow to listen to the live stream or download the WVOX app from the App Store free of charge.
