June 6, 2008
Brooklyn Barista Dominates Latte Art Throwdown!
A big crowd packed Joe on East 13th Street last night for New York’s first inter-cafe barista showdown, as representatives from some of the city’s top coffee houses competed in a Latte Art Throwdown to benefit American Red Cross relief efforts in Burma and China. In fact, so many spectators turned out to watch the competition – which was simulcast on the back wall – that they had to send out for more beer three times, “devolving from Sierra to cans of Bud Light,” according to event organizer Erin Meister.
To keep the playing field level, designs were strictly limited to rosettas – no latte lions allowed – and judges rated baristas not on taste, but symmetry, contrast, detail, and style. In the end, only one could claim the crown for most artsy barista, and that was “Danger” Dan Griffin of Williamsburg’s El Beit. Besides the fame, glory and groupies, Griffin walked with a $300 gift certificate to the fancy restaurant Eleven Madison Park, donated by Danny Meyer, and attendees raised about $650 for the Red Cross.
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that is beautiful!
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are you kidding? I JUST walked out the door of el beit 15 mins ago after having a lovely latte pulled by dan while everyone else ordered their iced coffees. He's the nicest barista ever, please don't spoil him!
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A $300 gift certificate? Why doesn't this guy just do the Virgin Mary in his latte foam and put it on Ebay?
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lattes are for douche bags.
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That's disappointing. All that hoopla and they raise barely more than twice the prize for the Red Cross.
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Yeah, but the gift certificate was donated. How much money have you raised for the Red Cross lately? We ended up with almost a thousand bucks at last count.
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Bah, I take it back. Sorry for being snarky; I guess I don't respond well to cynicism!