Field trip: San Luis Obispo

Taken from the train just off Point Conception, two wrecked sailboats on the beach

Monday morning I headed north on Amtrak's scenic Surfliner, from Santa Barbara to San Luis Obispo. The Surfliner is a Euro-style, commuter with a double-decker cabin. It travels a lovely stretch of rail and boasts access to portions of the coast that have no roads. North of Gaviota the highway moves inland and this historic line, part of the Coast Starlight, stays coastal all the way around Point Conception.

Though I love riding the rail, the reason for the trip was training and coffee delivery.

Bello Mundo is charming cafe of only 280 square feet. Disappointed by the demise of Ecco Cafe, Bello Mundo has been searching for a new provider and as of Monday, features Handlebar Coffee Roasters.

We had a great day and some great conversation. We talked about brewing ratio and how increased dosage contributes to under extraction. This is an often miss understood concept and grasping it helps Baristas to gain some clarity on what's happening with the espresso.

A first for me as a trainer was, "Baca said..." Training in the Northwest I'm accustomed to "Ryan Wilber said" or "Jen Prince said.." Im in a new region with a new peer group and it's a privilege to work in this space.

A big step for Handlebar

The Surfliner offers no shortage of good views