MARCH 2022 | LOVE OF FOOD - COFFEE LOVERS

RECIPES • PEOPLE • GOOD FOOD

ATLANTA'S NEW LEADING GUIDE TO GREAT FOOD ISSUE NO. 09 | MARCH 2022

100+ LISTING OF

BLACK OWNED EATERIES & FOOD BRANDS

NOVEMBER 2021

CONTENTS 4

RECIPES FROM • PEOPLE •THE GOODFOODIE FOOD Message from The Editor....

5 THE CREW "...The Black Foodie Crew is out here doing it for the culture!!.....

6 RUSSELL WIGGINS "...Owner of Russell’s Gourmet Coffee, a coffee, beverage service, and distribution company, sits down with the Foodie Crew......

12 CASSANDRA NICHOLAS & HERMINA LEZAMA

"...Owners of Coffee Island Inc., a family coffee company......

15 GREAT COFFEE DRINKS... "...Be your own Barista .....

34 ADVERTISING RATE CARD 37 FOODIE GUIDE ATLANTA'S NEW LEADING GUIDE TO GREAT FOOD

LOVE OF FOOD - COFFEE LOVERS EDITION | 03

"Lyrically sweet, luxuriously chocolaty. Chocolate fudge, tamarind, sandalwood, narcissus, a hint of wine barrel in aroma and cup. Sweetly tart structure with vibrant, juicy acidity; plush, creamy mouthfeel. The finish resolves around chocolate fudge and tamarind with undertones of rich sandalwood" ....Believe it or not, this is a blind assessment of a popular medium roast coffee. I think it is safe to say that we do not normally use this lingo to describe our morning cup however, as consumers we highly value our morning 'pick-me-up' and cannot get through any morning without a good cup of Joe. Until I reached out to our featured coffee distributors, I wasn't aware of how serious and intense the coffee business was within our community. Being an avid almost chronic coffee drinker, I can definitely say that our morning 'pick-me-up' allows us to ultimately get through any morning.

We also enjoy and will continue to enjoy dark-to extreme-dark-roasted coffees, whether we are directed to our neighborhood Starbucks or to our favorite Black Owned online coffee house.

With the convenience of the internet, we have the ability to experience a wider range of distributors including our featured coffee houses. Black-owned coffee businesses are becoming extremely popular with a variety of choices for our maturing taste. From a seasonal 'Pumpkin Spice' to an 'After De Fete' year-round coffee our featured owners will introduce you to new flavors and coffee experiences.

So with that, enjoy and have a cup on us!

Deirdra & The Crew

THE CREW

Deirdra Massey, Editor Regina Barnes, Art Designer Joycelyn Wallace, Promotional Director Christa Vinson, Restaurant Content Director Sharon Dudley, Account Director Dorothy Simmons, Account Director Maya Massey, Social Media Director

Official Email: loveoffoodguide@gmail.com Official Phone: (404) 585-1179 Facebook @afoodieloveoffood | Instagram @afoodieloveoffood | Twitter @AFoodieLoveOfF1

LOVE OF FOOD - COFFEE LOVERS

EDITION | 05

Photo courtesy of Shoppe Black

Russel Wiggins, owner of Russell’s Gourmet Coffee, a coffee, beverage service, and distribution company, sits down with the Foodie Crew.

Russell’s Gourmet Coffee is a premier online gourmet coffee shop. They carry an extremely diverse selection of different roasts, blends, and beans. Russell’s gourmet coffee provides the highest quality coffee blends on the market. "We don’t see coffee as just a great beverage, but as a lifestyle." Whatever kind of coffee you like, Russell’s has it.

Russell's Gourment Coffee has specialty coffee, dessert coffee, and even chocolate-flavored coffees. Being a premier online gourmet coffee shop means that they take what they do very seriously and are dedicated to the cause of making everybody's morning just that much better.

What is the backstory on Russell Gourmet?

RUSSELL'S GOURMET COFFEE

The backstory is I started Russell's Gourmet Coffee when I was an executive for Xerox signing corporate and federal bids in NC, SC DC, and San Francisco. I noticed there were no minorities bidding on coffee contracts. So, I went to a small private coffee company in San Francisco to apply as their minority business arm, but they rejected me. So, I started my own coffee business and became a minority supplier of coffee beans, and started acquiring contracts such as The Port of Oakland & CBS local station in San Francisco. That expanded my business to events, shows, and eventually my own Coffee Art Cafe in Atlanta Ga. Once in Atlanta, I partnered with a few celebrities to expand my brand nationally and then began working with high schools teaching business 101 and entrepreneurship with my products within their school store.

What was the main reason for pursuing Atlanta for your location?

The main reason I came to Atlanta was to start my coffee business in an area that was open to new opportunities and fresh ideas.

Atlanta is a melting pot of people from all over the world and coffee is a beverage we all have in common. So, I used this niche and crafted out a lifestyle coffee brand. This allows me to sell coffee, teach about coffee, build corporate relationships, provide jobs, and encourage new entrepreneurs while giving them a better cup of coffee for their lifestyle.

LOVE OF FOOD - COFFEE LOVERS

EDITION | 07

What do you think the biggest reward has been from opening Russell Gourmet Coffee Company?

Was there any inspiration behind the concept and design of the Russell Gourmet Coffee brand?

I have always wanted my own business or several different streams of income. Xerox taught me how to be a businessman as well as diversify my portfolio. So, I found something interesting that wasn’t a conflict of interest that I could focus on.

That's how it got started. Plus, my family had a love for coffee when I was young and the smell would always wake me up every day.

If this is not too forward, Where do you get your coffee beans?

My beans are imported from Africa Indonesia, South America, and Jamaica.

Do you have any seasonal or special drinks in the works?

We do have seasonal estate coffees as well as delicious, flavored coffee and iced coffee. We have flavors such as pumpkin spice during the Christmas season a delicious Red Raspberry Chocolate doing the Valentine season and a wonderful Blueberry crumble flavor coffee on the 1st of Spring. But our ice coffee selection is year-round that consists of a Jamaican Rum French Vanilla, Tipsy beans which is a Scotch Whiskey flavor, and our famous Vanilla Carmel swirl.

The biggest reward from opening Russell's gourmet coffee has been My success with Campbell high school teaching kids about entrepreneurship. They helped me come up with ideas to expand my business by using their creative abilities and encouraging them on what it takes to run a business from an idea to reality. And now I have my coffee in Morehouse College, Microsoft’s Atlanta Campus, and a few other local stores.

What are the most satisfying aspects of owning your own brand?

There are a few things that I find satisfying about owning my own brand. I get an opportunity to be creative without anyone giving me backlash. I have an opportunity to teach, mold, and create. things for people who enjoy what I'm offering. That's the most satisfying gratitude that I get from owning my own brand.

"He was my cream, and I was his coffee - And when you poured us together, it was something."

LOVE OF FOOD LOVE OF FOOD - COFFEE LOVERS EDITION | 09

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LOVE OF FOOD - COFFEE LOVERS EDITION | 11

Cassandra and Hermina, are the owners of Coffee Island Inc., a family coffee company.

Coffee Island Inc. is a family business started by sisters with a dream and a love of coffee.

Coffee Island Inc. offers a taste of island paradise! Their mission is to acquire the world's finest coffees, roast them to our unique specifications and distribute them to our customers expediently. Our premium coffees are fire-roasted and hand-crafted to bring you the finest tasting brews in the world. Let us give you a taste of island paradise.

18

COFFEE ISLAND INC.

What is the backstory on Coffee Island?

Coffee Island Inc was first dreamed up by our Co-founder Hermina Lezama. When the pandemic started and she had to think about her next moves, it became a no-brainer to turn her love of coffee into a business. As she started getting the necessary pieces into place, her sister Cassandra Nicholas wanted to share in the love of coffee; thus, the Coffee Island Inc brand was born. Hermina and Cassandra work together to bring the best quality coffee in every order.

Was there any inspiration behind the concept and design of the Coffee Island brand?

The inspiration behind the brand is our island heritage. Being born in Trinidad and Tobago, we want to represent our country and the Caribbean. We want every cup of coffee to make you feel like you are on an island vacation or taking you back home.

Sharing our love of coffee to the world and putting our Caribbean vibes in the mix drives us to pursue a business in coffee every day.

What do you think the biggest reward has been from opening Coffee Island Company?

The biggest reward has been seeing people enjoy our roasts and sharing them with family and friends. Seeing people sitting around enjoying themselves and our coffee is the greatest reward and keeps us going every day.

LOVE OF FOOD - COFFEE LOVERS EDITION | 13

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COFFEE ISLAND INC.

What are the most satisfying aspects of owning your own brand?

We can put our personal spin on something that most people think is common. Coffee is everywhere, but there is no other brand like Coffee Island Inc. We are a family-owned brand by two women from Trinidad and Tobago that want to share their love of coffee and Caribbean vibes, How would you say Coffee Island is different from other coffee shops?

Coffee Island Inc brings authentic Caribbean vibes. We are bringing our family experiences and love into our brand. We want all our customers to feel like part of the Coffee Island Inc family with every cup. Once we open our physical locations, we will bring that experience directly to each customer that walks through our doors.

Every company that begins small and “authentic” eventually finds it hard to retain that image as it expands. How can you combat that?

Keeping true to ourselves and our mission. No one is like us, and we have to remember that we provide our unique experiences to the world. We share a piece of the islands for you to enjoy at home.

What are your plans for new sources of growth?

Growth for us means opening Coffee Island Inc coffee shops to feel the Caribbean experience. We plan to make Coffee Island Inc a household name from our unique drink recipes to the music and vibes.

coffee dictionary L O V E

O F

F O O D

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AFFOGATO The affogato is a dessert made with two main ingredients: vanilla ice cream and espresso.

Originally invented in Italy, the word “affogato” literally translates as “drowned” in English. This is fitting, as the affogato is no more than a scoop of ice cream “drowned” in espresso.

BARISTA The Barista Style Coffee can be best described as a premium coffee that resembles the taste of a coffee brewed using the traditional approach and accentuated the flavour by incorporating fine coffee beans. There are different barista coffee types; Macchiato, Flat White, Americano, Latte, and others.

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"I judge a restaurant by the bread and by the coffee."

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CAFFÈ AMERICANO The Americano, also known as Caffè Americano, is not just black coffee. The differences between Americano and “regular” (black or drip) coffee include their different brewing methods and types of grounds used. Black coffee is usually brewed in a drip coffee machine, while Americano is made using espresso shots with hot water added.

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ESPRESSO Espresso is a coffee-brewing method of Italian origin, in which a small amount of nearly boiling water is forced under 9–10 bars of pressure through finely-ground coffee beans. Espresso coffee can be made with a wide variety of coffee beans and roast degrees. Espresso is the most common way of making coffee in southern Europe, especially in Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal.

CAPPUCCINO Outside of Italy, cappuccino is a coffee drink that today is typically composed of a single espresso shot and hot milk, with the surface topped with foamed milk

LATTE A latte begins with the same base as a cappuccino — a single or double shot of espresso. The difference between the two is that the cappuccino is distinctly layered, while in a latte the espresso and steamed milk are mixed together.

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CAFFE MACCHIATO Caffè macchiato, sometimes called espresso macchiato, is an espresso coffee drink with a small amount of milk, usually foamed. In Italian, macchiato means "stained" or "spotted" so the literal translation of caffè macchiato is "stained” or “marked coffee.”

CORTADO A cortado is a beverage consisting of espresso mixed with a roughly equal amount of warm milk to reduce the acidity.

The milk in a cortado is steamed, but not frothy and "texturized" as in many Italian coffee drinks. The cortado comes from Spain, most likely Madrid, where it is commonly served.

"Once you wake up and smell the coffee, it's hard to go back to sleep."

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Love of Food is published 6 times per year. Every effort is made to verify all information provided in each edition. The content of each publication is meant to be a guide and does not reflect the editor's personal recommendations.

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“I think the key to the start of any good relationship is to remember how the other person likes their coffee.”

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