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Roslindale Square getting some high-octane coffee

Roslindale Village Main Street reports that Fornax on Corinth Street, which is best known for its bread, has purchased an espresso machine and is currently hiring a barista to run it.

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Comments

Shut it down!

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BOA or the Village Market parking lot maybe?

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Street parking -- or the free municipal lot or the pay MBTA lot.

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Of course, I walk to the Square.

Still, how is there not resident parking on Cohasset Street?

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and they handed me a cup of hot water and told me to grab a packet of Swiss Miss instant mix out of the box, I have had very low expectations for this place.

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Hot chocolate is more hit or miss than coffee or tea.

I was at an "arena" (not a rink) once and paid I think $2.50 for hot chocolate, only to watch the person behind the counter get out the Swiss Miss, put it in the cup, which was a nice cup, don't get me wrong, and add the hot water.

Yet people obsess about good coffee and don't talk about good places for hot chocolate. Emack and Bolios, there was a place with overpriced ice cream but great hot chocolate.

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It takes but a few seconds to brew excellent coffee, but real hot chocolate takes a lot more time and effort to prepare.

For example: Starting from scratch, by melting squares of unsweetened baking chocolate with a measured amount of sugar; very slowly so it doesn't scorch; adding milk; also very slowly so it emulsifies with the chocolate, but being very careful not to burn the milk.

Real hot cocoa is made in a similar time-consuming process, but using unsweetened cocoa powder and a little water instead of chocolate. There are other variations of hot chocolate and cocoa, but they all take a fair amount of time to prepare. The taste is very different from any kind of instant cocoa, chocolate milk or other "chocolate flavored" beverage.

Serving Swiss Miss as hot chocolate is like serving a packet of instant coffee as espresso.

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Here's the one thing. Canada does it right. Tim Horton's hot coco is to die for, and you know that it is done like coffee. The thing is that they have the mix and water right. I've heard that Timothy's (no relation to Tim Horton's, two different guys) do a great job, too.

The question is if you really need the whipped cream. Sometimes it detracts, but it is a good cooling agent.

Now, Swiss Miss at a town rink on a cold day, yeah, it works. Still wishing for my Tim Horton's, though.

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then they'd be even more popular. How can a place that makes such amazing bread and sandwiches make such awful pastries and deserts? it's mind boggling.

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Supposedly they _don't_ make them, but rather get them from some other bakery (alas, I forget which).

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That's like asking why a steak house wouldn't have great BBQ (or vice versa): similar ingredients + different techniques = different outcome.

I think Fornax's sweets are ok (but it's true they don't compare to the great bread). But if you want really good pastries, saunter down the block to Diane's or Vouros!

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Kind of sad we're all getting excited over a single espresso machine at a bakery with limited seating.

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I personally know of at least two different businesspersons (including the owner of Jimmies) who are interested in starting up a new coffeehouse in the village - but the right combination of appropriate properties available at reasonable terms have so far been unavailable.

(And I'm not sure I'd count this comment thread as "all excited".)

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... what the impact of the not-long-ago death of Roslindale Village/Square's biggest owner of vacant storefronts will have on the future direction of Roslindale businesses (and whether probating his estate will tie the empty properties up for a considerable period of time).

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Maybe it's just Adam who is all excited... ;)

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When the square gets something to replace Cafe Select , then I'll get excited (and I realize a lot of people didn't like the place in its later days, but I still did, I'm a creature of habit, I guess).

Fornax is great for what it is, but it's not a coffeehouse and all that implies. Still, I thought it was noteworthy that they're actually hiring somebody to run an espresso machine (and I don't even like espresso). For better or worse, that's interesting in the context of Roslindale Square.

But, hey, it looks like Seven Stars is expanding on Belgrade. Anybody know if that's to add actual tables or more kitchen space (or both)?

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