Studying Starbucks

LONDON - A cup of coffee is just a drink. But a frappuccino is an experience. So believes Bryant Simon, a historian who is searching for the meaning of modern life amid the round tables and comfy sofas of Starbucks coffee shops.

Simon, who teaches at Philadelphia's Temple University, thinks that by spending time at Starbucks — observing the teenage couples and solitary laptop-users, the hurried office workers and busy baristas — he can learn what it means to live and consume in the age of globalization.

"What are we drinking, and what does it say about who we are?" Simon asked during a recent research trip to London.

His research has taken him to 300 Starbucks in six countries for a caffeine-fueled opus titled "Consuming Starbucks" that's due for publication in 2008. He is one of several academics studying a type of 21st century cafe culture — Italian coffee in an American package — that has spread rapidly around the world.

Read the rest of the article on Yahoo News.

Le Pain Quotidien

Driving down Ventura in Studio City we spotted a nice looking restaurant, and were hungry for lunch. I'm glad we did- the food was great and so was the coffee.

This is French themed place, but has some unique things about it. There's a central table for community style eating. The coffee was served in a metal flask instead of your cup. I've seen this in England before. And my sandwich was served on a plate that resembled a cutting board-- with a hole on one end, and completely flat.

All of the food on the menu is health and "organic", which is a far cry from the heart-clogging (but yummy) meals we had in France on a past trip.

www.lepainquotidien.com