Starbucks Secrets?

I recently received a message from someone who used to work at Starbucks. Since I'm not much of a coffee drinker, I don't know the validity of this message, but it couldn't hurt to try some of them if you frequent Starbucks.


SECRETS OF STARBUCKS!

Contents:
1. Drinks to try that are not on the menu
2. Drinks for those on a budget
3. Refills Anyone?
4. Eating there...
5. A special ESPRESSO experience that's really unique
6. Legendary Service and what that means in the real world
7. Things to look out for that make your Starbucks life easier

1. DRINKS NOT ON THE MENU, BUT CAN BE ORDERED:

* Penguin/Zebra/Tuxedo: This is a mocha (with caffeine) or hot chocolate (no caffeine) that is half white chocolate and half regular chocolate. It's tastier than the regular hot chocolate and less sweet than a white mocha.

* Hot Chocolate with a shot of vanilla: Once you try it this way, you'll never drink regular hot chocolates again.

* Strawberry Lemonades: A lemonade concentrate is mixed with a strawberry puree. Can be blended!

* Gummi Bear: Only SGV-based Starbucks know how to makes this sweet fruit punch that tastes exactly like a gummi bear. I forgot the recipe.

* Steamer: Half regular coffee with half steamed milk. For those who like lots of milk in their coffee but don't like it cooling when they add creamer.

* Red Eye: Regular coffee with an add shot.

2. DRINKS ON A BUDGET (Don't be fooled by the word "kids).

* Kid's Hot Chocolate: It's a regular hot chocolate that's put into a short cup. It's only $1.

* Kid's Milk: Just as it sounds like. Milk for $1.

* Kid's Cider: Want to warm up without caffeine? It's yours for $1.

3. Refills, anyone?

Very few people know the very lax refill policy. If you purchased a Starbucks drink earlier that day and saved your cup, you can have refills of the following:

* Regular Drip Coffee
* Regular Ice Teas (including black, green, and passion)

Doesn't matter what size cup you have either and it's 50 cents! Technically, you could bring in a cup that's a day old but it sounds kinda gross. If you're going with the hot coffee, ask them to swish some hot water in it to clean it out.

4. EATING THERE

Let's say you're on a casual date or plan to be there for awhile. Let's just also say you don't like eating food out of a paper bag.

Ask for your food to be served on a "for here" plate. That way you get some real china and some stores have real silverware. Also, it's always nice to have a cappuccino with extra foam served in a "for here" cup.

5. A UNIQUE ESPRESSO EXPERIENCE - Recommended for people who truly love dark coffee AND a regular. Trust me, they wont do it for everyone. Once you've made friends with one of the baristas (or a supervisor), you can ask for this and it's truly memorable. Plus, it really impresses a date who is into coffee.

* Ask the supervisor to make you a batch of coffee that is in a FRENCH PRESS. Yes, they have these.

* Ask for a stronger coffee that has real flavors like the Sumatra.

* Ask for at least two grandes (come on, be fair) to be made and to be served in "for here" cups. They will charge you for two grande coffees (hella cheap).

What you'll get is a large glass FRENCH PRESS of wonderfully made coffee in nice mugs. What might have tasted like "sludge" before, now tastes better. The french press brings out additional flavors and aromas that get lost when it's processed in the electronic machine.

This is a great experience for a true coffee lover and if you go when they are slower (i.e. Sunday mid-mornings, late afternoon weekdays). My dad and I used to do this. Drink fast though, the coffee in a glass french press only stays hot for 20 minutes.

6. LEGENDARY SERVICE IN THE REAL WORLD - I used to be a barista and I'm always surprised that people don't know what they are entitled to.

* If your drink sucks or you tried something new and didn't like it, you can return it at any time. They should immediately throw away the drink and then make you a new one. They are also supposed to not make any faces or comments when doing this. Plus, you don't wait in line again. You just go up to the bar and tell them.

* They will offer a suggestion or make you another drink in the same price range.

* If it's really really really terrible and your barista is rude to you or spills on you, a supervisor might give you a free drink coupon. This is in cases of extreme neglect.

* Every time your drink is handed to you over the bar, the barista is supposed to look up and acknowledge your existence.

Obviously, this legendary service varies at different places. For instances, I find beach Starbucks more accommodating than the business Starbucks.

7. MAKE YOUR STARBUCKS LIFE EASIER

* Ever wonder why your hot drinks drip on you sometimes when you drink from it? It's because you lined up the drink hole with the cup seam. It creates a small leak. For those with hot drinks, always position the drink hole away from the seam (preferably 180 degrees).

Jolly Jug

The Jolly Jug is an old school diner. Famous for their sandwiches, this place has been seemingly around forever. Beige Naugahyde booths adorn the small dining room. This is a mostly locals joint, where regulars often frequent.


The Beef Dip is a large sandwich with loads of chopped beef on top of a French roll. The bread has a very thin, but super crunchy crust, while the interior is cottony soft. This is a straightforward sandwich, just meat and bread. What accompanies the sandwich is a different story altogether. Instead of au jus, a small bowl of gravy accompanies your sandwich for dipping. This is your standard brown gravy, but has a slight hint of something in the background, perhaps nutmeg. The beef was a little dry, but the gravy did its job in moistening and giving extra flavor to the sandwich.


The Pastrami Dip Sandwich is unlike any that I have ever had before. The pastrami is not cured for a very long time, and has sort more of a brined flavor. This gives the meat a fresher, and somewhat saltier taste than your normal Pastrimi. The meat is very lean and piled on high. As with the Beef Dip, the same gravy is served with the Pastrami. The unusual combination of the pastrimi and gravy was a new and interesting twist, which perked up your usual Pastrimi sandwich.

The Jolly Jug serves good food at a reasonable price, but more than anything is a bit of nostalgia.


Jolly Jug
4264 Peck Road
El Monte, CA 91732
(626) 444-8425

Fage Yogurt

Many consider Fage to be the Cadillac of yogurts, and it would be hard to disagree. This Greek yogurt is strained which gives it a much richer and denser texture. The yogurt is so thick you can hold the container upside down over your head without fear of being “slimed” on. It also doesn’t contain any gelatin which gives it such a smooth moutfeel. The thick, dense yogurt quickly envelops your mouth in tangy goodness.

Fage is relatively expensive compared to most brands, about twice the cost. The quality and flavor more than make up for the price difference. Interestingly enough, Fage has about half the carbs of regular yogurt, but more surprisingly it has more protein than your average yogurt. It doesn’t make any sense when you consider that it is strained, and the straining process would expel all of the whey out of the yogurt. All of that liquid that you find floating at the top of a container of yogurt is whey, which is primarily composed of water and protein.

Fage doesn’t come in a wide variety of flavors. Besides the plain, the only other flavors are strawberry, peach and cherry. There is also a dual compartment container of Fage that contains a side of honey. I’d rather get just the plain container of yogurt and add my own honey so you get more bang for your buck.

Fage is what Pinkberry and all of the other new wave fro yo places aspire to be.

99 Ranch Market

After causing some controversy, the 99 Ranch Market opened up in Chino Hills a couple of weeks ago with little fanfare. This is no ordinary Asian market. This has to be the cleanest store that I've ever set foot in. Not to mention the fact that the aisles are huge, like an American grocery store. Taking the space over from a now defunct Ralph's, this explains the stores spacious layout.

The decor is sort of Asian grocery store meets Gelsons. Lots of wood and even stone tile is on display surrounding the fresh seafood. There is also a food court with a Chinese BBQ, Sushi and Juice place (very odd combination), a Teppanyaki stall, a Chinese food place akin to Panda Express but a little more upscale and a bakery.






99 Ranch Market
2959 Chino Ave.
Chino Hills, CA 91709