Coffee Passionista

Welcome to Parisi Café!

2011-09-08T08:36:00.000-07:00

Parisi Café Now Open

Inside one of Kansas City's most notable and historic of venues - Union Station - located adjacent to the Grand Hall (on the main level across from Harvey's Cafe), we celebrate coffee like nothing we've ever seen in KC.

Details:

30 W. Pershing Road, Kansas City, Mo.

Phone number: 816-569-2399

Hours:

7:00 am to 6:00 pm weekdays

8:00 am to 6:00 pm weekends

Check us out @ Facebook, Yelp and Urbanspoon for information and reviews.

Elaboration:

Parisi Café is our flagship coffee house. Here we celebrate the art of our science, featuring our own fresh-roasted single origin coffees, custom blends and espresso's - brewed to perfection.

All coffees are brewed "by-the-cup" via hand pour-over, though a selection of french press brew is at the ready. We regularly feature an amazing direct-trade, micro-lot selection...based upon seasonality and harvest availability and generally only served via hand pour.

A full menu of espresso beverages is available, with some to be complemented with all-natural, house-made flavorings and enjoyed with a wide-selection of baked goods are from local artisan bakers as well as fruit, granola, juice and bottled waters.

A seasonal selection of teas is offered (brewed via single-cup, air infusion to make a near perfectly steeped cup) or try our house-made chai, a custom Italian soda or a house-made drinking chocolate complete with fresh-cut marshmallow.

Eats and Treats Too.

Foods are crafted in-house and by local artisans, including grab-and-go lunch items like fresh-made sandwiches, salads and soups that are updated seasonally. Dessert items like chocolates from artisan chocolatier Askinosie, toffees from Tall Grass Toffee, cookies and other items that show up from time-to-time to perfectly pair with a coffee selection.

Try the best of both coffee and treat, our Parisi Affogato; a demi of vanilla gelato, topped with espresso.

We invite you to stop in and see why we say Parisi is "Arte Della Tazza" (art from the cup).

Coming to a Costco Near You!

2011-07-20T12:09:00.000-07:00

A Great New Parisi Selection Coming to Costco.

If you've enjoyed our Organic Bolivian coffee that has been available for some time now in select stores, we think your going to really love what's about to hit the aisles of the Costco Wholesale locations over the coming weeks.

Introducing our exquisite new Organic Ethiopian.

We were super excited when first cupping this coffee.
It's a full-flavored profile but with medium body, a delicate, syrupy mouthfeel and a smooth, clean finish.

You'll find natural notes of citrus and, as defined from the delicate palate our roastmaster, even hints of peach, chocolate and raisin.

We think this makes a great drip cup and should work great in the press as well. And though it's great any time of day, the full-flavor and citrus notes should pair well with most breakfast fare.

Available in the 32 oz. (2 lb.) whole bean package, this single-origin hails from the Sidamo region, in southern Ethiopia. And as with all our coffees, it is 100% Arabica bean, delicately small-batch roasted in our certified organic roasting facility in Kansas City.

We hope you'll give it a try.

Parisi in Joplin (part 1)

2011-05-24T12:25:00.000-07:00

Early this morning, Kate left for Joplin with a hope to ease some of the burden for tornado victims and volunteers. Today through Friday, she will be serving french press coffee to those passing through the volunteer checkin station outside Solace Church on Main street. Our hope is that a cup of good coffee will provide even just a little bit of encouragement and comfort for the people of Joplin. She sent us photos and the following update;

"So it's been pretty amazing so far. People have been coming in and out of the church to get supplies so I set up some airpots there, then have just been walking around with coffee and cups. People are busy cleaning out their businesses and houses, but a lot of them are super happy to have a coffee break and chat for a minute. The damage goes in stages. For a block it will be some broken glass and tree limbs, then you start seeing sheet metal in the trees and no windows at all, then uprooted trees and entire buildings, then upside down smashed cars and piles of everything you can imagine. Can't go in the really bad area still, but have given coffee to lots of people!"

We would love to hear about other ways people from KC are helping out with the tornado aftermath, whether its volunteering onsite or organizing drives and donations. We will continue to post about Kate's experience, so check back in to hear more!

PARISI COFFEE OPENS ITS FIRST COFFEE SHOP

2011-01-17T18:50:00.000-08:00

PARISI COFFEE OPENS ITS FIRST COFFEE SHOP

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kansas City-based Parisi Artisan Coffee will open its first coffee shop in the city’s historic Union Station in late spring 2011.

The local artisan coffee roaster has been selling its various blends of 100-percent Arabica bean, drum-roasted coffee in local grocery stores for five years, as well as custom blends for a number of well-known area restaurants. The new coffee shop, which will be called Parisi Café, will feature its own coffee as well as barista-prepared lattes, cappuccinos, iced coffees and more – all freshly brewed for each order.

“The time is right for a retail location for Parisi Coffee,” said Joe Paris, co-founder of Parisi Coffee. “We wanted to start by establishing a successful brand in the community and building a following of loyal customers who have come to know and love our Italian-inspired coffee blends. Now, we’re ready to expand and feature out breadth of single origins, blends and espressos by the cup.”

Parisi coffee imports and roasts select premium coffees at its historic coffee roasting facility in downtown Kansas City, Mo. near I-35 and Southwest Boulevard in the Crossroads District. All Parisi coffees are hand-crafted and either certified Fair Trade, organic or certified through the company’s own artisan standard called Eco World Family Farm.

The new store will take about 1,200 square feet on the main level adjacent to the Grand Hall of Union Station at 30 W. Pershing Road, Kansas City, Mo. The store will feature a retail section of Parisi Coffee by the bag and other coffee products such as coffee mugs and coffee makers. Parisi Café will offer seating inside the coffee shop, private meeting space as well as tables outside the café in the Union Station’s main plaza.

Along with a variety of coffees, the new Parisi Café will offer select food items. Because Parisi Coffee was founded on flavor distinctions with a brand focus spotlighting coffee and culinary pairings, Café planners intend to include quick-serve breakfast and lunch items that all pair-well with Parisi Coffees and to complement the nearby, full-service Union Café restaurant.

“Our new coffee shop will reflect our vision of pairing quality, great tasting coffee with superior, delicious food items, some of which we’ll make on site and some we’ll partner with excellent locally-based food purveyors,” Paris said.

The stores design will create a unique experience for the coffee customers. The experience will include pieces of history from the old Harvey Coffeehouse which was located in the exact location of the new Parisi Café.

“We’re excited to open our first location in the historical atmosphere of the iconic Kansas City landmark,” Paris said. “And a lot of people may not know that there’s a coffee shop history here because this is the site of the original Harvey Coffeehouse from the 1930s. We hope our new shop honors that heritage.”

The Café will be arranged so that customers can order at an uncluttered counter and watch as their coffees are brewed and prepared for them. Parisi Café will plan to offer seasonal items, traditional Italian sodas and gelato. Specifically, the new coffee shop will feature coffee flights highlighting several coffee blends giving customers the opportunity to sample and create their own flavor profiles.

About Parisi Artisan Coffee
Parisi Artisan Coffee was founded in 2006 in Kansas City, Mo. by a longtime local Italian family who had established several successful artisan food companies under the parent company, Paris Brothers Inc. In addition to nearly 4,500 artisan foods imported, manufactured and distributed in Midwest retail and grocery stores, the company specializes in manufacturing artisan-style specialty coffee with a passion for Italian espressos. All Parisi coffees are small batch roasted using a unique roasting technique called drum roasting at the company’s Kansas City production facility off Southwest Boulevard near downtown. Parisi Artisan Coffee is available at Midwest regional food stores as well as served at fine Kansas City area restaurants.
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Another Great Cup of Joe

2010-11-02T17:45:00.000-07:00

(The article below appeared in the November issue of 435 South Magazine)

Did you know that the red berry—also known as the coffee bean—is the world’s second most-traded commodity? The roasters at Parisi Artisan Coffee know that important fact and focus on bringing quality coffee to Kansas City bean lovers.

Coffee passionista and Parisi Artisan Coffee owner Joseph Paris is a man on a constant quest for the best-tasting coffee available on earth. Aside from freshness, roasting and brewing, Paris says there are many factors that affect the taste and quality of the brown liquid in your cup, much as with fine wine.

“There is the terroir, loosely translated as the ‘taste of a place’ or the particular type of soil, pitch of a hill and the actual coffee-growing location,” explains Paris. “Each of these elements is uniquely important to how the coffee will taste. There’s also the microclimate, or the immediate climate and environmental factors that influence the coffee berry and last there’s the varietal, or the type of coffee tree and resulting beans.”

To achieve the optimal taste experience—and in my chef’s opinion—the perfect espresso, Parisi starts with the best green Arabica coffees from regions all over the globe. The beans good enough for local coffee purists like Parisi are delicately slow-roasted to absolute perfection under the constant watch of Parisi artisan roast master John Welsh.

What I like most about Parisi is that their coffees are handcrafted from seed to cup. Some beans are certified Fair Trade, some are organic and some are certified through Parisi’s own artisan standard Eco World Family Farm. Parisi started this concept in 2008 and works with farmers for fair wages.

Paris says his company’s secret roasting technique preserves the precious flavor tones of their coffees of origin while caramelizing them into a euphoric taste experience. Because no two coffees are the same, Parisi roasts each in a special way.

“There is nothing automated or factory-like about our roasting plant on 24th Street in downtown Kansas City,” explains Paris. “This is a true craft and we constantly travel the world for the finest bean, ship it back to Kansas City and roast it. It’s that simple. There’s no middleman.”

The fruits of Parisi’s labor result in wonderfully unique coffees of origin, full-bodied blended coffees and smooth espressos. Parisi also offers an extensive line of chemical-free decaffeinated coffees using the Royal Select water process.

Italian roasters have inspired Parisi to new heights in espresso creation. Paris has spent years studying Italian espressos, meeting many times with premier Italian roasters, including Sant’Eustachio owner Roberto Ricci, on his global coffee jaunts.
Parisi has many origins of beans and blends, and roast master Welsh delights espresso aficionados with new espressos which he categorizes two ways: Italian Style and Seattle Style.

“The Italian espressos are lighter and sweeter in flavor profile, with a rich crema,” says Welsh. “The Seattle Style espressos, designed to penetrate flavor through milk, are darker and smokier.”

Welsh, who studies origins and records traits of certain coffees for potential use at Parisi’s, has built an impressive espresso arsenal. His espressos are as simple as a single origin, with some containing up to six components.

“With espresso, we ask ourselves how a particular blend combines with milk or soy, on ice, or in its purest form, the shot,” says Welsh.

Next time you’re in the mood for a good cup of coffee, whether it hails from Kenya or Sumatra, Parisi blends such as 24th Street Blend, Bistro Blend, French Roast, Italian Roast, or even Jasper’s Blend, Parisi Artisan Coffee are great choices. Remember—drink local!
For more information visit www.parisicoffee.com.
words: Jasper Mirabile, Jr.

Cold Brew Iced Coffee @ Home

2010-06-21T07:34:00.000-07:00

If you missed our cold brew iced coffee segment on KCTV 5 this last Thursday, no worries. We've posted the recipe below. It gives a bit more detail that couldn't be shared in between a political update and latest techniques on accessorizing with pearls.

Iced coffee is a great summer treat. Making it at home gives control of the flavor, the sugar content, as well as the cost. Plus, if you're one that avoids coffee due to acidity, cold-brewing reduces the acid content by as much as 60%. (Note: Coffees from Sumatra also have a lower acidity level, consider this if you want to minimize the acid even further).

We made our recipe using a French Press, just to simplify utensils, but there are many a culinary accessory on the market to accomplish cold brew if it becomes your passion. If the French Press requires adding a new item to your kitchen, you can always go uber simple and substitute a glass pitcher, strainer and coffee filter. Keys to good brew - water volume, water quality and consistent coffee grind, and of course great coffee. Enjoy!

For technique you can watch our French Press video here, just adjust as described below:

Ingredients
- 34 oz. French Press or glass container
- 112 g coarse ground coffee (Tbsp is about 8 grams)
- 28-30 oz. - Cold filtered water (Tap water will do, filtered is best)

Brewing Instructions:
Pour ground coffee into brewing container. Slowly pour cold water into ground coffee, stirring as you go to assure no clumps. Cover the container and let sit undisturbed overnight (12 hours). After brewing, plunge the coffee grounds to bottom of the press and pour in a glass or transfer to another container for storage.

Iced coffee recipe is based on 20 oz glass.
After letting coffee rest overnight, pour over a nearly full cup of ice and enjoy as is. Any remaining cold brew coffee can be stored in the refrigerator for about one week. If you prefer flavor additions, try it latte style.

- 2 cups crushed iced
- 10 oz of cold brew coffee (3/4 full in cup)
- 1 ½ ounce of half/half or creamer (may use flavored liquid creamer as well)
- 1 ounce of simple syrup or raw sugar (may use flavored syrup)

2010-06-15T09:44:00.001-07:00

Need help with French Press technique? Our How-to with Chef Jasper has nearly 45K views. Check it out: http://bit.ly/43oBir

2010-06-11T07:59:00.001-07:00

Another wknd full of events. Stop by and see us at the Jazz in the Woods 5K run this Sat. @CorpWoods. A great cause deserves great coffee.

Fresh Connect delivers Parisi

2010-06-04T13:08:00.000-07:00

Parisi Coffee is proud to be a part of Fresh Connect, which is getting a lot of publicity in Kansas City for its innovative organic grocery delivery service.

This service is a new way to order fresh, local and organic grocery items online and have them delivered straight to the customer’s door. The local company specializes in organic produce, meats, dairy, baked goods and pantry items such as coffee.

Fresh Connect KC will offer the Eco-World Family Farm coffees from Parisi including out Bolivian Organic, Costa Rican, Peruvian Swiss Water Decaffeinated and Organic Sunrise Sensation.

Here's the best part. Fresh Connect delivers directly to your home or office for no charge (with at least a $25 order). You can get your coffee and a selection of many other Fresh Connect items delivered to your door weekly, once a month or as needed.

Check it out.
http://www.freshconnectkc.com/

Freeze or not. We experiment.

2010-05-12T14:17:00.000-07:00

One of the first questions asked at many of the samplings we do is, “is it OK to freeze my coffee,” followed a close second by “what about the refrigerator”.

As part of our weekly Wednesday cupping ritual (as tweeted), we conducted our own experiment in cupping coffees based upon different storage scenarios that might be encountered as an everyday coffee lover and not just a specialty coffee company, with your own artisan roasting facility and about 30 different fresh batches on hand at all times. (Pausing for a moment to savor the realization of what I do for a living, ahhh).

Balancing smart shopping and your desired coffee experience at home does make the storage question important. There are several reputable sources that have covered this subject in the past, one to which we pay homage appeared in Roast Magazine's 2007 issue that experimented with Freezer, Fridge and Cupboard. But, as crops and roasts are different...we felt compelled to conduct our own experiment, with our own well-understood profile.

Our experiment: Costa Rica Tarrazu (the ‘07 Roast homage part)
Cup 1. Fresh roast
Cup 2. Stored at room temperature, valve bag for about 3 weeks
(The Cupboard Sample)
Cup 3. Freezer stored, valve bag for 3 weeks, thawed to room temp
(The Freezer Sample)

The Results:
We cupped the coffees side-by-side, french press. For overall flavor and complexity, as expected, there’s really no comparison to grind-per-use fresh roasted beans. And even as coffee ages slightly, (i.e. the cupboard sample) there’s a nice evolution that happens, giving a slight difference in character that makes for not a degraded experience, but a different representation of the bean and a great cup of coffee.

What we experienced in the freezer sample was interesting. Somewhat subdued compared to the cupboard lot. Not nearly as clean or spicy with some difference in acidity and finish. Still, a fairly good cup overall with nuance changes that an average coffee drinker would notice only if performing the same experiment with side-by-side samples. So based upon our coffee lab results, freezing does affect flavor but, given that it's stored for a reasonable time and at appropriate temperature, not significantly.

Will we stop recommending fresh coffee, in reasonable use quantities, grinding it fresh and brewing it right, no. However, if you must, the coffee gods will not smite you for buying a larger quantity and storing in your freezer. Best to consider breaking down into smaller plastic airtight containers and taking out only as needed. Once out and thawed, not to be returned.

As for the refrigerator, it’s definitely not the environment for specialty coffee. The combination of humidity, absorbent coffee oils and other food aromas equate to a less than ideal environment for something that you’ve sought out for its’ superior taste.

We believe coffee is meant to be experienced, so try your own lab tests and see what works for you.

Twice as Nice on Ice!

2010-04-28T13:10:00.000-07:00

Win or lose, there's nothing like being at the "K". And now, arriving just in time for the summer heat-up, refreshing Parisi Iced Coffee will be on the menu at Kauffman Stadium. We crafted a recipe specifically for warm weather enjoyment, which is based off our 100% Arabica, medium roast, Costa Rican Tarrazu.

Our Costa is a great stand alone hot brew, it's bold with notes of citrus and sweetness. But over ice with sweet and creamy flavorings mixed in, it's definitely smooth and satisfying. Fortunately for us, we sampled it many, many times to get the recipe dialed in (and many times after as well).

You can also try a taste for FREE. Throughout May and June, we'll be setting up shop at area Hy-Vee locations with some Parisi Ice o-hand to sample. Check our Facebook page as we'll post times and locations. Plus, Hy-Vee will be featuring our Royal Blue Blend in stores for limited time with a portion of proceeds benefiting Royals Charities.

All Parisi coffees are small batch roasted at our Kansas City facility off Southwest Boulevard near downtown. Parisi Artisan Coffee is available online, directly from our roasting facility, at area grocery and specialty stores as well as served at a growing number of fine restaurants throughout the Midwest.

2010-04-14T11:19:00.000-07:00

Spring is finally here! After our long winter in Kansas City, we deserve all the nice weather and beautiful flowers that we can get. Now, it’s time to get outside and enjoy it. We hope you come out to one of our Spring events that are coming up.

First, is Forks and Corks on Thursday, April 29. The 14th annual Forks and Corks is a premier food and wine sampling event that benefits Harvesters. Every year, proceeds from Forks and Corks enable Harvesters to provide nearly one million meals to those in need in our community. The fun and festive event takes place in the Grand Ballroom at the Kansas City Convention Center. For more details and to purchase tickets go to www.harvesters.org.

Parisi will be serving its artisan roast coffee – espressos and cappuccinos included - along with award dinning Paris Brothers cheeses available at Dean and Deluca and other gourmet cheese and meat counters.

Next is the Mother’s Day Run, Sunday, May 9th at Corporate Woods in Overland Park. The Kansas City Express sponsors this 5K run and is open to all women and their children. Kansas City Express is a women’s walking and running club affiliated with Mid-America Running Association, a non-profit organization. For more than twenty five years, they’ve helped women improve their lives through running or walking, whether their goal is recreation, health and fitness, or competition. All runners, volunteers and attendees can enjoy a cup of coffee to celebrating running and Mother’s Day.

For more details about the run and to sign up, go to http://www.mothersdayrun.com/.

Parisi Sumatra Gets a Solid Review

2010-04-07T10:32:00.000-07:00

We're proud, once again, to have made the short list of top reviewed coffee's in this month's Coffee Review, the independent organization run by nationally recognized coffee cupper Ken Davids.

As April was Sumatra month, it was the Parisi Sumatra Mandheling that pulled down a respectable 88 rating this time around. This coffee has a classic Indonesian flavor profile, with a big body and a clean finish. We like to tell newbie's that this is a great coffee to explore while you broaden your range of single origin beans.

Reviewer comments can speak for themselves:

Blind Assessment: Mild earth-toned aroma with hints of chocolate and soft nut. Full body, creamy mouthfeel and flavors that tend toward an earthy pungency with a pronounced dark chocolate complication. The pungent edge lingers long into the dry finish.

Who Should Drink It: A chocolate-dominated cup with soft earthy nuance. Will likely take well to whiteners and sweeteners.

Only edit we might make to this review relates to Who Should Drink It. For this we might simply say: everyone.

Check out the coffee here and let us know what you think.

Parisi is among the best of the best

2010-03-17T19:41:00.000-07:00

Recently, Coffee Review, one of the world’s leading coffee buying guides, rated Parisi Artisan Coffee and gave us a very high ranking. Now, everyone knows what we knew all along. Parisi roasts world-class coffee.

According to the results, Parisi ranked among some of the finest tasting coffee products in the country and alongside roasters that have been doing this many more years than we have.

Here is what they had to say. But first, let me give you some background on Coffee Review. They have a simple concept: conduct blind, expert cuppings of coffees and report the findings in the form of 100-point reviews, much like those that exist in the wine industry. Since founded in 1997, it quickly has become the world's largest and most respected coffee buying guide. Their goal is to entertain and educate coffee drinkers, food service professionals, and the coffee trade with a credible and easy-to-use coffee guide based on objective, blind reviews from some of the most experienced individuals in the specialty coffee industry.

Now back to the important stuff! Coffee Review tasted and reviewed three of Parisi’s coffee blends: Parisi’s KenGua; Cafetin de San Martin; and our newest product, the custom blended Espresso Parisi. Here is the breakdown of the review.

KenGua is a medium-dark roast and originates from Kenya and Guatemala.
Blind Assessment: Pungent aromatic notes of roasty cinnamon and a muted fruitiness. In the cup, full body, smooth acidity and continued pronounced pungency with the fruit note becoming more distinct and cherry-like. The dry finish leans toward the bitter side of bittersweet chocolate.
Notes: As the name cryptically suggests, this blend combines Kenya AA and a Guatemala from the Huehuetenango growing region.
Who Should Drink It: An intense cup with pleasing fruit complications.
Ranking: 89

Cafetin de San Martin is a medium-dark roast and it originates from Tarrazu growing region, Costa Rica.
Blind Assessment: Sweet nutty aroma, displaying rounded hints of chocolate and aromatic wood. The aromatic notes carry seamlessly into the cup; smooth acidity and a slightly lean mouthfeel. The finish is simple and pleasing but rather short.
Notes: A single origin coffee from Costa Rica's famous Tarrazu growing region.
Who Should Drink It: A roundly sweet and nut-toned cup.
Ranking: 88

Espresso Parisi is a medium-dark roast.
Blind Assessment: Sweet-toned aroma shows hints of toast, aromatic wood and spicy chocolate. Straightforward in the small cup, with an intensely pungent edge and flavors leaning toward dark chocolate, nut and wood; slight bitter astringency in the finish. In two parts milk the chocolate becomes more pronounced and the wood rounder and richer, developing a touch of sweet toast and vanilla.
Who Should Drink It: Those looking for bold, pungent, milk-mastering intensity in an espresso.
Ranking: 88

Notes: Parisi Artisan Coffee is the specialty coffee division of Paris Brothers Specialty Foods, a family owned business involved in many aspects of the food and beverage industry, including manufacturing, importing and distributing of a wide variety of specialty foods. Visit www.parisicoffee.com or call 877-345-5282 for more information.

So… just know that when you are drinking a cup of Parisi Artisan Coffee, you’re enjoying a top-ranked, world-class coffee. As if we needed this ranking to tell us that!

2010-03-12T07:55:00.001-08:00

Getting set-up at Costco midtown ...sampling some organic Bolivian a little Sunrise Sensation and a great decaf...stop by.

2010-03-11T11:01:00.001-08:00

Congrats to the KC Colavita/Parisi cycling team with some top finishes in last weekend's events... check em out http://tinyurl.com/yzgzejt

Had a great time at Costco

2010-03-01T18:11:00.001-08:00

Thanks to the Lenexa Costco shoppers. We've never had so much fun givin out free samples. I have a feeling we must have made nearly 100 airpots of coffee. Met many new friends and caught up with many who had been hoping for us to come back to Costco for awhile.

This Fri-Sun you can find us at the Independence MO store near I-70 and 291 Highway, just off the US 40 exit. Once again we'll be offering up a great Bolivian Organic single origin coffee, our medium roast blend Sunrise Sensation and a fantastic water-process decaf from Peru.

Stop by and say hello.

2010-02-24T13:09:00.001-08:00

Fri, Sat, Sun - Costco Lenexa we'll be in the house all weekend kicking off a tour of the KC area stores. Mmmm, now that's good coffee.

2010-02-18T15:28:00.001-08:00

Great event today - Catering by Design brought in cookies baked with pecans and our Kenyan. I've now sipped and eaten coffee today...yum.

2010-02-04T15:33:00.001-08:00

New stock of Parisi Bolivian now at Costco in Indep. Quickly becoming one of our top selling coffees...read the cupping notes http://tinyurl.com/y8uowqg

2010-01-29T11:47:00.001-08:00

Looking forward to Sunday's TLC Groundhog run, a first to not just serve coffee but actually walk. Should've started stretching last week.

2010-01-28T17:29:00.001-08:00

Interested in feedback from anyone willing to respond... would you buy an iced coffee at the baseball stadium?

Parisi honored to be a part of the Arts in KC.

2010-01-26T18:24:00.000-08:00

Most recently this past Saturday (Jan. 23), we sponsored Party Arty, a premiere young professionals' event benefiting The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Party Arty 2010: Through the Lens, was the place in Kansas City to see and be seen. More than 1,500 people enjoyed the evening at the Bloch Building with fashion, live music, cocktails, and hors d’oeuvres amidst the Museum’s world class art collection.

The party featured a fashion show, rockin’ DJs and of course delicious Parisi coffee – made at our mobile, custom barista coffee cart. This is the first of many charity and art-related events for which Parisi will make a donation this year. Look for us at the Kansas City Symphony, the Lyric Opera, Ronald McDonald House’s Plaza Pzazz, Forks & Corks to benefit Harvesters and many more.

Next Up: Look for us at the 28th Annual Children’s TLC Groundhog Run at 9 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 31 where we are expected to give away about 5,000 cups of coffee to runners and their families. The run takes place in our underground caves where our offices and coffee storage is located, officially called the Hunt Midwest Subtropolis. This run benefits Children's TLC which serves Kansas City's children with disabilities.

2010-01-11T10:02:00.001-08:00

Don't miss Royals Fan Fest this weekend. Great coffee will certainly be in the line-up. Plus, purchase some Royal Blue blend for Royal Charities at the show.

Pollsters Pick Parisi

2009-12-28T12:34:00.000-08:00

Recently, a nationally renowned and respected polling organization, located in the heart of the country, set out to pick a new coffee for their offices. Their mission was to find a product to replace the west coast superstar coffee company (think celestial male reindeer) which has begun to lose its way, personal opinion only of course, with a product that would satisfy some of the toughest consumers they knew... themselves.

So when pollsters need to make decision, they of course do what comes naturally...they conduct a survey. A poll of pollsters I suppose.

The result, as you can deduce since it's in our blog, was that Parisi was selected as the new "unofficial" coffee of this unnamed organization, to be served daily in their employee dining room. We can't say the name because most companies must them pay handsomely for product research like this and, well, we didn't. (think of a horse running at less than full speed)

And as anonymity goes, our winning survey results will not able to be broadcast on the nightly news nor appear in a strangely odd graph in USA Today. But, we are happy that at least there are a few hundred more people drinking great coffee everyday.

2009-12-18T12:36:00.001-08:00

Free coffee samples tomorrow for those on both sides of the state line - Costco Indep. and Sams Club OP. Stop by. Plus, no better gift for your work friends - 2lb whole bean Bolivian, all it needs is a bow.

Tasteful Gifts Abound

2009-12-15T08:27:00.001-08:00

Holiday Gift Idea - a coffee experience. Check out our new coffee sampler sets - 3 different single origin coffees, black label, or espressos coffees. Get just the coffee sampler alone or pair with a French Press or Moka Pot as a gift set and show off big time.

Now at www.parisicoffee.com

Parisi Back at Costco.

2009-12-01T12:37:00.000-08:00

Great news! After much negotiating (actually begging and pleading) Parisi Artisan Coffee is now, once again, available in Costco Wholesale.

Starting tomorrow, Dec. 2, the Costco Wholesale warehouse in Independence, Missouri, will feature a unique Parisi organic Bolivian whole bean, in a 2 lb. pack.

This Bolivian is full-bodied, but medium roasted so that it has great bold flavor, but is not bitter and doesn't linger with that charred or over-roasted taste. We've cupped this coffee in many samplings and it always wins out as the favorite. It's a great morning brew, if you like a darker profile, but it's also a great dessert coffee and cuts through frothed milk if you like a little home-made latte. Perfect for the holidays.

This is not the first time we've featured a Bolivian selection in Costco, though we are very pleased to be back. If we do a good job (translation - tell everyone you know to pick-up a bag) we might even be able to stick around as a regular item.

Pick-up a bag, grab a French Press and watch our video on youtube for making a quality brew. You won't be sorry...

2009-11-24T06:52:00.001-08:00

Stop by Sam's Club in Lenexa, KS today (95th and I-35) Free coffee samples and a good buy on 2 lb certified Organic Bolivian. Goes great with pumpkin pie.

Artisan Roasts and Designer Gifts!

2009-11-19T14:11:00.001-08:00

Here's a great place for gift sourcing this holiday season, Trapp and Company of Kansas City. Celebrating a 40 year tradition of "great gifts for remarkable people", Trapp and Company now features a selection of Parisi Artisan Coffee. Grab a sample cup while you're shopping their wide selection of designer gift items, candles and much more. You can pick-up a 12 oz. bag for yourself and grab our newest item - a Single Origin Sampler for French Press.

Featuring 2 oz. selections of three single origin coffee's, all pre-ground for

French Press, the kit is a great way to experience a range of coffees from medium to full body. As with all Parisi origin coffees, we roast to accentuate the flavor of the coffee, to let the essence of the terrior, climate and heritage come through. So you won't taste roast, just the bean.

Makes a great gift for a coffee lover's on your list!

Trapp and Company

4110 Main . Kansas City MO

816.931.6940

www.trappandcompany.com

2009-11-13T14:43:00.001-08:00

Don't forget to stop by Sams Club in Overland Park this weekend for a free sample of coffee.

2009-11-09T11:21:00.001-08:00

Grt wknd, hung w/ folks at Gladstone Sam's Club. May have inspired some new coffee lovers! See us at Sam's OP this weekend...free samples.

Coming Soon to Wholesale Club Near You!

2009-10-20T13:37:00.000-07:00

Happy to announce that, starting this November you'll be able to find our fresh, locally roasted artisan coffee in all 5 Kansas City area Sam's Wholesale Club's. Two of our special roasts will be offered - a single origin organic Bolivian and our unique Sunrise Sensation blend.

Our Bolivian has a character that includes bittersweet cocoa with a medium body and light acidity. As a medium roast, with it's taste profile, it's a great coffee for new "specialty" coffee drinkers, but not too simple to leave out those with a mature palate. It's an organic and Eco World Family Farm product, grown near the Parque Nacional Bella Vista.

Sunrise Sensation is a proprietary Parisi blend, comprising 3 unique beans. This profile is a little more stout - a wake-up-and-smell-the-coffee coffee. If it brings to you to think about the times you steal away to your porch, early enough to take in the world before it begins reaching full-speed...then you'll understand the origin of its name. Sunrise is both Fair Trade and Organic.

If you see a Parisi passionista or two in store, make sure and say hello - I'm sure they'll share a cup with you.

Specialty Coffee, Fair Trade or Both?

2009-09-29T07:30:00.000-07:00

Interesting article recently in TIME highlighting the positives and unfortunately some of the drawbacks to Fair Trade in coffee.

Here's something to consider in purchasing your next cup ... many specialty roasters, which generally describes those that small-batch roast, focusing on high quality versus high quantity at the lowest cost, purchase green coffee at or above fair trade pricing regardless of official recognition.

Why? Because putting a great taste profile in the cup, comes by selecting from the highest quality crops which, due to the smaller volume of crop available at this level, means a higher market price due the ol' supply and demand thing. So even without certification, specialty roasters support fair trading by focusing on making a great product.

So can you support world farmers by buying average quality products that are Fair Trade certified? Absolutely. Can you also support world farmers when buying high quality specialty coffee from specialty roasters even if they're not Fair Trade certified (and get a fantastic cup in the process)? Why, yes you can.

Get to know your friendly, neighborhood coffee roaster. It works out well for everyone.

Proud to support our Navy!

2009-08-28T11:52:00.000-07:00

PARISI ARTISAN COFFEE TO SUPPORT LAUNCH OF STATE’s NEW NAMESAKE SUBMARINE – USS MISSOURI

Parisi Artisan Coffee becomes the official coffee of US Navy League Commemoration Committee

KANSAS CITY, MO – Parisi Artisan Coffee, a Kansas City based artisan coffee roaster, has joined the efforts to raise funds that support the commissioning ceremonies of the USS Missouri, the seventh Virginia Class Attack Submarine to serve the U.S. Naval fleet. Currently in final assembly at the General Dynamics Electric Boat facilities in Groton, Conn., the Missouri will take to the sea in 2010 as one of the most technologically advanced nuclear submarines in the fleet.

“We are proud to be selected as the hometown coffee that will not only help support the commissioning of this amazing vessel, but will be served aboard the submarine named as tribute to our home state,” said Joe Paris, co-founder of Parisi Coffee. “We are grateful for the service these men and women do for our country, and we’re glad we could be a part of something significant for our state.”

Parisi coffee imports and roasts select premium coffees at its historic coffee roasting facility near I-35 and Southwest Boulevard in the Crossroads District. Most of the company’s products are sold through area grocery stores, served in local restaurants as well as coffeehouses and in catering operations across Kansas City and in other parts of the Midwest.

In 2007 Parisi launched Fuel the Future – a fundraising program which aligns the coffee company with charitable organizations to generate money through the sale of coffee and other artisan food items, with the proceeds benefitting the non-profit group. With the partnership between Parisi and the U.S. Navy League Commemoration Committee, each bag of coffee purchased through Fuel the Future, will raise funds to support the launch ceremony as well as other needs in the future.

“The crew of the USS Missouri tasted several roasts and selected a very nice single origin coffee,” said Scott Presnell, Parisi’s director of marketing. “We’re proud that they enjoyed the coffee and want to serve it on the submarine.”

The coffee selected is a specialty grade Arabica bean from Guatemala. After roasting by Parisi’s Roastmaster John Welsh, the coffee will be packaged and sold as The Mighty MO Blend coffee.

The company has plans to partner with more non-profit groups in the coming months. In addition to the U.S. Navy League Commemoration Committee, the program has already entered into agreements with three other groups in Kansas City area, ranging from arts support to youth service charities. For more information about how to partner with Parisi Coffee and raise funds for a local organization, please visit www. Parisicoffee.com.

About Parisi Artisan Coffee
Parisi Artisan Coffee was founded in 2006 in Kansas City, Mo. by a longtime local Italian family who had established several successful artisan food companies under the parent company, Paris Brothers Inc. In addition to nearly 4,000 artisan foods imported, manufactured and distributed in Midwest retail and grocery stores, the company specializes in manufacturing artisan-style specialty coffee with a passion for Italian espressos. All Parisi coffees are small batch drum roasted at the company’s Kansas City production facility off Southwest Boulevard near downtown. Parisi Artisan Coffee is available at Midwest regional food stores as well as served at fine Kansas City area restaurants.

2009-08-27T11:38:00.001-07:00

A don't miss: Quixotic Fusion performing Saturday, 9/12 - 9-10pm at The Kansas City Sculpture Park at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. We've had a preview, you're going to love it. Oh yeah, we'll have some great coffee there as well.

2009-08-21T14:18:00.001-07:00

What a week of good things @Parisicoffee - 3 great new partnership made and some amazing new coffee blends in the works.

New Coffee Delivery Options

2009-07-07T07:02:00.000-07:00

We've added some new delivery options to
Parisicoffee.com you might be interested in. Thanks to new services from our friendly government delivery company, you can now have your coffee delivered via the U.S. Postal Service.

Choose from Parcel Post or Priority Mail for a little savings. It may take an extra day, so just remember to order before you're out...otherwise it could have drastic mood consequences. Standard UPS options are still available if it absolutely, positively has to be.

Also, here's a tip for our local patrons. You can find most Parisi Artisan Coffee's in fine area retail establishments like Price Chopper, Hy-Vee, Hen House, SunFresh and The Market stores in Kansas City. However, some of our single origin products, fine espressos, our exclusive Black Label products, as well as our 2 lb packaging options are generally, only available online.

If you can't find what your looking for conveniently in-store, ordering online is the next best thing. For the lowest cost of delivery, you can choose the Postal Service option (Tip: Priority Mail provides 2-3 day delivery for only about $.10 more than standard Parcel Post) or choose store pick-up, drop by our roasting facility and we'll have your order roasted fresh and ready for you...mmmmm, now that's a great cup of coffee.

Cafetin Coffee Lot Gets #5 in Cup of Excellence

2009-06-23T13:09:00.000-07:00

Costa Rican coffee Cafetin de San Martin, is awarded #5 in the Costa Rica 2009 Cup of Excellence program.

The Cup of Excellence is the most esteemed award given out for top coffees. These awards come from a strict competition that selects the very best coffee produced in that country for that particular year. These winning coffees are chosen by a select group of national and international cuppers and are cupped at least five different times during the competition process. Only coffees that continuously score high enough are allowed to move forward in the competition. The final winners are awarded the prestigious Cup of Excellence® and sold to the highest bidder during an internet auction.

The Cafetín de San Martín micro mill, located in the Tarrazú Region of Costa Rica in the small village of San Martin de Leon Cortes, is found at the end of a steep mountain road and is not on any official maps. A micro mill was built in 2004 as a social project started by, Timothy O’Brien, a Kansas City native and former Peace Corps volunteer in San Martin, to help 35 friends and small coffee producers in a forgotten corner of the mountains earn better prices for their crop.

As fate would have it the farms produced coffees of exceptional quality. They process the coffees using an ecologically friendly PENAGOS pulping machine that mechanically washes the beans thus eliminating the fermentation process. All liquid wastes are processed in a bio-gas digester that produces methane for cooking. All our coffees are then 100% sun dried on raised African beds.

Cafetín's entire mission has been focused on generating better coffee and better incomes for the producers and their families and put the village of San Martín on the map.

Cafetin is one of the first coffee farms to be recognized as an Eco World Family Farm product designating it as an artisan heritage as well as an Eco and Socially conscious product.

Want to try our Cafetin coffee for yourself? Look no further than your coffee aisle at area Hy-Vee stores or try Kauffman stadium. It happens to be the primary bean in the Royal Blue Blend. Or check out the Cafetin on our website at ParisiCoffee.com

Report Says Coffee is Good. Whew!

2009-05-13T10:07:00.001-07:00

As if coffee lover's didn't somehow already know this, but reports indicate that coffee has many health benefits. This recent Boston Globe article says so and now that it's on the web it certainly must be true.

Found it humorous that in past studies, ones I assume that did not find conclusive health benefits to coffee, didn't take into account that their subjects were also smokers, since most smokers also drink coffee. Too bad they didn't limit those past studies to just people who drank coffee and ran marathons...otherwise coffee would have been "healthy" years ago.

New Coffee at Royals Stadium is a Homerun!

2009-04-01T09:01:00.000-07:00

KANSAS CITY, MO: Parisi Artisan Coffee®, Kansas City’s hometown artisan coffee roaster, will launch a new blend of coffee in conjunction with the Kansas City Royals Opening Day this year. The new coffee product, called Royal Blue, was developed to celebrate Parisi’s new partnership with the Royals for 2009. Parisi Artisan Coffee will be the official coffee served in the newly remodeled Kauffman Stadium.

“We are proud to be selected as the official coffee of the Royals,” said Joe Paris, chief executive officer of Parisi. “We were excited to see all of the tremendous improvements at the stadium to celebrate 40 years in Kansas City. They have an incredible commitment to providing a superior service to fans which is demonstrated in the high quality of specialty coffee we’ll be serving.”

Parisi coffee at the stadium will be served in the stadium suites, restaurants, high-end stadium sections and the Press Box. It will also be available for retail purchase in regular and decaffeinated 12-ounce bags at local Hy-Vee stores, the official grocery store of the Kansas City Royals, after opening day on April 10th.

The Royal Blue coffee is a specialty grade Arabica bean coffee from Costa Rica. The beans are imported directly to Kansas City from a Costa Rican farm that is overseen by a former Kansas City native, Tim O’Brien, who now works with Parisi in developing direct trade partnerships. The beans are roasted, artisan style, by Parisi’s Roastmaster John Welsh at the company’s historic coffee roasting facility near I-35 and Southwest Boulevard in the Crossroads District.

“The taste of this new specialty coffee can be described in coffee connoisseur terms as ‘honey’ coffee. You will find it has a big body with notes of citrus and a sweet, savory flavor,” said Scott Presnell, Parisi’s director of marketing. “This product can sell for as high as $15 per pound in some parts of the country, which means it’s usually only sold in specialty coffee shops, but here in Kansas City you can get a great cup of premium coffee at the ballpark!”

Working in line with the Parisi’s longtime philanthropic philosophy, with each bag of Royal Blue coffee sold in participating Hy-Vee locations, a portion of the proceeds will benefit Royals Charities.

Ready for some baseball!

2009-03-06T14:53:00.001-08:00

Buy some tickets, enjoy some coffee. First day of single game tickets on sale Saturday, March 7th for the 2009 Kansas City Royals season. We're excited about the new season and looking forward to checking out the new stadium upgrades. So much so that we'll be up early tomorrow, hanging out with the die-hard fans getting a first chance at tickets.

We may even have an announcement or two to make :). Come check it out.

Congrats to our Facebook Winner!

2009-02-27T08:02:00.000-08:00

Congrats to Mark Mazzarese for being our February coffee gift winner. He's selected our darker roast Italian blend to go with his coffee mug and Moka Pot.

If you'd like Mark to share some of his coffee, he just might, but you'll have to drop by his store at 135th & Roe - Mazzarese Jewelers - and maybe pick up a little bauble while you're there.

Thanks for being a fan, Mark. Enjoy the coffee.

Check us out on the FB!

Don't Ruin the Roast with a Bad Brew.

2009-02-26T09:35:00.000-08:00

It doesn't seem like it would be too difficult to make a cup of coffee, but reality is that nothing ruins a great artisan roast like bad brewing. Not to disparage the good ol' 12 cup dripper on the kitchen counter, but if you haven't tried French Press or Moka Pot brewing, you really should experiment a little and see how the art that goes into preparing the seed, can actually come out in the cup.

It's true that these methods require that you pay just a little attention to the science of the beverage; the appropriate coffee grind, water temperature, coffee-to-water ratio and brewing time. And yes, you may need to get a new piece of equipment (though you can pick-up a nice Bodum press or a stove-top Moka Pot pretty inexpensively). But you may find that the flavor experience really justifies trading up from what's coming out of your one-button-start-so-I-don't-have-to-think-about-it gourmet machine. It's also worth mentioning, coffee making in this style is pretty portable, making it easy to have great coffee on the camping trip or wherever else you may roam.

But how do you know what do? Funny you should ask, we've put together a couple of How To's with the help of our friend Chef Jasper Mirabile. Check out these video's How to Make French Press Coffee and How to Make Moka Pot Coffee. Though these don't capture the brewing nuances for every type of roast, they will help you produce a pretty fine cup of Joe.

Team Colavita/Parisi Gets Rolling

2009-02-17T06:32:00.001-08:00

With the kick-off meeting last evening, the amateur race season for Team Colavita/Parisi is officially underway. So far about 15 riders have signed on and more to come I'm sure as the season gets underway. Watch for a schedule to be posted here soon.

We'll also be sampling some of our newest Parisi Artisan blends at a few of these events. Also be on the look out for the new Parisi "coffee wagon", if it's present, there's generally free coffee involved.

The Air Up There

2009-01-14T13:22:00.000-08:00

After years of roasting on the first floor of the building, John is now refreshed to be roasting with a view of the boulevard. We changed some of the set up configuration of the stack and chaff collector when the transfer was made. John's been dialing in and seeking out the sweet spots of our origins again.

Great examples of the new tweaks in airflow and sunlight influence can be found especially in the Mexico-Don Eduardo, Kenya AA Ichimara and the Fazenda Cachoeira Natural Yellow Bourbon Brasil.

Parisi Rides With Locals

2009-01-14T12:45:00.000-08:00

We are proud to sponsor a local bike team here in Kansas City. Parisi Coffee is partnering with Cellar Rat, Colavita & Volker Bicycles to outfit a passionate racing team.

Volker Bicycles is a great little shop on 39th & almost Bell St. in KCMO. Everything you need for your biking needs, great or small, they have it.

We are excited to be part of a community of freaks as passionate about riding as we are passionate about coffee. In fact, the lines blur as two members of our group at Parisi commute to work on bike through all four seasons.

Check out Volker Bicycles home page and their blog here & here.

So it begins...

2009-01-14T12:33:00.000-08:00

So, Parisi is finally up and running with our very own blog. Why so late on the blogwagon? I think our late adherence is due to us having our noses buried in the act of dialing in our roasting and brewing.

We have undergone a lot of changes in the last year or so. The biggest change has been physical. Our facility has morphed and expanded to multiple levels of the old paint factory building we inhabit. Roasting and cupping has graduated to the top floor. Blending and packaging has moved up to the third floor, and training has taken up residence on the first floor. The second floor and basement are shrouded in mystery...

We have a small but mighty team of impassioned folks who are behind every bag and bean that comes out of this place. Bios and photos will be up on our soon to be new and improved Parisicoffee.com.

So, if you haven't had any of our coffee around Kansas City, give it a whirl. Check out You Say Tomato, Jasper's, Westport Coffeehouse, Eggtc, Soho Bakery and more. Or you can knock on our door, and we will fill your cup.