The next day I went through the same routine. 9:30am this is the ideal coffee time and one that I savour. I walked through the Meadows. Passed the Big Issue seller. Passed Starbucks number one. Passed a man in a gorilla suit playing the drums (this is the fringe I'm talking about). Passed Starbucks number two and there it was again. Rudi's sandwich shop standing proudly and discreetly with it's £1.30 coffee temptingly watering my mouth. I hesitated outside for a few moments. My feet were doing that thing where they try and walk away but something further up in your body stops you from doing it. For those of you that don't know me I am a born worrier and continual over-thinker. The idea of going into a new, unverified coffee shop is filled with the same doubt as a normal person's trepidation of getting into a cab in India for the first time. Instead of "How do they drive on these roads?" I think "How do they froth their milk?!?!" It's a stressful world I live in.
Anyway before I had time to think about the possible waste of a quid I walked inside. Rudi's is fundamentally a sandwich stop, takeaway only. There is enough space inside for about four averagely sized adults. Three if they're all a fan of hamburgers. I tucked in behind a woman leaning on the glass counter. From the way she was talking to the man behind it was clear she was a regular. This is reassuring, unless she also works on a construction site then I have my doubts. This isn't me being snobby by the way. I've simply noticed that builders and related workers seem to be connoisseurs of tea and therefore are less fussy about their coffees.
The woman got her two Americanos, said her thank you's and left. My turn and here it comes. "Can I have a skinny latte really really hot please?" I've stopped saying extra hot, because they never make it extra hot. Instead "really really hot" makes me sound pleading and therefore they are more likely to accommodate. That along with the cringe on my face as I say it. There was no sigh, no look of perturbance to my specifications. He just cracked on and made it.
Well, well done is all I can say to him. It was an absolutely perfect cup of coffee. Just how I like it, skinny and very hot. I happily sipped all the way to work and still had some left by the time I was sat at my desk. Now here is the point I have to mention another particularity about how I enjoy my coffee. It has to be full to the brim. I don't see the point in ordering a coffee and getting half a cup. In fact I think it's a blimmin' outrage. I only recently learnt in Starbucks that you have to ask for it "wet" to have it free from froth, but somehow asking for a "wet latte" makes me feel even more stupid and fussy than I already do. Surely all coffee is wet? You spill it on you, you get wet. Anyway instead I used to measure it by the weight of the cup. As soon as I pick up my coffee I know instantly whether it needs more milk in it, much to the annoyance of many a barista. On this occasion, though, I was happily surprised. The cup was more than adequately heavy. Again, well done man.
I returned the following day and was served by a woman, his wife I would assume. Again a bit of fear clotted in my throat. It's a new person. It's a new person who could ruin my coffee and thus ruin my morning and thus ruin my day. Genuinely this is how my mind operates! But yet again I was pleasantly surprised. A damn good coffee made to order. One point for a good coffee, two points for a repeat performance!
So I would have to give this humble little sandwich shop a honker of a score. It's just out of the Old Town Centre, but well worth a visit, particularly if you fancy a nice stroll in the Meadows after coffee in hand. It looks like they also do some pretty good-looking sandwiches at equally reasonable prices.
Now while they appear to sell merchandise T-shirts they are yet to own a website, so those of you with a handy festival map scrunched neatly into your bag, Rudi's can be found at:
30 Forrest Road
EH1 2QN
I'm also going to be really geeky and add a "Frothy Fun Fact" to each post. So today's Frothy Fun Fact: Rudi is actually the name of a "punk rock/power pop" band from Belfast that was formed in the 70's, hence the title of this post. Whether this has any relation to the name of the coffee shop I have no idea. I prefer to think of Rudi as an old Italian man who emigrated to Scotland with high hopes and a passion for pastrami and good coffee. I'll let you choose.
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