It's a Great Thing.

My friends, I can die a happy woman (um, hopefully a very long time from now, but nonetheless). I can hear you all collectively asking Why?, and I will tell you.

The answer is that yesterday I was close enough to Martha Stewart to a) make eye contact, b) take pictures, and c) geek the heck out.

And double your pleasure: She was talking about coffee.



The occasion was the taping of the Martha Stewart Show episode (airs this Friday, 10am EST) in which my pal and coffee partner Amanda is prominently featured -- alongside some of NYC's other espresso visionaries.



After a roughly-four-minute-long taped segment, in which our friends at Grumpy, Gimme! and Ninth Street Espresso appear--as well as Amanda herself (and my little hands)--my gal and another barista from an Italian restaurant uptown spent some cozy time on the set, making drinks on Martha's in-studio machine and pouring latte art for salivating viewers at home.

Me? I was in the audience, with Ninth Street's own Bob.



We may have both felt a little out of place amidst that giggling sea of pastel turtlenecks, but I was tickled to be so close to my girl MarthaStew, and I was grateful to have Bob there to keep me, you know, playing it cool or whatever.

Oh, who am I kidding? I didn't play it cool. I did, however, eat some cookies.



Check out the show! Support NYC coffee! Support good coffee everywhere, while you're at it!

The Martha Stewart Show
12 January 2007 on NBC
10am EST