Published in Uncategorized
.
New stuff at the Frick Building: My inside source tells me that the mini-fridge will be shipping soon. As soon as we have a reliable delivery date be assured that the Panini will follow shortly. The arrival of the mini fridge also means we can put our more of those great yogurt cups, fruit cups, etc. out for sale every day as we like to keep the cold stuff cold. Speaking of cold, we’re getting a new ice maker installed to keep up with all those iced teas and iced lattes we’ve been selling lately.
New stuff in the Strip District: We’ve decided to upgrade our bulk grinder- it’s shipped and will be installed this week. What does this mean to you? Our brewed coffee will taste better (as will yours if we grind for you), coffee sold by the pound will grind faster, and our shop will look 5% spiffier (plus or minus 1%).
Published in Uncategorized
.
Caffe Intermezzo: Snob-Proof Gourmet Coffee
Lauren and Matthew visit Caffe Intermezzo, a coffee shop in the Strip serving Intelligentsia coffee.
Read Lauren’s writeup at burghilicious.com
Published in Uncategorized
.
Over the next 1-2 months we are going to be expanding our Strip District shop at 2018 Smallman Street into the space on the corner of 21st and Smallman (50 21st Street).
What does this mean? Other than the short walk a couple of doors down from where we are today, it means more of everything:
- Two floors of indoor seating
- More outdoor seating
- Expanded breakfast and lunch menu
- Wireless internet
- More prep space for our growing catering business (yes we do that too)
- Air conditioning
We’ll post more details as we move through this process, but there are a lot of exciting things planned for the new space. Check back often for updates!
Published in Uncategorized
.
(At left is an image of a Single Cortado. One shot of espresso (~one ounce) “cut” with an equal amount of steamed milk. Notice the tiny rosette on this 2oz drink. If you order this please do not get it in a paper cup. We’ll serve it in a paper cup, but just be a little sad. Photo by Dominic Demangone)
That Latte Art you just drank took some serious time and effort- let me explain what we’re trying to accomplish when we pour a neat design on the top of your drink.
We practice what is known as “free pour” latte art, where the steamed milk is poured over the espresso in continuous fashion. Another type of latte art, known as etching, actually involves drawing with some sort of implement on the surface of the drink. We’re fanatical about serving our drinks seconds after they’ve been poured so we use the free pour method. Before we train any of our barista the finer details of pouring artwork they must first be able to make a consistently excellent shot of espresso and steam a great pitcher of milk with just the right texture (incorporate just the right amount of air into the milk), sweetness (incorporating air into the milk releases its natural sugars) and temperature (yes, hot, but you do want to drink that now- right?). In other words it has to taste great all the time- the artwork is icing on the cake.
We only pour latte art on latte-style drinks, so no art on those cappuccino (the proper foam for a cappuccino prevents it) or espresso macchiato (a dollop of foam on top of an espresso). We’ve poured art on drinks as small as 2oz (the Cortado- equal parts espresso and steamed milk) or as large as a 20oz latte or mocha. Typical styles of latte art include the rosette (a leaf or flower), heart, and apple, but there are variations on these designs as well. I prefer a nice rosetta because it is challenging to pour a detailed design with many “leaves” and at the same time maintain the correct amount of foam in the drink. A good pitcher of latte-style milk should have a nearly imperceptible “microfoam” that has a sheen and texture similar to wet paint.
Many of the large coffee chains have switched over to fully automatic espresso machines that basically heat the milk without paying much attention to getting the proper texture of the microfoam. As our customers can attest, properly steamed milk with good microfoam actually tastes much richer/sweeter than you would expect “hot milk” to taste. Our job doesn’t get any better than when a customer absolutely loves their drink. If we can add a little “milk art” to the mix- all the better.
Published in Uncategorized
.
We’ve been in business downtown for 6 months already- we think it’s time to shake things up. People tell us all the time how amazed they are that we fit as much as we do into our small spaces, and to that we say “just wait and see”.
You may have noticed some changes in our Frick Building shop. We’ve installed a new pastry case to give us more room on the bar (and now you can get a better view of the Synesso), put in a brand new mini freezer (like anything else would have fit), and there is much more on the way.
New downtown offerings include:
- Healthy veggie/hummus snacks
- Oatmeal with steamed milk and choice of several toppings
- Gelato- this week’s flavors include chocolate and vanilla
- Sorbet- this week’s flavor is raspberry
- Intelligentsia Coffee in 16oz vaccuum bags with the roast date (only the freshest is for sale)!
Check back often as we will soon be offering more lunch items (as soon as that darned mini-fridge shows up!).
New stuff in the Strip District: We’ve decided to upgrade our bulk grinder- it’s shipped and will be installed this week. What does this mean to you? Our brewed coffee will taste better (as will yours if we grind for you), coffee sold by the pound will grind faster, and our shop will look 5% spiffier (plus or minus 1%).
