| rev:text
| - Barriques is one of those quintessential elements of Madison that made me fall in love again and again with the city. All of the cafes are quirkily decorated, but the one on W. Wash is my favorite, followed by Monroe St (which was recently remodeled).
If you're looking for a Portlandiaesque coffee shop where the baristas are too hip to treat you like a human being, go elsewhere. While the baristas are typically pretty plugged in at Barriques, you won't find pretentiousness here, which makes it even easier to like.
First of all, the coffee is excellent, and the baristas know what they are doing. If I ask for a dry cappuccino, I get a cappuccino with foam so well done that it doesn't matter if I need to attend to other things at work for 15 minutes before I can sit back and enjoy it over tedious emails. I've never had a bad cup of coffee here either - in the summer, the cold press is my favorite farmers markets option, and I'll wait in line for it over the watered down but luke warm options waiting outside. The baristas are also very friendly, and willing to chat with you about their favorite options if you're feeling adventurous and inclined to ask.
The food is quite nice too. I haven't eaten a ton here, but their baked goods are heavenly (try the scones or the cowboy cookie). The sandwiches are fabulous, and the dishes are more well presented than they have to be. I'm impressed when someone takes the time to make a beautiful looking meal, and the food here is always elegant but comforting. If I didn't enjoy packing my own lunch, I'd probably be eating here every day.
Finally, the wine. It's a nice wind down to my Friday when I can do a wine tasting with a couple friends at Barriques. I usually opt for the one on W. Wash because it's so convenient and I don't have to worry about driving. It's affordable ($10), the guy running it is more than happy to speak with you effusively about the different qualities of the wines being sampled, and he has an amazing mustache. The Wall of 100 is selected through a rigorous vetting process by one of the owners who has arguably the most refined palate for wine in Wisconsin, but definitely for Madison. I've also done wine tastings at the Monroe street location, which is very good, but a bit more staid.
The Monroe street location also has beer on tap, and it hasn't disappointed yet. Most recently they did a coffee infused porter from Wisconsin Brewing Company that was very enjoyable for the beer sophisticates and novices alike.
Why anyone in the downtown area is hitting up Starbucks (unless a relative bestowed a gift card - I get it) for coffee when they have Barriques is a mystery to me.
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