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| - My girlfriend and I stopped by as we were passing through Madison; we wanted to check out the local coffee scene before heading back home to Cincinnati. Here are my thoughts:
Upon first entering the place, I got pretty excited. Having been a barista for years at specialty shops in Cincinnati, I first noticed what appeared to be a La Marzocco Strada (A very high end espresso machine), and a high end Nuova Simonelli Grinder. So, based on the calibur of equipment, I was anticipating a delicious third-wave specialty coffee experience.
That expectation quickly dissipated when I saw the menu. I ordered a cappuccino, and was asked to choose a size: 12oz, 16oz, or 20oz. At almost any third-wave coffee shop, a cappuccino is an 8oz drink: 2oz of espresso with 6oz of milk, with a heavier microfoam than a latte. I was able to get the barista to make me an 8oz drink (they were quite friendly and accommodating), but the menu is clearly not a third-wave menu. It was more like the menu that you would find at a Starbucks.
The quality of our beverages was also not quite what I had hoped. Again like Starbucks, the espresso was roasted very dark, and the milk was overstretched; there was too much foam (at least an inch thick) on the top of my girlfriend's latte; a drink that is supposed to have very little milk foam. Likewise, my cappuccino was heavier in foam than is standard.
In all, this café fell somewhere between Starbucks and a third-wave specialty coffee shop. The space and atmosphere were great, the service was great, and they had very good equipment, however the menu, coffee roasting, and drink quality didn't quite meet the same standard.
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