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| - I debated how to rate Old Crow, but the longer I stayed, the higher the rating creeped up a little bit, hitting 4 stars.
I have made it my temporary hobby to explore a wide variety of independent coffee shops throughout the Pittsburgh area and selected Old Crow because I was looking for something different close to the airport--where there isn't much. I'd already been to Coraopolis and Carnegie, and there didn't seem to be much farther west on the parkway. Twiddling with the map led me up the river to Ambridge. I don't think I've been to Ambridge since I was a little kid, so I was curious to see what's happening in this little river town these days. It turns out Ambridge now has not just one but two or three or more little coffee shops. I picked Old Crow because it is a new iteration/operation, and I wanted to see what it is all about.
Old Crow is not in downtown, it is on a street close to the Shop-n-Save. They have their own small parking lot. When I walked in, my first impressions were, wow this is big, and oh, this feels like we are out in the country. I know to expect a lot of variety in small-town coffeeshops, and this wasn't exactly a surprise. This is not a slick, uniform, "professionally" designed place. This is more like someone decorating haphazardly on their own whim--not that this is a bad thing. It is very homespun. The main area is very wide, and has a long counter. There is plenty of seating with tables and chairs. There are free books, local info, and well-done chalkboard menu that is very clear and shows the basics as well as their currently specialties. They get major points for the clarity of their menu as this is a pet peeve that I've developed from some other confusing local shops. They had a medium-sized assortment of pastries such as biscotti, cinnamon rolls, and some local donuts.
There is a large back room with more tables, lots of couches, and tons of space. I was the only person in this space for a long, long time. This is the biggest reason why their rating kept creeping up: this is the best working space I have been to during my explorations. It is dead quiet, cozy, and spacious.
I ordered a 12 oz latte and the barista asked me what kind of milk and if I'd like a real cup. She gets points for offering me a real cup! Visually, the latte looked decent--enough foam, the correct texture, but nothing special. That's how it tasted, too, OK flavor, no bitterness, but not "wow this is super yummy." So it is a middle-of-the-road latte. I knocked up the stars because the space and its benefits really grew on me.
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