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| - I've been told Harvard students can't fail a course, but the worst grade they can get is a "gentleman's C". Pretty much the rating I would give this place since it has disappointed me on two occasions and possesses potential to be great, but can't really give it a rating below 3 stars since I reserve those for places which are clearly lacking in quality or ambience with little to no redeemable qualities.
Located off of Eastern in a relative bustling retail area, ideal location to grab a post-meal coffee or dessert (which makes their business strategy of closing shop at 7pm everyday on par with Netflix' decision to split their streaming and delivery service). Sleek modern furniture and nice shaded outdoor seating, it has all the makings for a European cafe oasis in the desert serving Illy coffee, various pastries, panini sandwiches, and croissants. Free wifi minus code and spacious surroundings make it ideal for those wishing to study or catch up on work.
The downside are the baristas. Perhaps I've been spoiled from the coffeehouses in the pacific northwest, but I think there is an artisanship to crafting these beverages and these folks are clearly lacking both in hospitality and technical skill. My first trip I ordered a macchiato, which is expresso "marked" with foam. What I ended up with was a cup of foam marked with expresso. Second trip I decided to play it safe and order a small iced mocha since their menu indicated coffee drinks served hot or iced was priced at $3.35. When I placed my order, the price came out to $4.27. The explanation I got was that since their small cups for the iced drink holds more ounces, they had to adjust accordingly....seriously? I'm sure when you factor in the ounces occupied by the ice, it actually ends up being less volume than the hot mocha, but I wasn't ready to get into a physics debate with Ms. Archimedes. Granted, the price of this iced mocha works out to be similar in price to one found at Starbucks or Coffee Bean, but the failed expectations and lack of attention to customer service was noteworthy. Only time will tell whether this place will achieve it's full potential or be drowned into caffeinated oblivion, much like my macchiato.
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