Circuit Coffee
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Found a solo table and fell in love. Well, that’s not quite the whole story. The whole story includes looking up while in line behind a serious—my conclusion based on how outfitted they were—cycling couple and seeing the dragonflies on the ceiling. It transported me back to when I noted several times a day that the American decorative arts were highly influenced by Asian motifs—of bamboo, dragonflies, and bats—in the late nineteenth century. You don’t expect to see them, painted medallion reliefs there above you. But there they are, three large panels of this ornateness delineating the space, bordered by gold-painted, multi-tiered crown molding. The way the cafe spills down into more seating at the front recalls a bathhouse, the enormous glass panes with Prairie-style supports and defunct doors add to this effect, capturing every ounce of the outside that it could without letting any of it directly in. Instead, a fiddle leaf fig graces this front area and hanging plants flank the ramp that leads you to the sun-soaked parlor. Some blue-and-white porcelain here, a retro flip-down clock there, and it’s a cafe of down-to-earth resplendence that glints and galvanizes in all the right places.
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Drink: Cortado
Not sure if I should say that I smelled it or that it commanded my nose’s attention. Who’s to say? The first sip, contrary to the aroma, was fruity. It caught me off guard. The fruitiness was also tamed quickly by something. I had to know. A brief interaction with the barista revealed that they use their Three Phase Espresso Blend for their espresso drinks. The notes? Strawberry jam, almond nougat, and cocoa. The strawberry jam is the lead in the beginning, however it reclines a little with each sip. Still, it’s there—an ever-present plumpness. The cocoa and the almond nougat don’t puncture quite the same, but I suspect that they are holding the fruity flavor reins. Rightly so. These notes can overwhelm if not carefully balanced. It’s interesting: online it says that Three Phase is composed of naturally-processed Columbian and washed South American beans, while the bag in the store said that the Three Phase is composed of 40% Ethiopian and 60% Peruvian, washed/natural. These are two very different origins, and I’d just add the caveat that your espresso experience could vary from mine. The drink is spectacularly constructed either way, but my take might be off given componential seasonality and availability. Two more things I would like to add. One, the only question they asked me while ordering: “Whole milk?” Oh, I love it when everything is how it should be. You’re in good hands. Two, they specify ounceage and ounceage when ice is added on their menu. If you had any doubts about their seriousness, noting this feature should Avada Kedavra that doubt almost immediately.
