Small World Coffee
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If this cafe is the small world that all the animatronic dolls were singing about, I’ll go ahead and start singing too. When you go to a place and your espresso machine fascination sparks a telephone game through the line waiting to order of How Exactly Do You Pronounce Cimbali?, it is undebatable that something special is happening here.
“Well, he’s straight from Italy and says it’s chim-balli, so I’m going with that,” the other half of the counter duo said, gesturing to the composite of blue cap, orange-red waist apron, and swift set of hands currently whipping up drinks.
What was once question was now an open-and-shut case. Here’s the thing though: while this discussion was settled, nothing about this cafe was shut off. The staff behind the counter went full-on stage performer and grabbed my phone to snap a picture for me of the espresso machine’s shelf side. The drink magician, and proclaimed Italian, even pretended to photo bomb. Despite my encouragement, he fell back quickly, a resumption of his off-camera personality. While most grab and go, there are a few circulars that offer the space a little more strip to those not immediately looking to take off. Even with all the cafe commotion, it was possible to tell that my dad and I weren’t from around these parts, prompting an older gentleman—part of the Cimballi town hall—to direct an endorsement of the Witherspoon location at us as he departed. Coffee aficionados and cheer squad-doubling clientele—as a cafe, what more could make it on your Christmas list? Opaque fixtures and a disco ball (a disco ball?!!?) drop down from high ceilings tiled in white bas-relief while behind the counter potted plants seem to be stuck coming down a window pane elevator or growing above everyone’s heads like trunk less trees. Shelves of merchandise on both sides don’t crowd; rather they add dimension and offer the space warmth in the form of wood and cork. The cafe’s masterminds even left room enough to invite local artists to exhibit, the acrylic naturescapes of Nicky Belletier up at this time reminding all of the light of sunsets and dawn-saturated lakes. As you look around, you’ll notice the panels of their roast designs enlarged, a little alien-lookin’ fella on some of the mugs that read “sleep is for the weak.,” and even a push-letter board with a simple evocation: “SEE ME I AM HERE.” But, what you’ll see most is the logo. Maybe it is a sunburst, but I’m pretty sure that it is a coffee bean at first crack, oriented ever so slightly to resemble an “s.” Why does it matter? Well, this stage of roasting is when heat transfer turns convective and, like the beans that begin to effect other beans, I could feel the warmth of every coffee bean soul that entered. You’d be right to consider a visit to this cafe a magnificent tumble in the Small World drum.
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Drink: Forte
This drink was news to me. But, you name a drink “strong” in Italian, and you’ve blinded me to any other option. On the menu it listed 10 oz. Okay. What makes it strong though? When I asked for clarification, they said it was a cappuccino with two shots. An industry-standard cappuccino (to my knowledge) is 6-8 oz. with two shots...looking again at the menu board, I noticed that their standard cappuccino was 10 oz. single or 12 oz. double. What you’re getting is a Forte SMC (Small World Cappuccino) or a larger and milkier staple cappuccino. It’s not that there’s anything wrong here; it’s simply a menu item that I think requires a little more breaking down and rebuilding. As for the flavor, I took made my best guess while looking at the bags of retail beans and epically fumbled. The House Blend was on the hopper. Apparently, they only do the brews (like the Grumpy Monkey or Number 5 Blend that I thought it was) in the morning. The rest of the day they brew House, but it’s always on the espresso drinks. For a sense of what you’re getting, the House Blend profile: “complex, symphonic, vibrant.” The other two roasts are not recommended for espresso brewing. Jeez, with such a spice-forward espresso, I wonder what the other two roasts (with “bold, bright, spicy” and “chocolatey, spicy profiles respectively”) taste like...next time.
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Price: Forte=$5; Flat White=$4.75; squash, maple, and pecan muffin*=$4.95
*While I didn’t get or try any food, my dad did get the muffin. When I asked him how it was, he said that it was a little dry. That’s all I could get out of him.
Hours**: Monday–Saturday {6–17}; Sunday {7–17}
**Grill open until 14:00.
Extra Notes:
They have a retractable, glass wall system out on the patio for when it gets cold. Never cold at Small World ♡