The Creamery

At 4th and Townsend, I used to like the Creamery much more than I do now.  This past summer (only a few months ago) I'd stop in practically every other day. Things have slipped and there's a huge quality discrepancy depending on who's working the machines.  In fact there are a couple of baristas that I'll turn and walk right out if I see them at the Marzoccos.

The Place:

The Creamery is a restaurant with a decent espresso bar setup by the front counter. It's decor is probably best described as SoMa Rustic and it has a pretty good seating area outside. They serve all meals, and wine and beer.  It's also attached to the Iron Cactus. A Mexican restaurant, they share restroom facilities with.  I'm not sure if they share the kitchen space.  The food in the Creamery looks really good, fresh and seems well prepared. They do seem worthy of consideration if you are hungry, but I haven't actually stopped to eat here.  The menu items are interesting and appeal to local tastes.  They also have great baked goods if you are on the go.  Try the strawberry scone if they have it.  

The real benefit to The Creamery is its location. It's kitty corner to the San Francisco Caltrain station at 4th and King. It's the quickest restaurant near the station get to.  It's fast and if you really want to use a restroom (and not the one in the station...) it's your best bet. 

The Coffee:

They use Ritual Roasters for their espresso. Should be pretty decent, right? Again, it depends on the barista. If it's good you get that familiar warm nutty, start with a slight acidic finish.  This last time, it was burnt and just flat tasting.  And most of the time, lately, it's hit or miss.  I did not enjoy it.  My palate can handle 4 shots of espresso from Starbucks in an emergency, so my sensibilities aren't too delicate. I just prefer to have my coffee with a bit of craft and finesse rather than a sledgehammer.  

I think this is a management issue because I've seen a couple of them doing just about everything, running the cash registers, serving food, busing... I don't blame them if they are being stretched too thin, but I'm going to spend my coffee dollars elsewhere.  It seems a great place to stop and grab a bite to eat, but speaking strictly about the coffee - move on.  And speaking of Starbucks, there's one about a block or so in the other direction if time is an issue.  If you want the really good stuff there's a Philz about two blocks south of the train station.  Either way, odds are it will be better coffee. 

3.5 of 7 stars.

Espressamente

Kidney-shaped Coffee Art

Espressamente is Illy's retail shop, franchised in about 200 shops around the world. I think there are about 9 or 10 in the US. There's 1 in SF at 123 Battery St. and opened about a year and a half ago, blowing much of its own fanfare. Illy is considered the grand Dame of Italian espresso roasts and really, if you check them out at all, they are quite impressive. They have a 'University' training center where baristas are trained in the Illy way.

But this Espressamente has slid down the bean hill, fast.

My visit was a sad, frustrating experience. There were two people behind the counter, a barista and the order taker. And while pleasant and professional, they both seemed... Inexperienced and ill prepared for the amount of people coming through, which was not a lot by any means in a busy downtown. It was as though they hadn't been properly trained to handle things.  They seemed to be trying though.  I even got cappuccino art.  A kidney shape that depressed me even more.

Espresso Cup Chandelier

The space was slick and shiny. There's a pretty cool espresso cup chandelier. They offer coffee, juices, baked goods and lunch items.

Generally, I expect my cup to start warm and 'caramely' and move into a fruity, acidic finish. (I call it sour). But it was flat and dull the entire cup. No personality, no depth. It didn't really taste scorched so much as tamped incorrectly.

The shop had an overall depressing, stagnant feel to it. I'm pretty sure I won't be back.

3 of 7 stars: Meh! Go to Starbucks or Peets instead.

REVEILLE

For my inaugural entry I decided to go to one of my favorites, Reveille. 200 Columbus Avenue.

Brothers Tommy and Chris Newberry started it as a coffee truck (that still operates not far away in Jackson Square) but purveying good coffee always has its place in San Francisco; so they opened a store front about a year ago.

Cappuccino Love

What they offer: coffee, pour-over, espresso, delicious baked goods and lunch items, salads and sandwiches. 

What you can expect:
People who care about coffee, a lot. An open, clean and modern space on the edge of North Beach.

The coffee:  FourBarrel is used for pour over and espresso drinks. FourBarrel is a fantastic local roaster that does small batch roasting from known growers. A favorite.

The espresso is is a traditional Italian style, smooth to begin and slightly fruity/acidic on the finish. Delicious. I often get my cappuccino fix here. 

This day, I had a Columbia Andino pour over which was beyond fantastic.  Delicious with strawberry tones.   It drank like a dessert to the bottom of the cup. And left such a pleasant after taste that lasted for a good half hour. 

The Food:

Craftsmen at work

The food was fresh, healthy and reasonably priced. (especially for this part of town) I tried a small faro salad with Brussels sprouts and pumpkin seeds and a small quinoa salad with golden beets, goat cheese and arugula. I got smalls so I could try a couple things; but either would have made a satisfying lunch on their own. Very reasonable for $4 each.  I should have taken a picture... I'll just have to go back... 

Definitely a craft shop. 6 of 7 Stars: Worth Going out of your way for.