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.