Paramo Coffee

View to the Promenade

If you’re like me, the words Sightglass and Stumptown get you salivating like Pavlov’s dog! Then you need to know about Paramo Coffee. This shop has a FANTASTIC pedigree.  Involved in the bean side of things is Gabe, the buyer and roaster who perfected his skills at these places (my two personal favorites). On the retail side of things is one of the gentlemen who founded Modern Coffee over in the Tribune Building in Oakland.  (If you haven't been there I highly recommend it for it’s truly modern concept, but that's a review for another day.)  Paramo Coffee Company is a relatively new (6 months) East Bay roaster who does a wonderful, well-thought-out job with its beans.   The coffee shop is even newer (only a few weeks), filling a coffee dead-zone in this particular section of the FiDi, their philosophy is that really good coffee should be accessible without the (often lampooned) attitude.  Located in Embarcadero 4, it's in a great location to accomplish this by serving tourists and locals alike. It is easily accessible from the Ferry Building and the Bart Embarcadero station.  

The Storefront:

Got Paramo?

It's a small space, in one side, order coffee and/or pastry, out the other, with plenty of seating out in the covered Promenade.  The space is clean and modern, yet inviting. Service was very friendly and everyone was happy to chat about coffee or anything else you might want. And they didn't kick me out when I accidentally muted their sound system. :-) The only issue I encountered were technical issues they were having with their POS system.  They had problems over a few days with their new system (which have since been resolved) ringing people up but they overcame the minor hiccups with grace and pleasantness.

The Coffee:

On my first visit I got my usual test cup when checking out a new shop, a small cappuccino (standard double ristretto).  The roast was a delicious nutty, warm pull, not the typical bright, citrusy feel.  It reminded me of Ninja Star Coffee out of Sebastopol (Yet another review for another day, so much coffee, so little time?), and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have since discovered that the milk ratio can change the taste notes. A regular cappuccino is a cup of warm, nutty comfort. Add an extra double-pull and the complexities come out, warm, bright strength.  Their drip roasts are where they shine, and outshine over-hyped shops such as Blue Bottle.  Sold in smaller batch, half-pound bags, they let you know where the beans come from and when they were roasted.  Ask for a sample of the brew of the day and you'll get a generous taste.   

The Food:

They don't have a lot of food offerings, but what they do have will more than satisfy a craving. They get their baked goods from Wholesome and Starter bakeries and had tempting offerings on display from golden scones, flaky croissants, and decadent muffins.  They also had cronuts that looked like light, fluffy little clouds of carby goodness.

Blurry picture of my cappuccino
made by the man

Coffee Geekery:

Yesterday I stopped by for a lunch time cappuccino, getting my preferred small, quad cap. Gabe was there calling pulling the shots and introduced himself. He and everyone at Paramo are nice people who have a passion for coffee from start to finish.

Now that you know, Go get your Paramo on!

6/7 stars, worth going out of your way for.  

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.