At Stumptown in Seattle, Oct 07
I've resisted posting reviews on this blog for the reason that I always saw this more as a way for friends & family to stay in touch with what's happening; a sort of travelogue for Anya and I in Seattle. I don't expect that anyone really cares which restaurants or movies I like. Curiously, however, I've been asked about this topic several times recently so I thought I'd write something up.
Intro: I love espresso, and Seattle is a great place for a person like me. I'm pretty spoiled. I also drink my espresso straight. I don't add milk or water, so these ratings don't apply to other drinks (latte, cappuccino, macchiato, mocha, etc).
Here are the ratings on a 1 (terrible) to 5 (excellent) scale. These reflect only drink quality, not decor, service, food, price, convenience, etc. Since having a good barista is a big part of the equation, I'll only list places I've been a few times to average it out. These shops are in Seattle unless otherwise noted.
- Espresso Vivace ***** Sweet, dense, carmelly perfection; not a drop of bitterness. Seattle's original espresso, still the gold standard
- Stumptown Coffee ***** Precocious newcomer, now tied with Vivace. Fantastic crema (the fine bubbles on top). When Seattle is destroyed by the next earthquake, I'll happily drive to Portland just to drink this
- Victrola **** Probably closer to 4.5 stars, this is excellent espresso but just a hair shy of Vivace & Stumptown
- Caffe Vita **** (as served at Motore) 4 stars means very good. Better than 99.9% of espresso in the world
- Caffe Umbria *** Tries to be Italian style, 3 stars isn't bad at all
- Caffe Ladro *** Only if the places above aren't around. A little on the bitter side.
- Zeitgeist *** Cashing in on rich history. If they hired decent baristas they could probably get another star; the attention to quality isn't there
- Fonte Espresso *** Popular at Seattle restaurants; usually served on the watery side
- Attibassi *** An Italian brand served at Tutta Bella, our favorite Seattle pizzeria
- Peace Coffee *** Minneapolis' hands-down best (as served at Espresso Royale Cafe)
- Nordstrom *** Yes, the department store. Best you'll find at a mall
- Peet's *** West coast chain, best of the big guys. Bolder and richer than many others.
- Uptown Espresso ** Seattle chain known more for lattes
- Allegro ** Whole Food's house brand served at their cafe, made in Texas (ugh). Quite like Starbucks but a little bolder
- Starbucks ** They use an automated machine; at least it's consistently mediocre. Overly bitter, overly watery. Weak crema.
- Tully's ** Northwest chain; same problems as Starbucks
- Caribou Coffee ** Theirs got less bad over the last couple years; can be outrageously bitter and abrasive in the mouth
- Dunn Brothers * I really like this perennial Mpls underdog chain, but DO NOT order the espresso. They burn the hell out of their poor beans; it's like they make espresso out of a French roast
- Cafe del Diablo * They serve it "Cuban style" with cane juice; truly awful
2 comments:
Are you still looking for a job? Just kidding, nice work - any decent espresso in Vermont?
I had some good drip coffee in Vermont, but the espresso I tried was mediocre. I didn't add it to the list because I didn't try any place more than once.
I will say that they have some very good beer made in Burlington.
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