And during lay-offs :) Very good espresso. Very smooth, but rich. I think its Hawaiin. Ask for Betsy, the owner. She looks like a young Ruth Buzzie (from Laugh-In).
Interesting. Will definitely have to check out "Art of Espresso" next time I'm visiting my dad back over in the Meadowbrook/Handley area.
As for Torrefazione, I've not been impressed with them over the course of three or four visits. What time of day are you going there? I guess I'm getting the "lunch-is-more-important" rush or something, because the espresso I've had is terrible.
Crema was great, but I think if they aren't switched over to the new owner yet, it'll be a matter of days.
Visited Main St Perks in downtown Irving last week and it was a pleasant experience; not the best espresso, but they use Ahh! and it was not as bad as Starbucks.
Went back to Coffee Haus Arlington (one of my old hangouts) this last weekend and talked to the PBTC for a while about Starbucks, espresso quality, and the possible demise of that location. He was surprised to hear that there was an interest in quality espresso and was concerned about the quality and maintenance of their machines and beans, so there's hope yet. Even if he did think I was a "North Arlington yuppie" for purchasing a doppio. PFF!
As for Illy, there are probably a handful of places that serve it, but the only location that comes instantly to mind (besides Breadwinners, apparently) is Paciugo, a local set of gelato & espresso cafés. Their Illy is definitely a notch above Starbucks, but still nothing in comparison to Jupiter House (with Cuvée's/Mike McKim's Meritage espresso blend) and Créma (which was serving Intelligentsia Blackcat). We're trying to get samples in at the coffeeshop my gf just started working at (Standard&Pours) to get them off of this crap Segafredo, and so far Cuvée and Zoka seem to have been the best priced options, though Decatur St Blend wasn't too shabby. Man, that Zoka Paladino was the best espresso shot I've ever had, though. Also just talked to a nice woman who suggested a new independent coffeeshop with drivethru, café, and roaster would be opening up around NE Dallas in the next few months.
And the second I get 50-200k to play with, I'll open up my own. ;)
Keep the info coming, NTexans. I'll let ya' know how my Austin reviews go sometime in the beginning of June.
Posted Mon May 24, 2004, 9:06am Subject: Re: Dallas-area coffee.
Here is my take on the Dallas coffee scene. Roast your own! That is what I do.
Actually, it sounds like I need to make a trip to downtown Carrollton.
There are a few places I have found that can produce a decent cup.
Don't slam me for this one but the Starbucks in my neck of the woods (Lakewood) is actually not too bad in a pinch. Most of the others around town suck but these guys seem to do a pretty good job. It is located at Gaston and La Vista. I don't know why this one seems better than others.
There is another place in Lakewood called The Coffee Company. I am not sure if he does espresso but he usually has a pot of coffee on and he roasts his own beans so it is typically very fresh compared to other places.
I think the Addison Coffee roasters know their stuff but I am not sure that they have retail space at their place. I know they roast for Central Market and if I have to buy bulk, I will usually seek their stuff out. They are good folks and seem to care about quality.
There is a new place on I-75 at Meadow called Kaffas or Khaldi's that roasts their own beans. I haven't had their coffee yet though.
Another place that actually makes halfway decent stuff is the Seattle's Best Cart in the Love Field airport.
You would think with a market this big things would be better. I would say find a place that roasts their own and buy from them.
Posted Mon May 24, 2004, 1:40pm Subject: Re: Dallas-area coffee.
Hmmm....I guess I missed some other posts on here about the Crema Coffee house in Carrollton. Are they no longer in business? I hate to see a quality local shop go down.
I am looking forward to the final list of N. texas coffee houses!
JR_Brewing Senior Member Joined: 13 Jan 2004 Posts: 32 Location: Dallas, TX Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Isomac Millenium Grinder: Mazzer Super Jolly
Posted Mon May 24, 2004, 2:28pm Subject: Re: Dallas-area coffee.
Mikey,
Yes, alas, Crema was short-lived. I also missed the opportunity to try it.
To answer your question about The Coffee Company (TCC), no, unfortunately they do not have an espresso machine. It would seem like a logical extension for TCC. On the other hand, they really don't have any sit-down space which I think would be important for serving espresso.
I am curious about the new place at I-75 & Meadow. Does anyone know if they serve espresso?
Malibar Senior Member Joined: 4 Apr 2004 Posts: 157 Location: Durango, CO Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Bialetti Moka Pot (stovetop) Grinder: Rocky DL, Cuisinart... Drip: Pourover Cone, Bodum... Roaster: I wish
Posted Mon May 31, 2004, 10:58am Subject: Re: Dallas-area coffee.
hyoomen Said:
Yeah. Coffee Haus is actually sort of a chain, though that particular location is merely using the 'name', franchise-style. The one in downtown Ft. Worth was the best, but Sundance Square decided to have them replaced w/ a Starbucks.
As for the espresso, it's not bad at Coffee Haus -- just not great. I had a cappuccino the time I visited that particular location and the bubbles were huge and the espresso wasn't so much bitter as mostly lacking in flavour (perhaps it was just too wet). The doppio was good and strong, but very acidic for my liking.
The staff, however, was quite likeable and we stood around and talked 'shop' for a good 15 mins.
Hey not that it's much use for DFW folks, but I worked at a Coffee Haus in Waco. My feedback as far as your satisfaction with the drink: it really depends on your barista when you're in a CH. At the one here in Waco, we had a couple really good baristi, and others that just didn't care. I'm guessing it's the same up there. Metro Coffee Grouppe's beans are decent, and I was definitely able to get some good shots pulled with them. Of course, it's probably no Paladino, but it works.
If you want the scoop on Waco-area coffee shops, I'll be more than happy to give you my input...
Hemingway had the ideal cofee shop figured out: "A clean, well-lighted place."
JR_Brewing Senior Member Joined: 13 Jan 2004 Posts: 32 Location: Dallas, TX Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Isomac Millenium Grinder: Mazzer Super Jolly
Posted Wed Jun 2, 2004, 7:57pm Subject: Re: Dallas-area coffee.
We would certainly welcome feedback on Waco coffee shops. If you have a strong recommendations, it might be worth a road-trip! Speaking of which, I recently made it to Denton to try Jupiter. I would agree with Hyoomen that it is in the top tier of N. Texas coffee houses.
In addition, I came across a new shop in Addison, TX on Beltline (3725 Belt Line Road). It is called Dunn Brothers. It is a franchise, based in Minneapolis. This is their 1st location in Texas. Most noteworthy is that they roast on-site. In addition, they utilize a Cimbali machine and a mechanical tamp to ensure consistent tamps. On the negative side, they did not pull my double-espresso directly into the cup. Nonetheless, there was pretty good crema and a reasonable pull time. Overall, I would say that they are pretty close to meeting my minimum requirements for a true espresso shop. However, I would like to try them a couple more times to be sure.
Finally, I will let each person make his/her own decision on the taste of the roast that they use.
Malibar Senior Member Joined: 4 Apr 2004 Posts: 157 Location: Durango, CO Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Bialetti Moka Pot (stovetop) Grinder: Rocky DL, Cuisinart... Drip: Pourover Cone, Bodum... Roaster: I wish
Posted Thu Jun 3, 2004, 6:08am Subject: Re: Dallas-area coffee.
As far as Waco coffee shops: I'd love to pitch some rough evals in. However, to give the best info possible, I'm going to try to revisit each shop over the course of the next week and take fresh notes, so you don't just get my (sometimes vague) recollections.
Shops to be reviewed: Common Grounds Coffee Haus Cafe Cappuccino Maybe Starbucks (what I'll probably do is include an eval of a particular location if it exceeds what my average Starbucks experience has historically been)
Gosh, sadly, I don't think I'm leaving any shops out... there aren't many here. Maybe I'll check around to see if any of the higher-end restuarants serve espresso. Yippee for Waco... Check back in a week.
Hemingway had the ideal cofee shop figured out: "A clean, well-lighted place."
BlacklandCoffee Senior Member Joined: 28 Jul 2005 Posts: 29 Location: Dallas, TX Expertise: Pro Roaster
Espresso: Vetrano Rotary Grinder: Mazzer Super Jolly Vac Pot: Bodum Santos Drip: Not so much Roaster: 5 lb. drum roaster
Posted Sat Aug 13, 2005, 12:36pm Subject: Re: Dallas-area coffee.
Any new ideas from Dallas coffee geeks? I've been getting most of my beans at Dunn Brothers in Addison. Very nice place, extremely friendly and helpful folks, nice selection of whole bean coffee (freshly roasted in house daily), and well-made shots of espresso.
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