Review: Dark Horse Espresso, Toronto

Background: Located in Toronto's diverse Chinatown neighborhood, Dark Horse Espresso is one of two locations of this popular native-Toronto indie coffee bar known for its communal seating, one-size-only beverages, and top-notch latte art. Smart options include standing and sipping espresso by the counter, sitting at one of two large communal tables (laptop central) at the front of the store, or resting in comfy chairs with low tables in the upper "lounge" area.

Flavor: I stayed right across the street (a joyous coincidence) and went straight there every morning I was in town. I sampled the plain espresso, cappuccino, and the Canadian version (if there is one) of the London Fog-- which uses Earl Grey, milk, and vanilla syrup. The espresso was rich on the tongue and more floral and sweet than the citrus/toast flavors I'm used to with our shop. Combined with milk in the cappuccino, it was smooth and very aromatic. The Earl Grey tea in the London fog was also very fragrant and floral, with just a hint of bergamot.

Source: The coffee comes from 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters, located in British Columbia. According to their website, they have a "direct relationship program" with their coffee farmers. In addition, each farm's name, producer, size, and landscape details are listed. The tea is provided by David's Tea, a fairly new company with locations in Toronto, Quebec, and Vancouver, whose motto is "Premium tea for all".

Rating: A true test to a barista's skill isn't latte art, it's the temperature and texture of the milk. One should not have to blow repeatedly over a drink before sipping, nor should the cup be too hot to hold in your hand. And if you can't get a nice full sip of milk froth and espresso all over your tongue without burning it, then why drink it at all? You might as well just order a cup of boiling water. Every time I got a cappuccino at Dark Horse, it was the perfect temperature and texture. And I'm not sure what's in the food that those Canadian cows are eating, but the milk also had a grassy, sweet flavor that surely would have been killed by overheating (or the addition of sugar). Cheers to Dark Horse Espresso!

District's Top Iced Coffee - get yours here!

Do you shy away from drinking cold coffee, thinking all it will taste like is the last third of your morning mug after it's been sitting on your desk for three hours?

The Washington Post Express daily wrote an article on the merits of cold-brewed coffee, naming ours one of the best places for the "District's Top Iced Coffee". Add in a nice quote from Javier, and bingo, we were asked by more than a large handful of customers today to take the challenge and try their first cold-brewed iced coffee. We use freshly ground Ethiopian Yirgacheffe beans and make the concentrate every day. Steeping the coarse grounds slowly in cold water overnight reduces the acid and bitterness that is produced, allowing the wonderful chocolate and mild roasted flavors to shine through very strongly instead. I've seen many customers drink their iced coffee straight, no sweetener or milk is needed. Some add milk or cream and a small splash of simple syrup or vanilla syrup to make it a little more rich. We don't recommend adding sucralose or raw sugar-- all it does is clump up in the bottom and/or float around as gritty specks in the drink. I prefer lots of ice and a big splash of soy milk, which adds some nuttiness and slight sweetness. And for goodness sakes, no whipped cream or syrup dribbles on top. Save those for an ice cream sundae over at Comet.

UPDATE: for those that would like to try the cold-brewing method at home, check out this recent NYT article on the small wonders of iced coffee.

CityPaper review of our croissants & focaccia

although I'm not quite sure why we the writer said we were an "unlikely" source for good croissants, he nonetheless became enamored of them and the focaccia, two of our newest baked goods from our new pastry chef and friend, farid. he crafts them right next door, every day, just for you. more about farid in a later post, but in the meantime, treat yourself to what has become for me a 15-minute daily ritual-- one of his croissants, pain au chocolat, or a round cream danish, and a classic cappuccino. we would love to hear your reviews. the best time to get your soon-to-be buttery hands on these are at 8am-- as soon as they come out of the oven every day.

Review: Roasting Plant, NYC

Background: Roasting Plant has a handful of locations around NYC, founded by a former Starbucs exec and engineer. He developed a trademarked machine called a "Javabot" (no joke) where the beans are roasted on site, sent to vertical hopper tubes for storage (pic here), and then upon ordering, are shot across the store into the all-in-one Egro brand Swiss Coffee machine that grinds the beans and brews them to order.

Flavor: Customers are prompted to pick which beans they want in their drink, no matter what type of drink you order. I was a little overwhelmed by the bean choices (approx. ten) and after tiring of trying to read over each one, settled on the Kenyan in the middle of the row (beans are arranged from raw to roasted, lightest roast to darkest). In mere seconds, a full cup of coffee appeared before me, complete with a thick crema. The coffee was clean, with berry tones and low acidity and the crema was rich and fresh. I admit I was a little jealous of the machine to produce the perfect crema sitting on top of the brew.

Source: The beans available were sourced from locales in South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia and the website describes "an eye towards organic agriculture and fair trade practices".

Rating: Having a cup of coffee brewed individually to order seems to me like an event that one should savor and feel a bit luxurious about, so ordering from a flatscreen menu and having the coffee appear in front of you untouched by human hands kind of put a damper on the experience. I was too skeptical of the Javabot's tamping skills and milk prep to get a latte, but will definitely try one out next time so I can fully judge the "woman v. machine" battle when it comes to preparing a coffee drink. I wonder if a Javabot that can produce latte art is in the works?

Review: Ninth Street Espresso, NYC

Background: Recently listed as a favorite on the NYT coffee topics blog, and located a few blocks from where I was staying, how could I not try out Ninth Street Espresso before getting on the bus to come back to DC?

Flavor: One of the seven (gods, that's great) items on the menu, the macchiato combines two shots from a semi-automatic machine with a touch of milk froth, to produce dominant citrus and gentle floral notes in just three sips.

Source: Stumptown Coffee Roasters' Hair Bender espresso blend, made from "coffee contents from the three major growing regions of Latin America, East Africa, and the Pacific Rim." Stumptown boasts their own "direct trade" label and lists the exact longitude, latitude, elevation, and farms/farmer's names on their website.

Rating: The tiny, long shop is comprised of one wall of exposed brick with a narrow bar and a couple stools. I got it in the ceramic cup, but by the time I walked to the end of the store to the front window stool and had taken off my jacket and sat down, it had cooled to barely warm-- a good reminder that pulling shots into heated cups is one of those great tricks of the trade that may mean the difference between a mouthful of warm, tasty-bright goodness and cold, bitter, acid-breath. Also a reminder that when it comes to espresso, sip first and ask questions later. Since I prefer nuttier, sweeter flavors in drinks made with milk, I think the Hair Bender espresso blend may be best served on its own for optimal enjoyment of that citrus-y crema.