Kafe Kerouac

Kafe Kerouac
2250 N High St
Columbus, Ohio 43201

Kafe Kerouac is a little shop selling books, cds and vinyl, alcohol and coffee to the college kids of Columbus. Located on North High Street on the corner of Northwood, this campus hangout holds various events including cigar and poetry nights (held separately), and offers a quiet space to study while drinking, unfortunately, not so great coffee.

Espresso

Machine: Faema Due
Beans: Chief Cooker

Overall, a thin, bitter shot that was undrinkable.

Negative:
Watery
Shot came way too fast
Did not preheat cup
No saucer or spoon
Tan crema that dissipated quickly

Positive:
Cleaned portafilter between shots (with micropore towel!)
Purged between shots
Ground per shot

Cappuccino

A bubble bath foam with watery espresso. They only had two percent milk, but the barista offered to make whole for me by mixing half and half and two percent (thanks, lady!). Unfortunately, while this was a very nice offer that we appreciate and took advantage of, it did not enhance the beverage by much.

Negative:
Bubble bath foam

Did not have proper size, but the barista did make a smaller cappuccino because we asked, so thank you!

Same sad espresso as above
Inappropriate ratio

Pulled shots before steaming milk, leaving our shots to spoil before they even had a chance to prove themselves

Drip

They feature a "Private Reserve" blended especially for KK. It was pretty good but did not stand out in any particular area.

The Bexley Coffee Shop

The Bexley Coffee Shop
492 North Cassady Avenue
Bexley, OH, 43209

The Bexley Coffee Shop has blindsided us with its greatness! Owned by Paulette and Sean Sullivan, it is on the east side of Columbus in Bexley, situated on a relatively uncrowded commercial street next to a UDF. We were surprised and delighted with our coffees, both made quite well.

Espresso

The barista knew what we were talking about when we said we wanted a double short pull! Ordinarily there is a moment in which we explain to the person behind the counter what a ristretto is, but the self-trained owner, Paulette, went right to work. She gave us two beautiful shots that dripped slowly at first, dark brown, the streams thick like cooked spaghetti. Once in the cup, it was syrupy sweet, thick as cream, and tasted like the smell of coffee beans. It also had a great crema that stuck around for a long time. This is the way espresso should be.

Machine: Rancilio 2-group espresso machine (and Rancilio grinders)
Beans: Chief Cooker

Positives:
Barista knew what a short pull is, and even called it a "ristretto," it's correct name.
Used dry towel to clean portafilter between shots
Ground per shot
Used demitasse cup
Dark, speckled crema
Sweet

Negatives:
Portafilters not kept in groups
Did not preheat cups
Left freshly packed portafilters in groups for too long before pulling the shot
No spoon

Cappuccino

Like the ristretto, the shots used for our cappuccinos were amazing. The whole milk froth was just shy of the melty microfoam we were hoping for after the command performance with the espressos. Quibbles over the size of microscopic bubbles notwithstanding, this was a great cappuccino.

Positives:
Used whole milk
Good foam:milk:espresso ratio
Same espresso preparation as before
Free-poured
Served in traditional 8-10oz ceramic cup

Negatives:
Did not preheat cup
No spoon
Foam was not quite "melted ice cream"

Note: Bronwyn went back to the Bexley Coffee Shop and had the other owner-barista, who steamed her some excellent foam. Seriously delicious. The shot, on the other hand, started off great...and was looking good...then was still going, and going, and going... I did not ask for a ristretto, to be clear, but I did not ask for a lungo either. But the milk (which was soy) was amazing!

Drip

The light-roasted Organic/FT Peru was smooth bodied but offered a mild, tingling acidity. It was nutty and very fresh tasting even as it cooled.

In closing, our expectations were surpassed by this unassuming neighborhood cafe. In talking to Paulette it is easy to see that the Sullivans are excited both by the coffee they serve and the people they serve it to. Their hard work is paying off, as they have set the bar for coffee in Columbus (even if they are, techincally speaking, in Bexley).