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).

Urban Spirit

Before we begin, we would like to thank everyone who came out to our Fair Trade/Organic coffee tasting at the Spore Infoshop! We had a great turnout and everyone really engaged in the cupping and presentation on certifications. Special thanks go to Amy, the Spore volunteer who joined us for the tasting and helped iron out some of the kinks encountered along the way. Hopefully we'll get to taste more coffees and meet more readers at future events!

Alright, on to the review:

Urban Spirit
889 E. Long Street
Columbus, Ohio 43203

Urban Spirit is located on Long Street in Olde Towne East. It carries Crimson Cup beans and boasts latte art on its advertisements. Apparently, it is much more than a coffee shop, as it offers services such as consulting, event planning and catering on their website. It is also a nexus of community involvement ranging from a weekly jazz night to political organizing. Their coffee drinks, though, are all offered with a "top hat," which means whipped cream from an aerosol can. While this is a kind service, it is not exactly what we're looking for in a coffee shop.

Espresso

Beans: Crimson Cup
Machine: Nuova Simonelli

Overall, the espresso was not as delicious as it could have been, but it was better than others. It was thicker than most, although still thin. The crema was a darker brown. The barista did not know which coffee was being used for the espresso, but we can only suspect Armando's blend...that's definitely what it tasted like (tart and syrupy).

Positives:
Ground per shot

Negatives:
Used small cappuccino cup for espresso; no demitasse available
Did not clean portafilter between shots
Did not purge group between shots
No saucer nor spoon
Shot was fast
Did not preheat cups

Cappuccino

Sadly, this was no cappuccino. It was a latte. And there was none of the latte art depicted in their advertising because there was no foam on it whatsoever (not even a little tiny layer that is quite appropriate for a latte). Bronwyn also thought it was a bit acidic for her taste. The complimentary “top hat” was declined.

Positives:
Proper size cup

Negatives:
No foam whatsoever! (It should have had at least as much foam as milk and espresso.)
Used 2% milk (whole is preferred)
Acidic
Same espresso as above
Did not preheat cup

Double-Action!

This one's a two-fer!

Suds N Java
1254 N. High St.
Columbus, Ohio 43201

Suds N Java is just South of Campus and is both a laundromat and internet cafe rolled into one. While it is a great place to do some laundry and surf the net, it needs some work on the coffee. Rather than freshly ground espresso, they use the same “coffee pods” one might find provided for guests in a hotel room. The pod was placed in the single group Nuova Simonelli machine and brewed for about a minute. Our “double shots” were about 8 ounces each, quite bitter and undrinkable. They have other redeeming qualities beside coffee. Go for the laundry and web surfing.

After the incident with the pod, we decided to switch gears and simplify.

Yeah, Me Too!
3005 Indianola Ave
Columbus, Ohio 43202

Yeah, Me Too! is situated near Studio 35 in Clintonville. It is a profoundly basic coffee shop, featuring one hot brew, one cold brew, and a limited supply of bagged roasted coffee. The Diedrich roaster they use is bolted down near the front window and bags of green beans aren't far away. The whole place is just a little bigger than a large living room but, unlike most living rooms, there are no chairs or couches. Or benches. Or stools. There are also no tables but, for as austere as it sounds, the place has a welcoming atmosphere.

The best part of Yeah, Me Too! is that all of their hot coffee is made with a French press and the beans they use vary daily. The coffee on offer was a blend of medium-dark roasted Brazil and Sumatra. The gentleman behind the counter started the press as soon as we ordered but did not ask for payment until later, and only after he served our toddies. Our first impression was that it was exceptionally clean. There was a nice, fuller body to it with a slighter acidity, and faint nuttiness. After her first round of critical sips, Bronwyn felt that it held up fantastically to cream. Overall, a delicious coffee, a great roast, and properly brewed. Nice job, Yeah, Me Too!

Coffee Tasting @ Spore

Saturday, May 9th at Noon:

Join us for a free blind tasting of locally roasted organic, shade and fair trade coffees. We'll be talking about what these certifications mean, how they are attained, and the social and environmental issues brought about by Western consumerism while bringing people together to drink and learn about coffee.

Please try and register for this event (so sufficient amounts of coffee are provided) by emailing columbuscoffeereview AT gmail DOT com.

Your hosts:
Bronwyn: formerly of Peet's and Ancient Grounds (Seattle)
Damion: Cup O' Joe, coffee enthusiast
(Note: like at the beginning of DVD's, the views and commentaries expressed herein do not represent those of COJ, Peet's, or anyone else but Bronwyn and Damion.)

http://www.sporeprint.info

The Delicious Doppio: What a Double-Short (Ristretto) Pull Should Taste Like

For all those not completely fluent in coffee yet, here is the title translated: two shots of espresso that are cut off after about 10-15 seconds, extracting only the first part of the shot where most of the caramelized sugars and subtle flavors of the coffee are stored. This is called a "ristretto" (Italian for restricted) shot, or it is called a "short" pull sometimes. "Doppio" means double in Italian. That being said, let us move on to the article.

Many may be wondering, "so what's with all the negative reviews? What do these people want, eggs in their beer? Does any espresso taste good to them?" Well, friends, there is an answer to that question: yes. There is delicious espresso out there, and this is how it should taste, look and feel:

In the words of David Schomer, "espresso can be made to taste exactly like ground coffee smells, only more so" (Espresso Coffee: Professional Techniques, 1998). A good shot of espresso should exhibit these characteristics:

-Dark, reddish brown crema that lingers
-Thick, velvety texture
-Natural sweetness from the caramelized sugars extracted from it
-Nutty overtones from roasting
-Complex flavors

Pulling a good shot of espresso requires so much more knowledge and preparation than most people realize. Every little thing matters in espresso, and affect it in different ways (both positive and negative). These factors include:

-Environment (humidity, temperature, etc, even though it's outside and the machine and beans are inside)
-Bean and ingredient quality (quality of the bean itself, when it was roasted, when it was ground, what kind of water used (filtered or not), etc.)
-Equipment quality (kind of machine used, weight of tamper (thingy used to pack down ground coffee), etc.)
-Barista training (do they know how to pull a shot that will come out with the description above?)

As you can see, there are some etceteras. This is because these are main factors, and those contain tons of sub-factors. There are quite a number of books written on espresso, so this article would quickly turn into a book if we went any further. There will be more posts in the future explaining sub-factors on a deeper level. Those posts will continue to help explain what we are looking for and why we are so particular about everything.

So this is all fine and dandy, but how do you know when you've found "the one?" Well, first of all, it should taste deliciously sweet and like you stuffed a velvet jumpsuit into your mouth. Maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration and does not exactly sound pleasant, but the espresso should encompass your mouth like a soft, thick blanket. It should not exactly dance on your tongue (unless you like a more acidic, less traditional style of espresso), but fill your mouth with a rich warmth and smooth, nutty flavor. Espresso should not ever taste bitter.

Caffé Apropos

Caffé Apropos
443 W 3rd Ave
Columbus, OH 43201

Caffé Apropos is a little, European-style cafe in Victorian Village on W 3rd. Tile floors imitate an outdoor patio which only emphasizes the ample real patio space outside. They feature their own roasted beans, a large wine collection, and an assortment of pastries and a menu of sandwiches, soups, and pizza. The coffee shop advertises their own roasting of coffees both flavored and non-flavored. While maybe the coffees were finely roasted, their barista was not finely trained, unfortunately.

Espresso

Equipment: Brasilia Portofino.

Beans: Apropos' own.

Overall, we got one heck of an espresso...and by that we mean we got an entire demitasse full of a double espresso. This should not happen; the shot came out too fast and ran too long, causing an over-extracted, sour shot. We should be clear that we forgot to ask for a ristretto (the standard short shot). The espresso we were given was more like a lungo (long), a shot pulled for a longer amount of time and that generally has twice the volume and twice the bitterness of a ristretto.

Positives:

Served with saucer

Negatives:

Too thin, airy
Sour; acidic in a bad way
No spoon
Shot was underdosed and overextracted
Medium-tan color of crema

Cappuccino

Sadly, your snobby coffee reviewers were engaged in a thoughtful conversation about coffee while the barista was making both beverages, so we did not take great notes on the barista's procedures. The result in the cup was all we needed to guess at what the barista was up to. The cappuccino had bubble bath foam and was not the correct size; it was served in a 12oz mug without a saucer or spoon. The acidity in the milk emphasized the acidity in the espresso. We did not finish it.

Positives:

Good ratio of milk: espresso: foam

Negatives:

Bubble bath foam (started as microfoam but quickly dissipated)
No saucer
No spoon
Incorrect size
Very acidic

Drip Coffee

The drip coffee was lighter bodied, medium acidity, and weak. It was significantly cooler than most drip coffees we have come across. Nothing to write home about.

We cupped some of Apropos' Ethiopian coffee later in the week and found it floral, of a moderate-high acidity (a good thing here), and having a moderate body to it. An excellent coffee when made at home.

A Guide to Our Reviews

As one can see, coffee preparation is an extremely intricate process. We, here at the Review, like to point out many of those tiny details that are so extremely important. Many people are probably very confused at these details; are wondering what they are and why they are "positives" or "negatives," so we'll be adding little tidbits here and there explaining the ins and outs of the details in the reviews. We'll start off with a brief lingo guide:

Portafilter: The part of the espresso machine that detaches. It is what the ground coffee is packed into, then it is placed back into the machine to make the espresso.

Grouphead: The part of the espresso machine into which the portafilter fits.

Pull/Pour a shot: Barista lingo for making a shot of espresso.

Crema: The "foam" or "froth" of espresso made when pulling a shot. Crema should be a dark, reddish brown that is somewhat speckled with dark spots. Much crema turns out to be tan or khaki in color, which means that the shot was improperly pulled; usually creating a sour tasting espresso. Crema with a proper color is one factor that indicates a properly pulled espresso. Good crema should linger.

Some personal lingo:

Bubble bath foam: Milk foam that resembles that of the stuff you find in a bubble bath. Foam in cappuccinos or lattes or any other espresso/coffee beverage including milk should NEVER resemble this.

Melted ice cream foam: Milk foam that resembles that of melted ice cream; very dense in texture and NO visible bubbles whatsoever. This is the stuff you want in your beverage.


That's it for now; more definitions and explanations to come in future!