Cafe Aquatica in Jenner, CA

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yakster
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#1: Post by yakster »

We spent the day at Fort Ross on the Northern California coast and hit Cafe Aquatica in Jenner, where the Russian River meets the sea, north of Bodega Bay, on the way back to Guerneville. I was very pleasantly surprised with the quality of the pour-over coffee there, despite several factors which would normally weigh against a cafe. I ordered the Guatemala pour-over, the wait staff explaining that that was the only coffee that they were featuring on pour-over currently, even though they roast their own coffee and had bags of Colombia and Sumatra available for sale. She scooped the pre-ground coffee out of a tub and into the filter and poured with a kettle without paying too much attention to timing or pour, but the coffee was very good, probably because it was fresh and well-roasted. I saw a Sonofresco in the corner of the small shop and found out that the owner has a direct-trade relationship with the grower in Guatemala.

The sandwiches and pastries were also very good there, as was the view of the estuary. Afterwards, I tried an espresso macchiato, the espresso part was fine, but the milk was over steamed and thick and didn't blend with the shot. If you're up in the area (Bodega Bay or Russian River) this place might be worth checking out, but not if your in a hurry.






Fort Ross, North of Jenner
-Chris

LMWDP # 272

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yakster (original poster)
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#2: Post by yakster (original poster) »

FYI, I don't rely on finding good coffee when traveling, but I was pleasantly surprised at Cafe Aquatica. Here's my mobile / hotel / work setup.

-Chris

LMWDP # 272

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Balthazar_B
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#3: Post by Balthazar_B »

Nice setup, Chris. For me it would be an Espro Travel Press and my Lido 3 grinder, plus my favorite beans. Finding a good travel kettle in the US is a challenge; all of them seem compromised in some way. I don't exactly trust the plastic ones, and the Bonavita seems to be shoddily built and prone to rust (seriously? in a stainless device??!!). The Brits have all the good travel kettles, I'm afraid.

The ordinary Espro press would work, of course -- it's built like a battleship -- but their travel press is just so elegantly small and packable.
- John

LMWDP # 577