Good espresso I've had away from home - Page 10

by **dialydose** on Fri Oct 08, 2010 9:30 am

jamhat wrote:My wife and I found a great coffee shop in the Destin/Panama City Beach area. It's called Amavida Coffee. They have a roaster in Panama City, a shop in Seaside, and a shop in Seagrove Beach.

They roast several different varieties, but I was especially glad that they also roast Malabar Gold for use in their coffee shops. I've had a couple of espressos in their shops and each one has been excellent. So far, it is the only one I've found in this area that's good.

This was the first time I had ever tried Malabar Gold. It was very smooth and had a thick, persistent crema.

If you are ever in Seaside or Seagrove, I would give them a try.

We stayed in Seaside a couple weeks ago with a group of friends. First, I would like to say I talked to the owner of the company several times and it was obvious that he was passionate about coffee and was truly a nice guy. Also, Seaside is an amazing place that I encourage everyone to visit. Having said that, I was a little disappointed in the coffee. I think the reality is that the coffee is only going to be as good as the person preparing it. I think I had shots from four different barista while in Seaside and the quality ranged all over the map from pretty good to undrinkable. I did enjoy some of their SO coffees in both pour over and drip though.

by **hperry** on Fri Oct 08, 2010 11:00 am

Was in Washington DC recently for a conference and had very good lattes at Big Bear Cafe - 1700 first st nw, Washington DC. They feature Counter Culture coffee.

by **Chert** on Sun Dec 26, 2010 7:51 pm

San Antonio, TX: http://themontereysa.com/. The Monterey is more about good food than coffee, I think but they used Brown Coffee Co. roasted espresso to good effect for espresso or americano. Home barista in gear as well: Baratza grinder and La Fiorenzato single group to pull the shots.

by **Chert** on Tue Dec 28, 2010 3:39 pm

San Antonio, TX: Today I was thrilled to learn that the Liberty Bar in their new digs on S. Alamo has added great espresso to their delicious fare. They use a La Marzocco GB5 paired with a Swift. I think their choice of roaster, Cuvee, goes a long way toward producing excellent coffee there even though, as a restaurant excellent espresso is probably not their focus. If I go to one restaurant in San Antonio whenever I am there, Liberty Bar is it and now it is in my top two for espresso.

by **Phaelon56** on Tue Dec 28, 2010 4:41 pm

That's really good news. I visit SA once or twice each year for work and we always stay at the Riverwalk Marriott. The coffee and espresso scene has been desolate on my past visits - I'll be sure to try out Liberty bar next time I'm there. On a side note... if you happen to be a rodizio lover (I am) the Foga de Chao next to the Marriott, despite being part of a small chain, is by far the3 best rodizio restaurant I have ever been to - and I've been to many.

by **Chert** on Thu Jan 20, 2011 10:31 pm

Kennewick, WA: Kennewick Coffee Company. Corner of Benton and Kennewick Ave in the downtown. I always enjoy adding to this thread, especially when it involves a place near to home. I also discovered a new roaster there, because they sell and use coffee from Backporch Coffee out of Bend, OR. The espresso shot was quite reminescent, to me, of Cottonwood espresso by the Brown Coffee Co mentioned above. The Costa Rican presspot cup was nicely bright and floral, a nice showcase of the varietal. I will be back for more and I look forward to pulling the Backporch blend at home at some point as well.

by **jcoleman08** on Sun Jan 30, 2011 6:56 pm

Sorry to resurrect this thread from the dead, but I appreciate the local (Spokane, WA) recommendation of Atticus. I had all but given up hope of finding anything decent locally. I had been there when it was Four Seasons and for some reason it was not terribly memorable. I will definitely give them another look.

by **Chert** on Sun Apr 03, 2011 8:15 pm

Portland, OR: Heart. Ethiopia Wollega SOE delivered the aroma of lemon and delicious flavors to the last drop. (2211 E. Burnside)

The cafe is quite nice: Probat has a dominant presence, LM 2 Group refurbed with a fine paintjob, multiple single origin preparation options are offered.

Portland's current coffee scene is well-described here: Recommended cafes in Portland. I wish I had more time to explore them all.

by **Ian_G** on Mon Apr 04, 2011 5:11 am

I used to travel reasonably regularly to Silesia in Poland, specifically Katowice. Near there is Krakow, a really beautiful medieval city. Down a narrow street I found Pozegnanie z Afryka (Out of Africa). I don't know why they called it that because they serve coffee from all over the world. Anyway just for the hell of it I ordered Jamaica Blue Mountain Peaberry as an iced espresso and it was sublime. Easily the best coffee I've ever had.

by **Chert** on Sun Apr 10, 2011 12:31 pm

San Diego, CA: Bird Rock in La Jolla on La Jolla Blvd is mentioned elsewhere on HB. What a beautiful setting they have to serve delicious espresso and pour-over! I thought the Dirty Sweet espresso highlighted the El Salvador orange character quite nicely. I took Ecuador Rosa Abad pour-over up the hill to the Torrey Pines Reserve, which gave me great flavors while I enjoyed the view of that beautiful part of the world.

It would not surprise me if the example of Bird Rock raises the bar for good espresso in San Diego.

I found a dining spot on Adams at Park called Monica's that also serves Bird Rock roasted coffee. They pulled a little longer and a little hotter on a pretty Elektra three group.

One other spot to mention is Brickyard Coffee and Tea. It is really close to the Convention Center and serves a dark roasted espresso pulled fairly well.


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