This morning I returned to the Counter Culture training center in DC. It was time to learn how to make a better espresso, and (hopefully) how to make some latte art. Not to mention the attraction of getting on a La Marzocco machine I could never hope to own.
My wife and I went to the beach this weekend for an early celebration of our 25th anniversary. We’ve been to the Delaware beaches countless times, this visit to Rehoboth Beach, and we just love it out there.
On a bucolic commercial block in the DC suburbs which just screams small-town American goodness, you’ll find Takoma Beverage Company, otherwise known as Takoma Bev Co. This shop has quickly become a mainstay of Takoma Park, MD, a progressive, funky town hard by the DC line.
I’ve had my home espresso machine for a few months now, so let’s take a look at how it’s going so far.
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A bit of a hike from downtown, on a busy street in south Denver that feels part industrial, part suburban commercial sprawl, part hipster bait gentrification zone, you’ll find the roastery and cafe of Corvus Coffee Roasters, known as one of the finest roasting houses in the area and my choice for Denver’s finest coffee house.
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Not to be confused with Crema, the coffee and gelato shop in Jersey City, NJ, also found in my directory.
Located in the RiNo district, across the street from ink! Coffee’s flagship outlet. They may not be for everyone, but I found the building and interior beautiful. The black painted exterior is softened by yellow painted artwork and a shock of light blue with red accents around one of the entrances, and two huge windows that brighten one of the mishmash of rooms in this large space covering two separate storefronts which have been opened up. There’s also an eclectic mix of interesting artwork and decoration.
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Pablo’s has been around forever and was on the vanguard of Denver’s coffee scene. It’s pretty clear from their website that these people are serious about their coffee, but the feeling in the cafe is a very accessible neighborhood joint.
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A long-time staple of the coffee scene in Boulder, the beautiful college town 30 miles away from Denver, Ozo operates 4 outlets which include this cafe on the main retail and restaurant street downtown.
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Another Denver roaster and cafe operator, their original cafe on N. Pecos in the Sunnyside neighborhood is revered (and definitely on my list for my next trip). I visited the newer outlet, a stand-alone inside the Dairy Block complex in LoDo.
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Novo is one of the region’s best regarded roasters, and their beans can be found at several quality coffee shops. They also operate four cafes in Denver, including this outlet in a newish multi-use building downtown off the 16th Street Mall and just steps away from an ink! Coffee outlet.
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