No Foam Please
All Things CoffeeArchive for Cafe Mocha
Baltimore’s Pitango Gelato
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The Fell’s Point location of Pitango Gelato has it all – location, history, brick sidewalks, amazing gelato… and coffee.
The feel of this place was so good we came back for a second visit – on a 4 day trip. I had to take a picture of the gelato as well – but trust me, the lattes and mochas are also top-notch.
Monkey Nest in Austin
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Monkey Nest is located along a revitalized Burnett Road corridor in Austin, TX. This area has been a tough-luck area for retailers in the past, but over the last 10 years, it has been gradually getting spruced up. New shopping centers, mixed-use development, and refurbished store fronts have made a big difference. This section of town, in my mind, is anchored by an Amy’s Ice Cream and Phil’s Ice House to the north, and Torchy’s Tacos and Blue Star Cafeteria to the south.
Monkey Nest, inbetween, looks to be trying to be a “third place” – seating is plentiful. The coffee is good too. However, I did make the mistake of trying the Monkey Spicey Mocha. A sip or two is great, but this is a bridge to far, spice-wise, for a full drink. I wanted to drink a gallon of water by the time I was halfway done. A bit too heavy on the cayenne!
The straight up mocha is a better choice. Yelp reviews are generally positive, which is a good sign this far into their tenure on Burnett.
Houndstooth Coffee
Houndstooth coffee brings an excellent coffee snob’s selectivity and taste on coffee to central Austin, and yet the owners and baristas are humble, friendly, and helpful. To me, this cafe is the closest to Blue Bottle Coffee that Austin has to offer.
If you want a double nonfat mocha, no problem – it will be more subtle than a typical Starbucks drink, with more espresso flavor coming through. If you want to try something different, they have a variety of coffees and roasts available, and will help you navigate the options. In other words, you don’t just order espresso, you select a specific espresso bean on their menu (though, if you order a mocha, you might not notice the difference). I’d compare it a bit to consulting a sommelier, you’ll get more information than you really need to make a choice, but the richer descriptions give you a deeper context to the coffee you’re drinking.
Cafe Mocha @ Houndstooth
Houndstooth is well located in a new shopping center that also sports a Taco Deli (best tacos in Texas) and Floyd’s 99 barbershop, as well as Uchiko, the little sister of Austin’s favorite sushi destination, Uchi. I think the following picture from their site tells you a lot about the origins of Houndstooth:
Prepping for the Opening
Houndstooth carries coffee from three (at least) roasters:
Cuvee – local Austin roaster since 1998.
Of course, it should go without saying that you can get a variety of espresso drinks, as well as french press, pour over, or siphon. I haven’t been disappointed yet, and I’ve been back to Houndstooth more than a dozen times now. One of the Yelp Reviews seems to agree with me, giving it 5 stars:
Part of it is the rotation of espresso roasts so you can get something slightly different every time. Part of it is their meticulous attention to detail. Part of it is the beautiful (and I’ve heard very expensive) custom La Marzocco machine. Sean takes his coffee seriously, and it’s evident in everything that Houndstooth does.
No argument from me.
