Flyover Flavor

Roasting style: Light roast

Opened: 2011

Drinks Menu: Minimalist menu. I'm talking the basics - double espresso, cortado, and traditional latte (served only in an 8-ounce cup). No syrups, sugar, half and half, or even coffee blends on the menu.

Food Menu: Only a few pastry options. Coffee is the focus here.

Espresso Machine: A lovely white manual machine with wooden handles.

Brew Options: Kyoto dripper for iced coffee and V60 for hand brew.

Location: Cherokee neighborhood (on South Jefferson)

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Review:

When I started going to Sump, the shop had one tiny red roaster that sat on a counter in the cafe. Now, the roasting setup has moved to a separate room in the back of the building, and the coffee is roasted on a black machine that's twice as big.

                This is just one sign of Sump’s growth, which is clearly visible in the packed café on a Friday morning, the thousands of followers on Instagram, and the many St. Louis shops that serve Sump coffee. The rise in popularity makes sense - this shop approaches coffee with a devotion you don't see anywhere else in St. Louis.

                Sump doesn't serve cream, sugar, syrup, or even bean blends. The shop follows this strict philosophy to encourage customers to experience the complex flavors of the coffee untainted. For many people, adding cream and/or sugar is a ritual, something done out of habit without tasting it first. Sump wants to break that cycle by forcing customers to try the coffee on its own. The idea is, once they've tasted Sump coffee, they'll realize good coffee doesn't need to be doctored.

                Whether you agree with this philosophy or not, it's undeniably a smart move. Sump and its bearded owner Scott Carey are well known thanks to rumors of customers using flasks to sneak in half and half and of baristas ridiculing customers who ask for sugar. People come from all over the city to try it and post photos on Instagram about Sump being a “must-stop” for anyone visiting St. Louis. Many shops have been open longer, offer a more diverse menu, and are more centrally located, so this popularity speaks to the quality and reputation this café has built for itself.
               The “cool” vibe of the coffee shop lends to this reputation as well. You don’t pay for your coffee up front. You place your order and then pay your tab before you leave, which encourages you to sit down and enjoy the cup rather than sipping it on the run. You won’t find a mocha or frappuccino on the tiny menu, only the classics, such as a latte or double espresso. Cold brew is prepared with a Kyoto dripper and drip coffee is hand-brewed. Everything is weighed, timed and skillfully prepared to get a consistent flavor and texture.

                While I don’t hold the same severe approach to coffee (because I think people should drink coffee the way they want it, not the way the barista wants it), I like the respect Sump has for coffee. It’s an art, an obsession for Carey and therefore for all the baristas. That means the drinks always taste great. On my last trip, my macchiato had a very bright acidity that made me think of granny smith apples. After the first sip, the flavor mellowed out a bit, taking on a slightly chocolaty flavor. Sump coffee is lighter than I usually like, so I can't drink a lot of it without feeling the acidity. But when I'm jonesing for an excellent espresso macchiato (which I usually am), Sump is at the top of my list for my caffeine fix.

              Based on the turn out opening weekend, the extra cost didn’t scare anyone off. The spots were almost completely filled when I made my reservation for 6pm Sunday night – not exactly prime coffee time. When I arrived it was packed with a wide variety of people. A few kids were sprawled on the floor playing with the animals, and one girl wore a cat-ear headband. Many adults baby-talked to the cats the whole time, while others sat quietly beside sleeping felines and looked peaceful.

                  One thing was clear: everyone was there for the kitty entertainment.

                And these cats delivered. It’s like the owners auditioned the animals to find the perfect cast for the shop. They all were well behaved and somehow unperturbed by countless strangers in their business. There were two stars of the show. A rambunctious little tabby climbed, played with toys, and pounced on other cats, but wasn’t so fiesty that he bit or scratched customers. My favorite was an ultra-soft calico who slept the entire time and had an endless capacity for being petted.

                The space itself was interesting, though not the most comfortable. It was designed more for the cats than the patrons with plenty of nooks for hiding and structures for climbing. Toys were scattered across the floor and beds were placed on most surfaces for the cats to curl up. For the customers, there were a couple tables and chairs, as well as large pillows on the floor and benches in front of the windows looking out to the street. It’s a fairly small room full of furry distractions, so it’s not ideal for getting work done.

                When my allotted hour was up, I left wondering what will happen when the novelty wears off. Will people treat this place as a regular coffee spot to grab a cup of joe on the way to work or to get a little work done? Will the efforts the shop makes to find these animals homes be enough of an appeal? Perhaps I underestimate the draw of these cats, but my guess is that eventually, they won't be enough. The space and the coffee will have to satisfy customers as well to make this shop successful.

                This is where Mauhaus needs work. The space is not ideal for the usual café activities like meetings and internet surfing, and the drinks are mediocre.

                The drinks were especially disappointing because the coffee has potential to be great. Mauhaus serves La Cosecha coffee, which makes a smooth, chocolaty espresso. They also use a manual Londinium, so with the right training, the barista should be able to get good foam. Unfortunately, the cortado and cappuccino I tried were off. The milk on the cappuccino was scalded and the foam was sloppy. The cortado looked exactly like the sloppy cappuccino, only with less milk. It should have had foam more like a latte.

                Hopefully after a couple weeks being open and more training, Mauhaus can work out the kinks. They'll need to. The cats will make it easy to get people to spend that first $10, but to get people to come back for a second and third cup, the coffee will have to improve.

Opened: 2013

Drinks Menu: Traditional espresso offerings, including latte and macchiato. You can get a mocha or seasonal latte as well.

Food Menu: A few pastries and lunch items. RISE is moving to a larger space next door, which will have a full kitchen for preparing breakfast and lunch dishes as well as pastries.

Espresso Machine: Manual La Marzocco

Brew Options: Several cold brew and hand brew options, including Chemex and a Kyoto dripper.

Location: The Grove. The company also has a coffee truck that pops up all over St. Louis.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Specialty drinks: Pay-a-Coffee-Forward board lets you purchase a coffee for someone else to redeem. People in need can then get a free drink. I’ve seen these in other cities, but not in St. Louis. It works with the shop’s social justice mission: “Coffee, Peace, and Justice for All.”

Review:

In one word: eclectic. RISE is a two-story coffee shop located in a refurbished old brick house in The Grove. The bottom floor is full of little rickety tables and mismatched chairs. The espresso machine and register take up a small corner and the two baristas working behind it have to squeeze around each other while they work. Still, they do good work, preparing Kyoto cold brew, classic batch brew, hand brew, and traditional espresso drinks.

            The fun part about this place is the upstairs. The winding wooden staircase takes you up to a large open area full of old furniture and an odd collection of art. A large portrait of Jon Stewart hangs on one wall, surrounded by tacky pictures and abstract pieces. Two beaten up armchairs with the British Union Jack painted on the back are parked against one wall with the soft light of a table lamp creating a living room vibe. It looks like the owners did a tour of local thrift stores and rounded up everything they could find. RISE has the reused (and abused) vibe, which works with the beat up wooden floors and aged brick walls.

            Despite the thrift store look, this coffee shop thankfully lacks the thrift store dinginess or funny smell. RISE is always clean. The tables are free of dishes and wiped off. The floor is swept and mopped. It’s comfortable.

            RISE also serves good drinks, usually. When I first started going, the espresso macchiato was hit and miss. I had some with great foam and smooth espresso, but a few that were far off the mark. It depended on which barista prepared it. The inconsistency drove me away.

            When I went back recently, I was impressed with the quality of the drink. I got to speak with Mike, the general manager, about the changes at RISE. He was previously a GM for Kaldi’s De Mun location. I’ve raved before about Kaldi’s organization, so my guess is bringing on Mike bodes well for RISE's quality and consistency going forward. I’m hopeful and will be back to test that theory.

On some Saturday mornings, La Cosecha offers a coffee tasting led by one of the roasters and owners of the company. I was excited when I heard about this because I think a tasting is a great way to experience a shop's coffee menu and to learn more about it. I set my alarm early (for a Saturday morning) and showed up right on time.

                In execution, the event was a letdown. When I arrived, no one greeted me or told me where to go. There wasn’t even a sign. I wandered over to the Diedrich roaster where a man was standing and setting out bags of coffee. It looked like the right place. A few minutes later, this man picked up a chalkboard advertising the tasting and walked it outside. Not until he came back did he greet me and introduce himself as Gio Sparks, one of the roasters and owners.

                Once Sparks began speaking, it became clear that he was knowledgeable and passionate about coffee. He explained a little about how he and his partner experiment with each kind of bean they bring in to dial in the perfect flavor profile. Once they’ve found the best style for the bean, they use a computer program to guarantee consistency. When they purchase beans, they try to ensure the farmers are compensated properly and do direct trades when possible. I would have liked to hear more detail about the company's history and goals, but it was nice to have a glance behind the curtain of La Cosecha's operation.

                We tasted two beans, a Colombia Tolima and a Kenya AA Kifahari. Sparks served them in a snifter, which was a great way to capture the aroma and see the rich color of each. It also cooled the coffee more quickly than a standard ceramic mug, giving us the opportunity to try it both hot and lukewarm. This was nice because different flavors come out at different temperatures.

                I was a little disappointed that I didn’t pick up more flavors. Either because of my palate or the roast or maybe even the beans themselves, the coffee just tasted like… coffee. It was smooth and mild, not too acidic, but it lacked interesting notes. Some coffees strike your tongue with something interesting – an explosion of blueberry or rich earthiness or even a salty finish. Something that makes the coffee memorable. While the story of these beans (the farms they were grown on and how La Cosecha was connected directly to the farmers) was memorable, the brews themselves were forgettable. It would have been nice to receive a little guidance from Sparks about the body, aroma and flavor that we could look for since he had more experience with those coffees than we did.

                This event also brought out a specimen that's common at such coffee-related gatherings: the aggressive coffee snob. I shouldn't have been surprised to spot one, but I wasn't expecting it. There was a couple there for the event and the man was a classic coffee snob. After proudly stating that he dabbles in home roasting, he asked me if I knew what a V60 was. Before I could reply “duh,” he suggested that the roaster should explain it to me.

                It was a nice gut check for me. Am I a coffee snob? Boy, I hope not. As I explore and learn more about coffee, I do not want to devolve into that guy who assumes other people are ignorant or that because I know a bit about coffee that means everyone wants to listen to me. It's one thing to be excited about coffee and to make conversation, and another to make others feel dumb. It didn’t ruin the event for me, but it left a bad taste in my mouth.

               I think if there had been more people there and more structure to the tasting (guidance on the characteristics to pick up on and more info on the story of La Cosecha itself), it would have been better. That said, it was nice getting free coffee on a Saturday morning, so I think I'll give it another shot.

Roaster: Comet brings in coffees from roasters located all over the country. You can choose from a variety of coffees for your pourover or espresso drink.

Opened: 2012

Drinks Menu: A small, traditional espresso drink menu. You can add housemade caramel or vanilla syrup or chocolate to your drink, but for the most part, the menu includes classics like cappuccino and macchiato. The variety comes in with the hand-brew coffee options, which represent roasters from all over the country and change up regularly.

Food Menu: Pastries made in-house. The croissants are fabulous.

Espresso Machine: Manual La Marzocco

Brew Options: Kyoto dripper for cold brew and Hario V60 for hand brew

Location: Oakland Avenue, south of Forrest Park

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Review:

Located just south of the 64, Comet Coffee isn’t the most comfortable coffee shop in the city, but it's still one of my favorites. The cold covered patio faces the highway and the traffic sounds can be distracting. The shop is narrow with hard chairs and a long wooden bench that looks cool, but provides zero cushion. But, what this cafe lacks in comfort it makes up for with the quality of the food and drinks.

                I’ve never been disappointed with a drink at Comet Coffee because the baristas are talented. When I think of skilled baristas, this shop is at the top of my list. The milk is always steamed and poured well and the espresso extracted perfectly.

                On my most recent trip, the default espresso was Hometown Blend from Sweet Bloom, a roastery out of Denver. It combined Colombia, a natural Ethiopia and a washed Ethiopia. The berry flavor came through so clearly and created a sweet, interesting cup. Plus, it was smooth with no harshness or bitter finish, just a delightful, fruity drink.

                 The Hometown Blend is not the only espresso that Comet has featured that had an interesting taste. Almost every espresso that I've tried there has had some exciting flavors that go beyond the basic "coffee" flavor. So even though I don't always know exactly what my drink will taste like, I feel confident that I'll get something complex and pleasant. This shop usually serves light roasted coffee, so I prefer to order an espresso macchiato to cut the acidity.

Roasting style: Medium to dark roast

Opened: 2006

Drinks Menu: Traditional espresso drinks, including 4-oz macchiatos and 6-oz cortados. You can also ordered 12-oz flavored lattes and seasonal drinks.

Food Menu: None. Shares a space with Great Harvest Bread Company.

Espresso Machine: Manual Simonelli, which means the espresso and milk is prepared by hand.

Brew Options: A lot of variety, including nitro for cold brew and clever dripper for pourovers.

Location: Maplewood

Service: Prompt and friendly. Skilled baristas - I've never had espresso or lattes that were not made well.

Atmosphere: Small interior with just a few tables and some bar seating in front of the roaster. Clean counter tops and bathroom the few times I've visited.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Review:

            This shop shares a space with Great Harvest Bread Company, which means it usually smells like fresh bread or cinnamon rolls. Because the espresso is a medium roast, it’s smooth and chocolaty, and tastes just as good on its own or in a latte. If you prefer drip coffee there are several cold brew and hot brew methods to choose from, making this a great shop to experiment with how flavors can change depending on the brewing method.

            Don’t worry – that doesn’t mean La Cosecha is a coffee shop for coffee snobs. You can also get a seasonal latte, mocha and old fashioned drip coffee. So whether you just want a cup of joe to stay awake through the afternoon or you’re trying to refine your palate and learn more about the craft of coffee, this is a great spot.

Roasting style: Light to medium roast

Opened: 1994

Drinks Menu: The espresso menu offers nice variety, from traditional espresso macchiato to Starbucks-style blended coffee drinks.

Food Menu: Full kitchen that prepares pastries, breakfast, lunch, and dinner (at least at STL locations).

Espresso Machine: Manual machines on which the milk and espresso are almost always impeccably prepared

Brew Options: The works. From traditional espresso to toddy cold brew to hand-brewed tea. If you're in a hurry, you can get the standard batch-brew drip coffee, and if you have more time, you can order a pourover prepared with a Kalita or Chemex.

Locations: 14 locations in St. Louis, Kansas City and Atlanta. This includes Kayak's in St. Louis and Latte Land in Kansas City.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Specialty drinks: They usually offer creative seasonal drinks, using syrups made in house, such as a Turkish latte made with a cinnamon and cardamom syrup.

Review: 

                One of the originals, Kaldi's has established itself as a regional presence and is continually expanding its territory. Whether you like the coffee or not, it's impossible not to give Kaldi's props. The company is known (at least within the coffee industry) for its training standards, requiring baristas to complete a certain number of training hours and pass certain tests before they can prepare espresso drinks for customers. From a customer's perspective, this rigorous standard is evident in the consistency and quality of the drinks. While I have had a couple drinks from Kaldi's that didn't taste right or didn't have the right light, fluffy texture, most of the drinks I've had were not only prepared well, but prepared almost exactly the same way. That's across many locations that I've visited in St. Louis and Kansas City. As a customer, I really appreciate this consistency.

                I think the coffee itself is also good quality, and I enjoy it for a light roast. But, I can’t drink very much of it. Every once in a while, I enjoy a Kaldi’s espresso macchiato, but if I go there too often, it gives me a stomachache. This can happen with light roasted coffee because it's higher in acidity, which if you’re sensitive to that (as I am), then it can cause problems.

                The food is also pretty good, although I’ve been disappointed with the salads. Several visits in a row, the lettuce was wilted and limp – not quite bad yet, but getting there. If I’m going to spend $8 on a salad, I never want to walk away thinking I could make something better at home. That said, I think the walnut-avocado salad is excellent when made with fresh ingredients. My all-time favorite thing to order, though, is the pita bread, which is served warm and dusted with big flakes of sea salt. It’s buttery and soft and salty, which is exactly what I want to munch on during my lunch break. I usually get a second look and asked "just the pita?” when I get an order of it on its own, but it’s worth it.

             The two locations have very different vibes. The Clayton store is a large thin room with the customer area cut into an L-shape hugging the long bar. Small wooden tables line the windows, and a leather love seat and chair sit in one corner. The wall behind the bar is an ugly clash of colors: sherbet orange and aqua blue. The rest of the walls are white and covered in dark smudges and a few gaping holes in the plaster. The look is not the draw of this coffee shop. It is a good place for a business meeting or catching up with someone over coffee.