Location: St. Charles (two locations, one on Beale Street and the other on Main Street in historic St. Charles)
Overall rating: 3 out of 5
Drink Menu: Wide variety of drinks with an emphasis on flavored lattes, mochas and frappes though you can find more traditional coffeehouse drinks, including traditional cappuccinos and americanos. They also serve coffee cocktails — my favorite is a bourbon and cold brew cocktail. For tea drinkers, they carry Hugo Tea, a Kansas-City-based company.
Food
Menu: Breakfast and lunch sandwiches, salads, smoothies, pastries and more.
Brew Options: Pour over, toddy cold brew, nitro cold brew and autodrip.
Most interesting drink: Monk's Head Cappuccino — an extra foamy six-ounce cappuccino that's perfect for foam lovers (hello, that's me!)
Espresso
Machine: Manual Victoria Arduino Eagle One
Roasting style: Medium to dark roast under the name Muse, roasted by Picasso's baristas
Review — pandemic edition:
On my most recent visit, I was pleased to be able to sit inside. It felt almost normal, although the couple at the socially distanced table near me were wearing masks while working on their laptops. Sipping my golden milk latte (a blend of turmeric, ginger, black pepper and more delightful spices perfect for someone who has exceeded her caffeine quota for the day), I was reminded how much I miss hanging out in coffee shops and felt hopeful things will get better... eventually.
Not surprisingly, Picasso’s theme is “the art of coffee,” which is evident not only in the coffee itself but also in the local artwork on the walls and frequent open mic nights (in non-pandemic times). The Main Street location has an especially artsy feel. The shop is split in two, one side with the bar and register and the other with an interesting tiered seating area. The first level has a few small tables, then a raised platform is dominated by a large wooden table and a fireplace, and another step up leads to bar seating that looks out over the rest of the space. The middle tier features a quote from the store’s namesake: “art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life."
In pre-COVID times, I also enjoyed visiting Picasso’s for happy hours. A coffee shop is not a common choice for a cocktail, but I highly recommend an espresso martini or cold brew and bourbon. If you’re like me and like to stop somewhere and work late with a cappuccino or chai, it’s nice to mix things up with a coffee cocktail. They aren’t super strong, so you can still be productive.
- 6:50 PM
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