Location: University City
Overall rating: 5 out of 5
Drink Menu: A short list of staple espresso drinks with an even shorter list of flavored syrups. You can also choose from an assortment of teas.
Brew Options: Autodrip, cold brew
Most interesting drink pastry: the Winslow's Bar steals the show. Who can resist pecan shortbread smothered in a layer of ganache and topped with caramel?
Espresso Machine: Manual
Roaster: Sump True Level espresso with a light-to-medium roast; you can also purchase bags of Stringbean, Kaldi's, and Sump coffee in the market
Review — pandemic edition:
Winslow’s Table (formerly Winslow’s Home) has become my favorite coffee shop during the pandemic in large part because of their walkup window and happy hour from 3 pm to close. This $1-off coffee deal has fueled my late-night work for months.
Coffee is not the main focus at Winslow’s, but they take it seriously and consistently serve good drinks. The Sump True Level espresso often has a sweet, citrusy flavor with bright acidity that I recommend drinking straight. In a cappuccino or latte, the milk covers the citrus notes and brightness. It still tastes good, but less interesting. My only beef with the drinks at Winslow’s is with the cappuccino foam. There’s never enough! Even when I ask for extra foam, I end up with a small layer on top and warm milk that’s barely textured below. Interestingly, the lattes usually have nice microfoam and latte art, so it’s a mystery to me why the cappuccino is sometimes off. Still, I think Winslow’s Table has some of the best coffee in the city, great food and pastries, and outstanding service.
Pre-COVID, the space was packed with tables and was bustling every time I went in, especially for weekend brunch. It’s odd to imagine eating elbow to elbow with a stranger now, but it was comfortable in 2019 and the buttermilk pancakes with blueberry compote were worth the noise and close quarters.
In response to the pandemic, Winslow’s Table pivoted a couple times. Like many businesses, they opened a walkup window and switched to only patio seating or carryout. This week they switched things up even more by reopening the inside as a market and bakery with prepared food and small goods from local companies and farms, pastries and bread made in-house, and other merchandise. Their full kitchen is still operating for carryout or patio dining. They’ve always had a small market so it’s not a surprise they would expand this offering now that indoor dining is problematic. It will be interesting to see whether this will be a permanent change or if they will revert back to a restaurant once it’s safer to be in crowds.
- 11:03 PM
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