Comments on: Broadway Coffee Shop Crawl: 3. Starbucks (Capitol Hill)

By: Ben

Ben — Thu, 27 Jan 2005 19:40:17 +0000

Crema, that is the word that I was looking for! I don’t believe that I have ever had Crema on a Starbucks Americano. I don’t think that I have had Crem, Cre, or Cr on one either…

Great fun to read your coffee reviews, thanks!

By: Cat Nilan

Cat Nilan — Thu, 27 Jan 2005 00:08:24 +0000

I am making an effort not to prejudge things, but in my experience Starbucks’ americanos are invariably a disappointment. I’ve only been to the Queen Anne Cafe Ladro, but they make a damned fine cup of coffee.

Yep, a properly pulled shot of espresso should have a thick layer of crema or coffee foam on top of it. In my brief stint as a barrista, I was told to toss any shots that didn’t have a good head on them. It makes me very happy when I see a barrista do this.

This is another reason why I like to add my own soy milk to my coffee (dammit!) — it lets me see whether or not the espresso has been properly made.

By: Ben

Ben — Tue, 25 Jan 2005 15:35:29 +0000

Bottom line, an Americano from Starbucks is guaranteed to be weak and disappointing.

A true sign of a good Americano is the richness of the surface of the drink when the barista hands it to you.

For the smokiest, swirlingest, most beautifully topped Americano in Seattle, the Cafe Ladro in Fremont will not disappoint.