»In which we go Barefoot

I visited Barefoot Coffee Roasters, in Santa Clara, yesterday afternoon. After hearing about their fastidious roasting, monthly cupping (first Saturday of each month, ten ack emma), and comfortable café, I was excited to head down there.

The barista was alarmingly pleasant, and explained some of the ingredients as she made a "Whim" -- the variable drink-of-the-day. She was putting together a concotion made from almond, orange, and espresso. I imagine that it would go well with some chocolate flavour as well. I drank a classic cappucino -- I imagined something like what (the late, much-lamented) Coopers would sell, or perhaps like the one from Intelligentsia in Chicago. I also had a double espresso, which came straight from the gorgeous single-boiler machine. The taste of the bean was distinct and different from my favourite, Blue Bottle, and also very good. I do not have the (expert) vocabulary to describe the coffee, but both the drink and the café impressed me as well put-together and welcoming. The coffee menu boasted many appealing-sounding drinks, and especially the cold-brewed iced coffee. The coffee grains soak in cold water for several hours, slowly absorbing the flavours without leaching out bitterness: the result is an exceptionally smooth (and potent! one needs to dilute before drinking, as the Greeks did with wine) iced coffee.

But: Barefoot hold down the fort far, far away in Santa Clara: I am glad that the Blue Bottle kiosk is a happy km or so away from my stoop, a distance eminently walkable. Barefoot's website tantalizingly hints "Yes, Barefoot is currently located in a little hole in the wall in a super dense commercial zone without a lot of swank culture… but just you wait!". Swank culture or not -- Blue Bottle is in an alley also populated by a car-repair shop, several sleepy drunks, and a shooting gallery! -- the visit to Barefoot was a pleasant treat.