I finally got around to trying this independent coffee shop (ok small chain--2 locations) in our area. I ordered a Croque Madame, a bread pudding, and for the coffee I had a syphon-brewed Burundi.
I have never seen so many options between beans and preparation. Six preparations, and about eight beans on the day I came in. It would be worth coming back just to watch them go through the different preparation methods. Working there would have quite the learning curve.
The Croque Madame is an excellent choice for brunch or lunch. Shredded beef, tomatoes, spinach, pepper and onion on a toasted thin bun--tasted a bit like an English muffin--topped with a fried egg. The bun was nice and crisp on the top and bottom, and held up to the moisture of the sandwich. It's a knife and fork item, though--the fried egg runs down to provide a sauce. The beef was tender, and the savory flavor was very satisfying. Slight oversight--I did not get the promised side salad, though I do not think I missed it.
The bread pudding reminded me of a Danish in appearance. It has shiny Turbinado (I think) sugar on top, along with chocolate chips. I ate it that way, and it tasted great. They have a wide variety of pastries to go with your coffee or meal.
The coffee itself was fun--syphon brewing is quite complex, I had not heard of it before. I usually put cream and sugar in my coffee, but I drank this black to make sure I got the flavor. I am not really a coffee connoisseur, but the Burundi was nice and strong with a very smooth finish.
Some things that are not exactly downsides but should be kept in mind. 1) The shop was pretty busy on a Saturday morning. I waited over 20 minutes for my order. It is perfectly OK to linger there, but maybe don't come starving. 2) If you do linger, bring a battery for your device. The interior was nicely appointed but no outlets in sight. Also not many masks, since people were eating. No outdoor seating at this location. 3) It is a step up in price--my meal set me back over $30.
If you are ready to level up from Starbucks I would say this is a great place to go.
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