Even though it appears we have different tastes in coffee, yesterday I was inspired by Coffee Nomad to leave the house with my camera on a coffee adventure. There was a place in the Capitol Hill region near Seattle University called WaterTown Coffee I had been wanting to try. It was a nice 3.5 mile urban hike away.
When heading south on 12th Ave, look for this on your left.
When I do my Seattle espresso urban hikes, I will do my best to size up a new coffee house before stepping into the place. The first thing I look for is a sticker by the front door that indicates who their coffee roaster is. No matter how great the cafe is, if the beans are from a 2nd or 3rd tier roaster, then I’m not interested. WaterTown Coffee proudly displays the Espresso Vivace sticker. You know I like that!
Watertown has a full kitchen, WIFI, and even an XBOX. But really all I care about is espresso. At WaterTown Coffee there is a large mirror behind the barista. This means you can see your drink being made without cranking your head around the counter. I watched as the barista dialed in my shot. Excellent attention to detail.
WaterTown Coffee front sign
How was the espresso? Perfect.
I actually enjoyed it more than the shots I’ve had at the actual Espresso Vivace locations themselves. The pour was a little longer than the tight ristrettos served at Vivace, which I still **love**. However, my experience is the Dolce Blend can handle a little more volume and WaterTown proved that. By a “little more“, I’m talking maybe an extra 1/2 ounce.
WaterTown Coffee makes an excellent espresso. Well done.
Sources:
Coffee Nomad – The Adventures of a Coffee Wondering Fiend
WaterTown Coffee – 550 12th Ave Seattle, WA 98122
UPDATE: WaterTown closed in October 2010
chuggin mccoffee
May 1, 2009 — 2:53 pm
This is a place that I will have to keep in mind because I like the classic look of the building, and I can never pass up a good espresso.
Watertown Coffee
May 2, 2009 — 5:28 pm
Michael, thanks for trying out our shop. We are all ex-Vivace baristas and two of us were Vivace roasters as well. Nice to be able to do our own thing as we all have slightly different styles but we are all obsessed with quality, and our vintage machine keeps us on our toes dialing in constantly! Keep checking back, try out our other baristas… and liquor license coming soon!