Madison Cappuccino Reviews – A Jumbled Little World

Cappuccino Review #14 – Escape Java Joint

Escape Java Joint

*UPDATE* – NOW CLOSED

: You really have to search for the part with the coffee.

942 Williamson Street.

Madison

For an intro about how and why I am trying the cappuccinos of Madison, go here.

The Willy (for Williamson ) St. area is Madison’s most eclectic. It is full of students and hippies. They have their own currency and the towns largest coop. So, it isn’t all that surprising that the coffee shops in this area are a bit odd. Mother Fool’s (which I reviewed earlier and has some of the best cappuccinos in town) is also there, but Escape Java Joint certainly takes the cake in the ‘strange’ department. Trust me, just go there.

I wonder if someone tried to take these awesome chairs....

The place consists of several areas that are completely different (a couple separate buildings really). When we went we sat in the huge outdoor area; they even have their names imprinted on the chairs. There is no menu, but just have a chat with the guy behind the counter and he’ll try to figure out what you might like. And he will check up on you several times to make sure your drink is good; it shows that they at least care!

Anyway, the cappuccino was decent. Their smallest was a 12oz, so I ordered it dry. It actually reminded me a lot of the cappuccino from Michelangelo’s on

State st. Their scores turned out to be the same (in all regards). I enjoyed the drink, and the strange environment added to the entire experience. So I’m a happy camper. Here are the numbers, all copied and pasted (out of 5):

Presentation: 3

Smoothness: 4

Strength: 3

Complexity: 3

Foam: 4

Correctness: 3

Mean: 3.33/5

SD: .52

So….go there. It is cool and you will have fun. Oh and they have music there a lot; one of their giant rooms has a stage.

Cappuccino Review # 13 – Froth House

Froth House

11 N Allen St.

Madison

website

For an intro about how and why I am trying the cappuccinos of Madison, go here.

Some coffee shops I really want to be great; they have a certain feel that makes you really like them right when you walk in. Froth House is just that sort of place. It is the perfect neighborhood hangout where you expect to run into someone you know if you live in the area. It also helps that it is my neighborhood coffee shop, located by the corner of Allen and Regent next to the Regent street coop, a wine and beer store, a book store, and a number of other small businesses. Basically it is a little town center on Madison’s near west side, which is pretty cool.

The Froth House also has one of the better patio areas I have seen, and they serve food and drinks directly back there through a back window of the store. Throw in the frequent musical acts and it makes their implementation of the patio one of the best in town.

But how is the cappuccino? Sadly not so great. Because the 12 oz is the

smallest size they serve, I ordered a dry cappuccino. I got a drink that was filled to the brim of the cup, not a good sign. The foam was of an ok quality, though there was way too much of it. However, the drink itself was actually quite bad; on my first sip I tasted some coffee, but soon it degenerated into mostly milk (or rather, bitter milk). It was essentially a latte, and a weak one at that. Ok, the numbers: (all out of 5, as usual).

Presentation: 3

Smoothness: 3

Strength: 1

Complexity: 1

Foam: 3

Correctness: 1

Mean 2/5

SD: 1.1

On a more positive note, their Nutella latte is delicious, and their breakfasts are great too. Just don’t get the cappuccino.

Cappuccino Review # 12 – Indie Coffee

Indie Coffee

Sort of easy to miss along Regent street

1225 Regent St.

Madison

website

For an intro about how and why I am trying the cappuccinos of Madison, go here.

Indie Coffee is the only coffee shop near the middle of the University of Wisconsin campus. So, during the time that I’ve worked in the psychology department at the UW (which is located in that part of campus) I’ve gotten several cappuccinos to go from there. I remember them as being decent, but I never before tried the in house version of the drink; so, the shop was pretty new to me. First of all, their food is excellent. Taryn and I shared two wraps: a turkey walnut one and a vegi wrap with cheese and a whole host of great vegetables. They were the among the best food I’ve ever had in a coffee shop. They match up to the crepes at Bradbury’s; they were that good. So, get some food if you go.

I ordered a dry small cappuccino because the smallest size was a 12oz. The drink came in a coffee mug with the foam stacked to the top. So, the drink had more foam than it should have. There was a little design in the top of it (you can see this in the

The mark in the foam looks zen or something...

picture), so it was a good looking stack of foam. The drink itself was great. The foam was pretty smooth and the strength was good, though perhaps a little too far on the wet side. However, the coffee was quite complex with hints of meat coming through; I could tell that the underlying espresso was quite good. So, overall, Indie Coffee makes a really good cappuccino. I just wish that they had a 6oz option like some of the other top rate coffee shops. Here are the numbers (all scores out of 5):

Presentation: 3

Smoothness: 5

Strength: 3

Complexity: 4

Foam: 4

Correctness: 3

Mean: 3.67 / 5

SD: .82

Taryn had a cup of the house blend coffee and said that it was decent; apparently it was a tad on the acidic side, so you might like it if that is your sort of thing. So, the cappuccinos and coffee at Indie Coffee are pretty good; but the food is what you should come for!

Cappuccino Review #11 – Electric Earth Cafe

Electric Earth Cafe

546 W. Washington Ave.

Madison

For an intro about how and why I am trying the cappuccinos of Madison, go here.

Electric Earth is down West Washington ave. a ways from the capitol, across the street from the greyhound bus depot. Taryn and I checked it out during a farmer’s market day, when pretty much all of the downtown and state street are overflowing. It is far enough (away and on a road unfamiliar to tourists) so that it wasn’t busy at all. There was a small sign saying that they are now under new management (so they don’t take old gift cards), so perhaps the place will be quite different now than a few months ago. Neither of us had ever been here, so we have no means of comparison; but, keep that in change if you remember the old Electric Earth.

The shop itself is actually quite large. There is a small amount of seating in the room by the counter area and then a huge separate room. In the second room there was a small stage with a large window behind (a nice view of the street actually), so perhaps they have live music here at times (though I don’t know if this is true). So, it seems that the building itself has potential.

I ordered a dry small cappuccino because their smallest size is 12oz. It came in a coffee mug with a foam top of course bubbles. Although the foam tasted fine (when

doesn’t it?), it wasn’t smooth at all and didn’t add anything. The coffee itself was actually quite disappointing; it had very little in the way of nuance. In fact, it had a slight burnt taste; this really started to bother me as I drank. I didn’t really want to finish it; the cappuccino was honestly that bad… Ok, I’ll just put up the numbers (all scores out of 5):

Presentation : 2

Smoothness: 2

Strength: 3

Complexity: 2

Foam: 2

Correctness: 3

Mean: 2.33 / 5

SD: .52

Taryn had a Chai latte and she said it was pretty much mostly milk and honey but very soothing; she liked it. So, if you go to Electric Earth, maybe get the Chai but don’t bother with the cappuccino.

Cappuccino Review #10 – Michelangelo’s Coffee House

Michelangelo’s Coffee House

114 State St.

This picture was taken from the outdoor seating.

Madison, WI 53703

website

For an intro about how and why I am trying the cappuccinos of Madison, go here.

Michelangelo’s is one of the nicer coffee shops on state; the interior is quite warm and friendly with normal tables along with some large recliner chairs if you feel a bit more leisurely. They also feature board games; a plus if you want to spend some time with coffee and scrabble.

I ordered a small dry cappuccino because their smallest size is 12oz. The drink I got

was filled with course bubbled foam all the way to the top. The cup was also quite a bit more narrow than it should have been, so at the end I experienced the all too common problem of having to lick the foam out of the bottom of the cup; I have no pride. Other than it not being the smoothest I’ve enjoyed, the foam was tasty and nice. The first few sips of the cappuccino were quite good. The coffee was not too complex but it was otherwise well balanced and tasted quite good. However, as the large amount of foam eventually mixed with the liquid of the cappuccino the drink became more milky; that is not what is supposed to happen. So, here are the numbers (out of 5):

Presentation: 3

Smoothness: 4

Strength: 3

Complexity: 3

Foam: 4

Correctness: 3

Mean: 3.33/5

SD: .52

I would go back to Michelangelo’s because of it’s atmosphere and games but otherwise if I’m on state I’m still going to walk toward campus and get my cappuccino at Steep and Brew. So, this is it for my State St. reviews; they were generally pretty decent though they certainly don’t match up to the offerings of downtown or the near east side.

Cappuccino Review #9 – Steep and Brew

Steep & Brew

544 State Street

Madison, WI 53703

website

For an intro about how and why I am trying the cappuccinos of Madison, go here

I am partial to certain coffee shops in Madison, sometimes without a whole lot of justification. Steep & Brew is one of those places; if I’m on State St. and want a cappuccino then I’ll be headed there. It might be because it was the first coffee shop I went to when I initially visited Madison. A friend who I was with ordered an espresso and didn’t quite know what this tiny cup he got was all about; I think he expected something like a latte. We were very young.

But actually since I’ve been here so much I know that Steep & Brew does serve a good cappuccino and has a great college town study atmosphere. It is the perfect place to go and get some work done, with plenty of tables so that there is almost always a place to sit. My best cappuccino experiences here have been during the weekday mornings but I went for this review on a weekday afternoon; so, keep that in mind.

I ordered a small cappuccino; their smalls are actual 6oz cappuccinos, so I didn’t have

to adjust my order. I got a nice looking drink in a proper cappuccino cup. The foam was smooth though there were some course bubbles. The first sip was of a classic cappuccino nature; the balance of the coffee to milk was almost perfect. The coffee was not as complex as some others, but otherwise a very pleasant espresso. It did however have a bit of a bitter bite that detracted slightly from the overall flavor; I notice that the cappuccinos in the morning don’t have this problem, so take that for what it’s worth. Overall the cappuccino was very good; the numbers are below(out of 5):

Presentation: 4

Smoothness: 4

Strength: 5

Complexity: 3

Foam: 4

Correctness: 5

Mean: 4.17/5

SD: .75

Taryn had a Chai latte and noted that this was ok, though perhaps a little weak. So, to wrap it up, Steep and Brew has a very good cappuccino though it doesn’t match Mother Fool’s or Bradury’s.

Cappuccino Review #8 – Peet’s Coffee and Tea

Peet’s Coffee and Tea

800 Langdon St – Memorial Union

Peet's in Memorial Union on the UW campus.

Madison, WI 53706

website

For an intro about how and why I am trying the cappuccinos of Madison, go here.

This semester saw the opening of a coffee shop in Memorial Union (the UW main student union) called Peet’s. The shop is next to der Rathskeller (the performance area and bar) but the part right by Peet’s has been remodeled and now sports comfortable coffee shop style seating. Peet’s is a chain of coffee shops, and this is the exact feel you get upon walking into the Memorial Union location. Well, actually the climate was more akin to the part of a school cafeteria that they try to dress up as if it were an independent store; the workers looked just like union employees except with ‘Peet’s’ on their aprons. I’m not saying this is a bad thing, but just be prepared for it if you go.

Before I ordered I inquired about the size of the small cappuccino. It is 12oz. Ok, this is pretty normal, so I asked for a small dry cappuccino. What happened next actually impressed me quite a bit. The barista (she seemed new) made the cappuccino in the 12oz cup and, as it should have been, the drink didn’t come even close to the top. I get the impression that most baristas are told to fill the cup to the top (why would anyone want a half full drink?!), and she was no different. So, the puzzled barista asked the other barista there what she should do about this half-full cappuccino. The other barista told her to ask me. This may seem incredibly simple but I sure appreciated it. I told her that the drink looked good and I actually got a well proportioned cappuccino. It is probably worth noting that they only have paper cups regardless of whether you are taking your drink to go or not. I assume this is because almost all of their customers are taking their drinks to go and dishes add another unwanted dimension to their business (the seating area is also out of sight of the store front, so they are also probably worried about theft). So, I sort of understand the lack of real cups.

The foam was just ok; it was mostly course and not very smooth. The coffee itself was

uninteresting, though not bad. One redeeming factor is that the cappuccino was certainly strong enough; it was not a glorified latte that is so common in chain coffee shops. In fact the drink bordered on being a bit too strong and overly bitter, though I’m not usually one to complain about that. It is perhaps fitting that I was actually reminded of Starbucks; I suppose most large chains are similar in this way. Taryn just had their drip coffee and said it was quite good; when she ordered it they had to prepare a new batch, so that probably contributed to its deliciousness. Taryn’s friend Rachael had the chai latte and said it was a little weak and that the foam had the consistency of “dish soap”….so there you have it. The numbers for the cappuccino are below:

Presentation: 2

Smoothness: 2

Strength: 3

Complexity: 2

Foam: 3

Correctness: 4

Mean: 2.67/5

SD: .82

So, if you are on the east end of the UW campus and want a cappuccino what should you do? I would say walk a few more blocks to state street…..though I guess it all depends on how lazy you are. But, if you just want some drip coffee then maybe Peet’s is a good bet.

Cappuccino Review #7 – Cafe Soleil

Cafe Soleil

25 North Pinckney Street
Madison, WI 53703

website

For an intro about how and why I am trying the cappuccinos of Madison, go here.

I had never heard of Cafe Soleil until someone replied to my blog entry about the cafes I was planning on visiting. I’m glad I learned about it, because it certainly is one great coffee shop. It also makes me wonder whether I’m missing an entire host of other places that I’m simply unaware of….hopefully not.

Anyway, Cafe Soleil is downstairs from the french restaurant L’Etoile, which is one of the best (and most expensive) restaurants in Madison; they also have the same owners. Like L’Etoile, Cafe Soleil prides itself on using locally produced ingredients and using sustainable practices (they brag about their use of florescent lighting and how their to-go coffee cups are biodegradable….). One should also be aware that Cafe Soleil is a morning affair; so, if you want to go you need to show up before 1pm. I suspect the owners don’t want to have to run both a cafe downstairs and a restaurant upstairs during the evening. It seems that Cafe Soleil does benefit in one way from the connection with L’Etoile; they have some truly awesome food. On our visit, we got the almond marzipan croissant while waiting for our cappuccinos; it was interesting and pretty much perfect. We also stayed for lunch and got a couple of sandwiches, served with their home-made potato chips. Everything was delicious.

The cappuccinos, though good, did not quite match up with everything else. Both Taryn and I ordered a ‘6 oz cappuccino’; I thought it a good sign that this was on the menu.

There seems to be some sort of design in the foam...though I'm not sure what it is...

This cappuccino was sort of an odd experience. The foam was certainly good, and the first sip was very smooth. However, there was something that made it somewhat inferior to the cappuccinos at Mother Fool’s and Bradbury’s. Taryn thought it was somewhat weak, though the underlying espresso was good enough. She suggested that we ask for a double shot of espresso on our next visit (this was on option on the menu) I, however, though it was plenty strong but that the espresso was a bit dull. Typically our perceptions of cappuccinos seem to converge, so I’m not sure what the truth is. I scored it as if my assessment were correct, but that’s just because this is my blog; I may in fact be wrong about any imperfections. Taryn liked the cappuccinos at Cafe Soleil more than I did, so maybe one should take my rating with a grain of salt (I suppose one should always take my raitings this way). All scores are out of 5.

Presentation: 4

Smoothness: 5

Strength: 4

Complexity: 3

Foam: 4

Correctness: 5

Mean: 4.17/5

SD: .75

I strongly recommed a vist to Cafe Soleil, especially because their pasteries are among the best in the city. Their cappuccinos are also very good; so you should get one while you’re there. And some fine day I will actually be rich enough to come back at night to visit L’Etoile…when I get that job in finance perhaps…

Cappuccino Review #6 – Espresso Royal

Espresso Royal

208 State St.

Madison, WI

website

For an intro about how and why I am trying the cappuccinos of Madison, go here.

Espresso Royal operates two coffee shops on state street; one of them is right east of campus and the other (the one I visited) is closer to the capitol. Taryn is quite fond of their chai lattes (they are a little weak for me) so I do have some experience with the shop near campus; I had never been to the one near the capitol, so it seemed like I should give it a try. Its interior is pretty similar to its near campus sibling; there were cushy chairs and sofas along with the more typical tables and chairs. It does have a pleasent airy feel to it; though it probably helped that it is spring break for the univeristy, so there was no fight for a good seat.

I asked for a ‘dry’ version of the smallest sized cappuccino they had (12 oz) and was

This glass produced a nice cross-section of a cappuccino, but was otherwise worthless.

given my cappuccino served in a tall thin glass. Although it certainly looked pretty cool in that glass, there is a very good reason why cappuccinos are served in wide shallow cups. When I drunk out of this tall glass, the foam just sort of sat on top and ‘stacked’. When I was out of liquid there was still an inch of foam that I couldn’t get to. I’m not above using a spoon in such situations, but it was sort of annoying. Anyway, the drink was otherwise substandard. Though the foam was very smooth and pretty much perfect, the espresso itself was simply bitter. I supose the milk-espresso proportions were right (the drink was strong enough) but the espresso itself just wasn’t that good. The drink didn’t leave me with much to say about it, so I’ll just put up the numbers:

Presentation: 2.5

Smoothness: 2

Strength: 4

Complexity: 2

Foam: 4

Correctness: 3

Mean: 2.83/5

SD: 1.03

Espresso Royal was a disappointment as far as its cappuccinos were concerned, but Taryn did like her chai; and that fudge bar in the picture was really good too. So, maybe go there for their chai and snacks…but stay away from the cappuccino. This is the second strick for state street (the first being the milky cappuccino I was served at Fair Trade); hopefully things improve a little bit as I review Steep & Brew and Michelangelo’s.

Cappuccino Review #5 – Fair Trade Coffeehouse

They typically have specials listed on boards outside the store — They typically have food specials listed on boards outside the store.

Fair Trade Coffeehouse

418 State St.

Madison, WI 53705

website

For an intro about how and why I am trying the cappuccinos of Madison, go here.

State street is a transit mall that spans between the University of Wisconsin campus and the state capitol in downtown Madison. It is considered by many to be the ‘living room’ of Madison, and is almost always hopping with activity. It also features no less than 6 coffee shops along its 0.6 mile span. As I review my first state street coffee shop, I think it is important to remember the competitive environment in which all these shops exist. If I don’t like the drinks from one place, I can be at another shop in about a minute (or less).

I’ve been to Fair Trade several times before and have liked it, though I have never gotten a cappuccino from there. So, I had some hope for the place. They also feature a larger food selection than is typical for many coffee shops (today they had an omelet sandwich among other things) and I have heard a few good things about these offerings. I’ve never gotten food there, but I have to say that my bannana nut muffin was very good (and they even warm it up for you). But, of course, the food is secondary; so, I’ll describe their cappuccino.

I ordered a ‘short’ (12 oz) cappuccino; I was told that this was their smallest size, so I ordered it ‘dry’ (meaning less milk). The drink came in a normal coffee cup, which I really wouldn’t mind if it hadn’t been too large. The foam was quite coarse grained, so there were huge bubbles in it instead of smaller and smoother ones that are more desirable. The first sip wasn’t bad. The espresso was a bit too bitter and not all that complex, but at least it wasn’t drowned in milk. However, each sip after that became less interesting, more bitter, yet (somehow) weaker. So, by the time I got to the middle of the cappuccino the drink had become just shy of acceptable; if I hadn’t had so many bad cappuccinos in my life I would have been quite unhappy. That said, it wasn’t aweful, though I have a feeling that many people are turned off by cappuccinos (think they are too bitter and such) because their initial experience is of a drink like the one I had at Fair Trade. In the end, I was a little disappointed; I had expected something good from Fair Trade and only got something that was mediocre. The numbers are below; as always, scores are out of 5.

Presentation: 2

Smoothness: 2

Strength: 3

Complexity: 2

Foam: 3

Correctness: 3

Mean: 2.5/5

SD: 0.55

I would not discourage anyone from going to Fair Trade Coffeehouse; many of their drinks are really good, but maybe just get something other than a cappuccino. Also, some might like to go because their name implies that they use fair trade coffee. I am sure they do use fair trade certified coffee; however many other coffee shops do this as well (Bradbury’s comes to mind). So, you don’t necessarily have to worry that you are screwing over coffee farmers just because you choose to go someplace else.