Madison – Page 2 – A Jumbled Little World

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

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.

Cappuccino Review #4 – Bradbury’s

Bradbury’s

127 N Hamilton St.
Madison, WI

website

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

I’ve been to Bradbury’s many times before, but I decided it was time to do an official review. They are a very small shop on the corner of N Hamilton and Webster; this means that there are only a few tables and some additional stool seating along the window. That really is the only negative I can think of about the place; it can get crowded at times, especially during the Saturday farmer’s market on the nearby capitol square. The place also has a distinct ‘hipster’ vibe, though you certainly don’t feel left out if you aren’t all that ‘hip’. They also are very up front about their sustainability and fair trade practices, which I think is always a plus. There are two main categories of items on the menu: espresso drinks (where the espresso is highlighted rather than smothered by milk) and crepes.

I’ll start with the crepes and then move on to their cappuccino. Normally I don’t dwell too much on the food offerings of a coffee shop but the crepes at Bradbury’s are really excellent. They have a regurally changing menue composed of both ‘sweet’ and ‘savory’ crepes, many of them containing items from Wisconsin farms. Taryn met me there after work, so we ordered one ‘sweet’ and one ‘savory’ and shared (something I highly recommend, because an assortment of crepes is always a good thing). She ordered the neutella, banana, and choped almonds crepe; I got one with spinach, scrambled eggs, potatoes, and chedder cheese. Both were delicious in their respective ways.

On to the cappuccino. At Bradbury’s there are two cappuccino options; the 80z

Sort of sad that the little shape in the foam had to be destroyed

cappuccino is what you typically get from places like starbucks, and the ‘classic cappuccino’ is a perfect 60z. It would be great if more places did things this way! The cappuccino itself was like a little piece of art; they consistently make their cappuccinos like the one in the picture. The foam was smooth, though there were some larger bubles (not as fine grained as at Mother Fool’s). The taste was excelent; it had the perfect espresso taste with nutty hints and a good amount of creme floating up to the top. I actually use the coffee they serve (Kikapoo coffee) at home when I make espresso drinks, so I can attest to the fact that they start out with very good coffee beans. It was also incredibly smooth, without any of the bitterness that turns some people off to classic cappuccinos. So, they have REALLY good cappuccinos; it’s as simple as that. Taryn’s chai latte was also very good though not as remarkable as the cappuccino. Here are the numbers for the cappuccino (all scores out of 5):

Presentation: 5

Smoothness: 5

Strength: 5

Complexity: 4.5

Foam: 4.5

Correctness: 5

Mean 4.83/5

SD: .26

So far, this gives Bradbury’s the best cappuccinos in Madison, followed up closely by Mother Fool’s. I don’t think anyone will be able to match them, but we shall certainly see!

Cappuccino Review #3 – Ancora

Ancora Coffee Roasters

2871 University Ave.

Madison, WI 53705

website

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

It was a cold morning here in Madison, but Taryn and I braved the fridged air to visit the Ancora coffee shop located on University Ave. Unfortunatnly, I forgot the camera at home, so there won’t be any pictures of the place or drinks here. Ancora owns a small chain of coffee shops in the Madison area; the one on University Ave. is very small and more oriented toward commuters traveling through the isthmus. On this Sunday, it was pretty much full, but we found a couple of nice seats next to the (unlit) fireplace. Ancora’s smallest size of coffee drink is called a ‘regular’; this comes in a 12oz mug. By cappuccino standards this is enormous, more than twice as big as it should be, but is pretty typical among coffee shops that consider the latte to be the standard drink. So, I ordered a dry regular cappuccino and hoped for the best

As expected, the cappuccino had too much milk. The foam was a bit course though otherwise nice. The real shame was that I could tell the quality of the coffee was quite good, however, it was diluted with too much milk. Otherwise it was a pleasant cappuccino, though it more resembled a strong latte than anything else. Here are the numbers (all out of 5):

Presentation: 3

Smoothness: 4

Strength: 3

Complexity: 3

Foam: 3

Correctness: 3

Mean: 3.17/5

SD: 0.41

Although the cappuccino was pretty average, Taryn’s chai latte was extremely good. It was served in something similar to a water glass, and featured a head of foam that was silky and tasty. To round it off, cinnamon was sprinkled over the foam; extra points for that! It was bit sweeter than what many people may prefer (it is perhaps the opposite of the subdued chai at Mother Fool’s), but if you are into that sort of things it is tops.

So, there we have it; although I consider Ancora to be one of the better coffee shops in town, their cappuccino is only average. However, their chai is probably worth a visit.

Cappuccino Review #2 – Mother Fool’s

Mother Fool’s Coffeehouse

On the corner of Williamson St. and Ingersoll

1101 Williamson St.
Madison, WI 53703

website

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

Williamson St. is typically considered to be the most ‘bohemian’ area of town and is referred to mostly by the name Willy St. by the people of Madison. Mother Fool’s retains this character; its interior is well worn and airy, and on a saturday is generally populated by students and others of that sort. It is also accepts Madison Hours, the local currency of Madison, in case you have some of that in your wallet.

I had already heard very good things about the cappuccinos at this place before I tested it. I was also hopeful when I saw that their menu listed a cappuccino as 1/3

I couldn't resist taking a sip before the picture...

espresso, 1/3 milk, and 1/3 foam. So, I ordered a small cappuccino and I indeed got a classic cappuccino of about 50z. Perfect! The foam was pleasant and of a perfect proportion. I could also tell that the espresso was of high quality (they use Alterra coffee out of Milwaukee, WI); it came through the milk with a robust flavor but was not overly bitter. It also had a nice hint of berries. Put simply, this was one of the best cappuccinos that I have ever had. I’m sure a more refined taster could have gripes with this drink, but I simply cannot. Here are the numbers (all scores out of 5):

Presentation: 4

Smoothness: 5

Strength: 5

Complexity: 4

Foam: 5

Correctness: 5

Mean 4.67/5

SD: .52

Taryn ordered the chai latte; this is rather different from a standard chai latte that you typically find in coffee shops. Instead of a premanufactured mix

The Chai latte; notice the teabags steeping in the milk.

being combined with steamed milk, Mother Fool’s gives you chai tea bags steeping in steamed milk. This produces a more subtle drink that is definently worth a try.

I’m a little reluctant to say that Mother Fool’s is the best coffee shop on the east side, given the fact that I have not yet been to Escape Java Joint (which is just down the street), but I’m sure it is pretty close. I would certainly go out of my way to have another cappuccino here.

What makes a good bike lane?

I came across this website called Streetsblog today that shows examples of good bike lanes. If you go to the link you will notice that they are all separated from traffic by some sort of divider. This is often ignored in America; here a bike lane is just an extra small lane that is set aside for cyclists. The idea is that a bicycle belongs in the street just like any other vehicle, and that extra accommodations (beyond a slower lane) for bicycles are simply unnecessary. Madison is a perfect example of this; most bike lanes here are either in the parking lane or between the normal lanes of traffic and the bus lane. This makes one feel extremely vulnerable most of the time; either you are dodging parked cars (and their doors) or have cars and buses motoring past you on either side.

There is a feeling among many cyclists that even though there may be bike lanes on some main streets, the unsepereated traffic makes it far too dangerous to actually use the lanes. And this is considered to be an adequate bicycle accomodation by those who design streets. It seems to me that if we actually want to make cycling a practical method of transportation we need to build infastructure that makes it safe. Simply drawing lines doesn’t do that. The lines only accomodate the cars by getting the slower bicycles out of the way.

Cappuccino Review #1 – Starbucks

Starbucks on the capitol square

starbucks-outsidesmall — Across the street from the state capitol; many suits are found inside.

1 E Main St # 101
Madison, WI 53703

website

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

It was a beautiful day in Madison today (topping out at 54deg F, which is amazing for Madison in February), so I met Taryn downtown after work and decided to start my series of cappuccino reviews with Starbucks. You may love or hate the place, but you can’t deny that Starbucks has forever changed the the coffee shop businesses. It is often times argued that they come into towns and attempt to drive out locally owned businesses. However, in my experience (I am from suburban Wisconsin) Starbucks has only increased the quality of local shops that could get away with substandard espresso drinks before the competition. Starbucks does set a certain (though perhaps low) bar of quality.

I went to the Starbucks on the capitol square because I had not actually ever been in there, though there are many of them around town. For all my reviews, I’ll rate shops by 6 criteria; I explain them fully in a previous post. I’ll list my final ratings at the end, but here is my non-numeric impression of the Starbucks cappuccino.

I ordered a ‘short’ cappuccino, the mystery size that does not appear on their menu. In my experience a ‘tall’ (12 oz) cappuccino is little more than a latte; you get the same 1 shot of espresso but with way too much milk. However, the ‘short’ is still 8 0z (which is about 3 oz too large), but I’ll take what I can get. I was pleased when I got the drink though; previously at Starbucks I’ve only gotten cappuccinos to go. The drink certainly looked like it might be a pleasant surprise.

It is a pretty (though large) cappuccino.

One good sign, as can be seen in the picture, is the ‘espressoized’ milk peeking through the foam; this usually means that you will at least be able to taste the coffee over the milk. However, it is a tad too big (by about 2 or 3 oz) so I sort of expected a rather weak cappuccino.

And flimsiness is exactly what I got. Although the foam was quite silking, sweet and good, the rest of the drink was weak and unremarkable. The espresso that I did taste was just ok, a tad bitter and without much complexity beyond the stereotypical espresso flavor. So overall, this was a serviceable cappuccino; I might get it again if I found myself in a Starbucks (though I’m not sure I would do so in Madison given my other options), but otherwise I wouldn’t come here again. However, I have to say that their toffee almond bars are really good; I might be back just for that! In other news, Taryn’s Chai latte was also “ok”, a bit weak and average. Here are the numbers for the cappuccino; all scores are out of 5 possible points:

Smoothness: 2

Presentation: 4

Strength: 3

Complexity: 2

Foam: 4

Correctness: 3

Mean score: 3 /5

SD: 0.89

Cappuccino Run

How a coffee shop makes its cappuccinos says a lot. One can drown bad coffee in sweet milk, but when a cappuccino is made properly it shows off (or exposes) both the quality of the bean as well as the skill of the barista. I’m not trying to be a snooty douche, but cappuccinos really are tasty and also seem to brighten my day (though that is probably just the effect of a copious amount of caffeine….).

There are many coffee shops in Madison, though I typically only frequent a few; so, I think it might be fun to have an excuse to visit some of the others. For this reason, I’m going to start reviewing the cappuccinos made in every Madison coffee shop. I won’t venture into the suburbs (anything outside of downtown and the ‘near’ sides) because I don’t like it there. A Cappuccino ‘crawl’ has been done before in Madison by an espresso snob (the kind that compares everything to how it is in Italy) but he did not comment extensively on shops individually. So, perhaps I’ll be contributing something to useless human knowledge of the internet.

Here is the list, derived from the Annual Manual:

Ancora

Barriques Coffee Trader

Bradury’s

Electric Earth Cafe

Escape Java Joint and Gallery

Espresso Royale

Fair Trade

Froth House

In the Company of Theives

I’m going to try to be as scientific as possible but I’m not sure how easy that will be for such a subjective activity. I’ll rate them on the following criteria:

Smoothness: Bitter cups will get a low score.

Presentation: How the cappuccino looks.

Strength: A sufficiently robust cup will get a high score, a milky one will earn a low score.

Complexity: If the cup seems to have hints of several flavors it scores highly.

Foam: How smooth and sweet the foam is.

Correctness: How much the cappuccino matches the typical specifications of a 5oz drink of 1/3 espresso, 1/3 milk, 1/3 foam.

This may take a while…..