Seattle Coffee Tour: Victrola
/Although I haven't posted to the Coffee Tour in a while, I have actually been drinking coffee. I guess that happens when you work in a coffee shop. Or maybe it's just the grey Seattle weather that forces the coffee habit. Either way, I have a bit of catching up to do on my coffee tour series.
Today Josh and I headed into Capitol Hill where there is a plethora of coffee joints. I had a hard time deciding on which to visit. We ended up at a place that Josh's parents went to with some friends a couple years ago. We have little espresso cups at home actually, so we thought we should give it a try. Not to mention, some great raves on Yelp.
Coffee Shop Name: Victrola Coffee Roasters
Location: 310 E Pike St (between Bellevue Ave & Minor Ave)
The Order: I ordered a sugar free vanilla, 2% latte, and Josh got a mocha.
General Babble: Like I said, we have cups from this place, so we thought we should taste it to be able to speak to the cups that we own. Also, I've heard good talk about this place. They roast their own coffee in shop. When I asked, they roast it during the week and you can see the roasting machine in the back. There are also free cupping (tastings) on Wednesdays. Perhaps something to try someday. The place was quiet and parking easy to find (a plus in downtown). There wasn't a ton of people, so I didn't have to wait hungrily in line.
Ratings:
Overall Visit: 3.75 - I know this looks funny with the below ratings, but Josh's mocha wasn't our favorite. The chocolate was different and we couldn't quite pin-point the taste. It could have been made wrong or it's just how it tastes. Perhaps it is the kind of chocolate they use. Who knows. I think he wished he got my drink. However, we liked it enough to go say we'd go back and re-try it though. I enjoyed my latte; it was very smooth and even balanced. I did go back and add some more vanilla (but that's just me liking it on the sweeter side). The food adds some points too. I liked the place very much, I just docked a few for the mocha. I revised visit sometime in the future.
Latte Art: 4 - there wasn't anything brilliant about it. A fun little design like a tree flower. It was the same design in both of our drinks. The color contrast was cool though.
Atmosphere: 4 - The missing point is for hard seats & strange art. However, the plus is for the ease of finding a seat, openness (tall ceilings), quiet and easy to hear each other talk, and it was a nice temperature inside.
Drink Options: 4 - the typical drink options. No current specials or store specials. There was only one sugar free flavor option. Points for doing the drinks they do have well though. The had french press, pour over, and other options too.
Coffee Knowledge: The espresso drinks used a single origin coffee. It was their Ethiopia Nekisse. I think I like cofees from Ehiopia because an old favorite was Ethiopia Sidamo at Starbucks. Just smooth, silky, and slightly sweet. The board menu was pretty descriptive too.
Food: Well, it was Macrina's. Enough said. I love Macrinas. It would have been cool if they made their own and I found some awesomely delicious new muffin or something, but at least it was Macrina. If you're going to purchase the food, that's the best way to go. Macrina's coffee isn't stellar, so at least I can get great coffee with my favorite squash harvest bread (just have to drive further). Josh had a yogurt parfait. He got a day-old discount, which is nice. He said it was alright, but the granola on top got a little too soft. He could imagine it being tasty if it were a tad bit fresher.
Today Josh and I headed into Capitol Hill where there is a plethora of coffee joints. I had a hard time deciding on which to visit. We ended up at a place that Josh's parents went to with some friends a couple years ago. We have little espresso cups at home actually, so we thought we should give it a try. Not to mention, some great raves on Yelp.
Coffee Shop Name: Victrola Coffee Roasters
Location: 310 E Pike St (between Bellevue Ave & Minor Ave)
The Order: I ordered a sugar free vanilla, 2% latte, and Josh got a mocha.
General Babble: Like I said, we have cups from this place, so we thought we should taste it to be able to speak to the cups that we own. Also, I've heard good talk about this place. They roast their own coffee in shop. When I asked, they roast it during the week and you can see the roasting machine in the back. There are also free cupping (tastings) on Wednesdays. Perhaps something to try someday. The place was quiet and parking easy to find (a plus in downtown). There wasn't a ton of people, so I didn't have to wait hungrily in line.
Ratings:
Overall Visit: 3.75 - I know this looks funny with the below ratings, but Josh's mocha wasn't our favorite. The chocolate was different and we couldn't quite pin-point the taste. It could have been made wrong or it's just how it tastes. Perhaps it is the kind of chocolate they use. Who knows. I think he wished he got my drink. However, we liked it enough to go say we'd go back and re-try it though. I enjoyed my latte; it was very smooth and even balanced. I did go back and add some more vanilla (but that's just me liking it on the sweeter side). The food adds some points too. I liked the place very much, I just docked a few for the mocha. I revised visit sometime in the future.
Latte Art: 4 - there wasn't anything brilliant about it. A fun little design like a tree flower. It was the same design in both of our drinks. The color contrast was cool though.
Atmosphere: 4 - The missing point is for hard seats & strange art. However, the plus is for the ease of finding a seat, openness (tall ceilings), quiet and easy to hear each other talk, and it was a nice temperature inside.
Drink Options: 4 - the typical drink options. No current specials or store specials. There was only one sugar free flavor option. Points for doing the drinks they do have well though. The had french press, pour over, and other options too.
Coffee Knowledge: The espresso drinks used a single origin coffee. It was their Ethiopia Nekisse. I think I like cofees from Ehiopia because an old favorite was Ethiopia Sidamo at Starbucks. Just smooth, silky, and slightly sweet. The board menu was pretty descriptive too.
Food: Well, it was Macrina's. Enough said. I love Macrinas. It would have been cool if they made their own and I found some awesomely delicious new muffin or something, but at least it was Macrina. If you're going to purchase the food, that's the best way to go. Macrina's coffee isn't stellar, so at least I can get great coffee with my favorite squash harvest bread (just have to drive further). Josh had a yogurt parfait. He got a day-old discount, which is nice. He said it was alright, but the granola on top got a little too soft. He could imagine it being tasty if it were a tad bit fresher.
