Las Vetas Lounge

CAFÉ	Las Vetas Lounge
LOCATION	Fairfield, CT
VISIT	12/24/07 2:30pm
BEVERAGE	Skim Latte
RATING	|•••••••|

COMMENTS

Great atmosphere, love the random eccentric/antique décor.  They get their beans from Oasis Coffee in Norwalk.  And, the latte was pretty bad.  The steaming wand was caked with old milk, the espresso sat for about a minute after rushing out of the portafilter.  And then the girl didn’t wipe off the wand (again).  The milk’s temperature was brought up too high (like around 180 or 190 or maybe even higher), which she did for everyone I was with as well.  Also big humungo bubbles.  Again, wish I had taken a picture with my phone.  It was a very ugly drink.  You would cringe at the crazy-big dark brown bubbles atop the “latte.”  Will try to remember drink pics next time.  So, in summary, great place to hang out, uber-faux-trendy with their crazy monkey chandeliers, but horrible unforgivable coffee prep.

 

Port Coffeehouse

CAFÉ	Port Coffeehouse
LOCATION	Bridgeport, CT
VISIT	12/24/07 2pm
BEVERAGE	Cappuccino
RATING	|•••••••|

COMMENTS

Nice place.  Like the color scheme with the almost pseudo-industrial-café décor, cozy chairs and couches.  Didn’t seem like a whole lot of sit-down room, but the space they have seemed well utilized.  They use beans from a few different roasters, pull off a Spaziale.  With my drink, the espresso sat for almost thirty seconds while the girl was steaming the milk.  Drink was decent, good foam, but was given more of a latte instead of the cappuccino I had ordered (the foam portion was less than a quarter inch thick in an twelve ounce drink).  If I had gotten the same drink having ordered a latte, would’ve rated them a smidgit higher.  Interesting, seeing as I usually start a shop with a latte.  Definitely a lot of potential for this place, and is better than most places I’ve been to in Connecticut.  A couple more places I want to hit while I’m here, but there’s a chance this could become a recurring spot when I’m CT-ing.  (It’s too bad, though, that I probably won’t have time to hit up Molten Java this trip…  Bethel isn’t quite as convenient as it used to be, but then again, Bridgeport isn’t either, really.)

 

Molten Java (Bethel, CT)

CAFÉ	Molten Java
LOCATION	Bethel, CT
VISIT	Decembers 2005 & 2006
BEVERAGE	Skim latte, mocha, hot cocoa
RATING	|•••••••|

COMMENTS

Has a very “indie/subculture” type of atmosphere. Beans are small–batch roasted, very good. Baristas have performed pretty solidly, know what they‘re doing. Last visit they had like a dozen types of hot cocoa, we had something like an Aztec hot cocoa with cardamom. Easy place to relax. One of the better cafés in Fairfield County that I’ve tried so far.

 

Zumbach’s Gourmet Coffee (New Canaan, CT)

CAFÉ	Zumbach‘s Gourmet Coffee
LOCATION	New Canaan, CT
VISIT	Spring, 1999
BEVERAGE	Drip coffee with a splash of milk
RATING	|•••••••|

COMMENTS

Place didn’t seem very clean, and there was a bunch of different bulk coffee beans, although quite a few were flavored (Pittsburghers, think “Fortune’s” or “Nicholas,” but dirty), and most of them that I smelled were stale. The owner rubbed me the wrong way, too. Hope the place has cleaned up its act since then. I will try to return within the next year and cross my fingers.

 

Coffee Tree/Moonstruck (Westport, CT)

CAFÉ	Coffee Tree/Moonstruck Chocolatier
LOCATION	Westport, Greenwich, & Darien, CT
VISIT	Frequently 1997-2002
BEVERAGE	The menu
RATING	|•••••••|

Worked here for a short stint back in the day, they have/(had) excellent coffee, and made sure the baristas were well trained. Don‘t think they are around anymore or at least not at some of the locations. Was bought out by Moonstruck Chocolatier, and then started to fizzle out a bit. Worth a shot if you stumble across one.