Friday, May 26, 2006
Cafe Amore (Bargreen Coffee)
Located at 2821 Rucker Ave. in downtown Everett, Cafe Amore is the 'tasting' room for Bargreen Coffee, roasting locally since the turn of the 20th Century. I was first introduced to Bargreen Coffee, when I happened upon an end-cap at Bartell Drugs, with several varieties of coffee in a package I'd never identified before. My initial experience was a little disappointing, due to inconsistency in freshness, which led to a quick loss of interest. This was not Bargreen's fault, however, but Bartell Drug's two to three week reorder schedule. Unfortunately, I neglected to track down Bargreen's physical roasting plant, because I might have become a regular customer and found a coffee shop to call 'home'.
As it happened to be, I was recently in downtown Everett, and by chance, caught eye of a coffee shop as I was driving along. It was the name 'Bargreen' that grabbed my attention, however. That...was Bargreen Coffee! Of course, I suffered my family to stop in on the way back, so we could try it out.
First impression: I utterly admire old towns with their century-old store fronts. Bargreen has that. The coffee shop area is quaint, with old wooden floors that creak and groan under each step. This put an automatic plus in our book. Along the left side runs a bar with four green, high back, swivel chairs, of the likes I've never seen before. A small person, facing forward, would be virtually swallowed up in one of these. There are a few tables and chairs to the right, and looking toward the back reveals several glass windows, showing a view into the roast shop, and two large barrel roasters. Taking a seat at the bar and swivelling around in the chair, you see the walls are old concrete and brick, once again revealing aged architecture.
The coffee selection was exceptional, but not over-inflated. A coffee business that's been around this long doesn't need to yell to sell themselves. They adjust and adapt to current standards, but their presence is ever solid.
Bargreen has a century of coffee heritage under their belt, and this is evident in the people working there, and the customers they know by name. This is truly a northwest treasure.
Located at 2821 Rucker Ave. in downtown Everett, Cafe Amore is the 'tasting' room for Bargreen Coffee, roasting locally since the turn of the 20th Century. I was first introduced to Bargreen Coffee, when I happened upon an end-cap at Bartell Drugs, with several varieties of coffee in a package I'd never identified before. My initial experience was a little disappointing, due to inconsistency in freshness, which led to a quick loss of interest. This was not Bargreen's fault, however, but Bartell Drug's two to three week reorder schedule. Unfortunately, I neglected to track down Bargreen's physical roasting plant, because I might have become a regular customer and found a coffee shop to call 'home'.
As it happened to be, I was recently in downtown Everett, and by chance, caught eye of a coffee shop as I was driving along. It was the name 'Bargreen' that grabbed my attention, however. That...was Bargreen Coffee! Of course, I suffered my family to stop in on the way back, so we could try it out.
First impression: I utterly admire old towns with their century-old store fronts. Bargreen has that. The coffee shop area is quaint, with old wooden floors that creak and groan under each step. This put an automatic plus in our book. Along the left side runs a bar with four green, high back, swivel chairs, of the likes I've never seen before. A small person, facing forward, would be virtually swallowed up in one of these. There are a few tables and chairs to the right, and looking toward the back reveals several glass windows, showing a view into the roast shop, and two large barrel roasters. Taking a seat at the bar and swivelling around in the chair, you see the walls are old concrete and brick, once again revealing aged architecture.
The coffee selection was exceptional, but not over-inflated. A coffee business that's been around this long doesn't need to yell to sell themselves. They adjust and adapt to current standards, but their presence is ever solid.
Bargreen has a century of coffee heritage under their belt, and this is evident in the people working there, and the customers they know by name. This is truly a northwest treasure.
