[Lattes with 'Lena - Day 8]

Last night was a rough night. Elena only slept in 1 to 2 hour chunks, so I was exhausted this morning. Elena and I took a nap this morning, so we got kind of a late start to our coffee exploration. Based off of some recommendations, I figured I'd go check out Cafe Soleil. It's supposed to be in the first floor of one of Sarah and my favorite fancy-pants restaurants, L'Etoile, which is in the heart of Downtown Madison. When I went to Bradbury's last week, I had brought the stroller and that made it difficult to find seating. I figured I'd just carry sleeping Elena in her infant car seat, rather than worry about finding room for the stroller when I got to the cafe. We walked to where Cafe Soleil was supposed to be, and it was nowhere in sight! Apparently it closed, bummer. So I wandered around the square, carrying the infant carseat with Elena in it, a diaper bag, and my camera. It was a real workout. I ended up just going to Barriques. I had never been to their downtown location before and it is one of the original coffee bars downtown.

While the outside of the coffee shop wasn't very exciting, I was impressed with the decor inside. It was decorated completely different from the other locations. First of all, there is a stairway leading to a loft with more seating. The railing for the loft and the stairway was handmade out of pieces of scrap metal welded together. Pretty cool if you ask me. There was some seemingly random pieces of art hanging about, but nothing really caught my eye. Metal sculptures were all over the place. We got there around 11am and it was full of people and their laptops. We found a nice table up on the loft where we could people watch over the whole cafe.

I ordered a latte and a double espresso. The latte was not good. The milk was burned and it totally ruined the drink. I did not finish the drink, and I debated on what to do next. I was parked right near Bradbury's, so I could just stop by there on the way to my car. But I decided to take a hit for the team and order the double espresso at Barriques. I was glad I did. The espresso was great. Nice creme on top and full of body. I'm not sure which roast they used, but it wasn't the French Roast or the Sumatra that I use at home. It was buttery with woodsy overtones and a smoky finish.

The downtown Barriques uses a La Marzocco machine, but an older one than at the other locations. The grinders were kind of hidden from view, but I could see the dosers on the front of them and they look like Rio's, but I'm not sure of the model. Barriques uses Alterra Coffee from Milwaukee, one of my favorite roasters in the Mid-West and sponsors of the WORS bike racing I used to participate in. While I was there, the Alterra van pulled up with fresh beans. I guess I was just a bit too early for the super-fresh stuff.

Overall, the downtown Barriques is OK. But if I wanted a cup of coffee and I was near the Capitol, I think Bradbury's would still be first on my list. They do have far more seating than Bradbury's, so if your downtown during the farmer's market or something it may be a better choice.