Melbourne Cafe Reviews

Corner Bakery Cafe
O’Hare International Airport
Chicago
Illinois
USA

This is a little wayside joint on the vast terrazo concourse of O’Have. It’s got a good vide – nice display of cakes, Danish, croissants, bikkies. Attractive signage in grey and black and white. They also sell salads and sandwiches (which are being freshly toasted all the time).

I had a double shot espresso in a poly cup. Excellent qual (for US). Also Danish – raspberry; fresh, light and fluffy.

Takeaway, but cost brilliant: $8.60 for coffee and tea and two Danish.

Breadworks
Crn Dundee Rd and Bardstown Rd
Louisville
Kentucky
USA

This is a cosy little nook in suburban Lousiville. There are racks of bagels, croissants and cakes, and up the back, rows of different breads. We are at a window table looking out to the busy Bardstown Rd. Inside the window is a wooden ledge on which crouch piles of free papers and flyers (e.g. 11th Belknap Neighbourhood Fall Festival). Whilst we were there, a group of four were discussing the effects of Hurricane Katrina.

Here the coffees are graded Small/Medium/Large according to the number of shots. I chose a medium, i.e. a two-shot espresso. Good flavour, no crema. All the coffee is “Equal Exchange” i.e. fair trade coffee. These places that use fair trade coffee are evident throughout the USA and Canada.

I had a cinnamon scone which was quite large and heavy. Pleasant to eat, but not much style or class.

$6.78 for two coffees and the cake. Comestibles and coffee are cheaper in the States than Australia. There is no “service” in the states. You wait and collect your coffee and cake. Most stuff comes in paper cups so you need to ask if it can be served in a ceramic cup.

Trieste Caffe
601 Vallejo St
North Beach
San Francisco
USA

Round tables with mosaic tops. Cool intellectual/music type crowd. One or two laptops. No music. Very quiet, laid-back. Has an old 1950’s feel – the SF equivalent to Pellegrinis. Soft lighting. Welcoming. No attitude. As soon as you enter you feel welcome. People come and go regularly. You could hang but 30 minutes would seem fine. Tables and chairs outdoors on the pavement.

A long black is called an Americano as I believe they’re called in Italy. Single shot, little crema, but good flavour. Right temperature.

We had a marzipan croissant. Only cakes are available after 3 pm. Food is clearly fresh each day.

You queue then request you order. You wait and pay at the counter. Americano $2.50, Cappuccino $2.50. Croissant $3.00. (US $)

Coffee to the People
1206 Masonic Ave
Haight Ashbury
San Fransico CA 94117
USA

Very cool, laidback, spacious. Small circular wooden tables painted pink. Comfy lounges in alcove. Orange and pink walls. Olive ceiling. Light floods in during the summer afternoon. People sit at laptops – one guy writes in a notebook. A sign is set in our table, “Not in our name. No war on Iraq. No war on the world.” Other signs on walls – “Children should be seen and heard and believed,” “Little by little one walks far,” “It is only to the individual a soul is given.”

I had a short black, $1.50. All coffees come in “small” (12 oz) “medium” (16 oz) or “large” (20 oz) and priced accordingly. Only fair trade coffee is used. My s.b. was strong in flavour, good crema, good temperature.

Only had a choc chip cookie for $1.50. This was large, soft, fresh and good val. Snacks were also available, but we only came for a coffee.

You order and pay at the counter. You collect your own food and beverage. Costs as above. Excellent value.