Trip Report: Matching Half Cafe
Posted by TheShot on 07 Jan 2010 | Tagged as: Local Brew, Machine
The former One World Cafe needed a serious upgrade, and this is it. Gone are the beat-up furniture and odd house plants that made this space look like a medical marijuana co-op in aging neglect. The place now looks more like a sushi bar, with clean, angular lines, dark and solid colors, nicer wood floors, and a half-dozen bar stools and a few café tables.
They also added wine to their menu here, but the coffee is the real attraction — as noted by the pretty two-group Slayer machine as you enter the space. Yes, it is the legendary, silly-named Slayer machine — espoused by many a barista who can actually say the word “‘spro” without spraying microfoam out of their nose in uncontrollable laughter. We know we can’t pull it off. (Perhaps Slayer’s next-generation machine will be called the Slaughter? … That’s “laughter” with an ‘S’.)
Matching Half uses Verve Coffee from Santa Cruz and sell it retail at the register. This additionally makes this café a real asset to this neighborhood.
They pull shots with a medium brown, moderate layer of crema. It is a pretty solid, albeit not exceptional, cup. But be warned: this is a citrus-driven brightness bomb, which isn’t to everyone’s espresso taste. It’s one of the few espresso shots we’ve ever rated with a true dominant citrus brightness to it. Served in a classic dark brown ACF cup.
Read the review of the Matching Half Cafe.
1 Comment »
Thanks for the formal review. This is my new favorite place. I have probably had about 50 drinks there now and have not yet been disappointed by an americano pulled. It’s an awesome addition to the neighborhood.