Espresso News and Reviews – TheShot.coffeeratings.com

Let’s hear it for counter-programming. Starbucks made good on last year’s Plenta threat this week, announcing a new beverage size that targets the gluttony market, called the Trenta. As in Godzilla vs. the Trenta. Taking advantage of a news lull, Starbucks’ press onslaught has the media lapping it up. So naturally, we’re going to talk [...]

It may have been a while, but we have reviewed employee espresso bars before. What’s unusual this time is that the espresso bar doesn’t belong to a coffee business. But when said business is slinging shots of Barefoot Coffee Roasters beans out of UNIC Twin machines, we take an interest. The company in question is [...]

Thanks to a regular reader for recently tipping me off to this place. This unusual café is unique for serving single estate coffees from Venezuela. They obtain their beans from their Arabica Coffee Company in Caracas (not to be confused with the American outfit) and run cafés here and in Beverly Hills. They have a [...]

This cafeteria-like spot opened along Trinity Place in late 2005. Heavy Illy branding, some Italian staff, and italianate sandwiches. This is the first location this small chain brought west of NYC. It has a massive amount of metal outdoor seating along Trinity Place and a long indoor space with window counter and booths. Why there [...]

This upscale, Italian-styled espresso café at the base of the Sir Francis Drake Hotel also serves your basic breakfast and lunch fare. It attracts well-heeled business types with a good international tourist contingent — given the hotel proximity. And it is one of the few places in SF where you can down an espresso Italian-style: [...]