Barismo

I have finally found a shop that understands the art and science of it coffee, and especially espresso. I'm just a parent of a Tufts student, who loves espresso and coffee the way a wine lover is with wine. I'm an engineer who is interested in technical details. I don't write reviews for any paper but I had to pass on the details of what I found. I heard about Barismo from a friend of my son who described it as 'a small roaster that opened up a small counter to serve espresso and coffee; no pastry, no frappaccino, no tea, no juice, no WiFi.' Just coffee - deal with it? It sounded too good to be true. Since having espresso in Italy 2 years ago I have tried at least 20 shops from CT to FL to San Francisco. The best I found was a drive-up kiosk in rural CT that was run by an older woman from Italy. First clue was the smell on the sidewalk about 50 feet away - not your normal freshly ground coffee but a mixture of more parts of the roasting process. We ordered two espressos which the owner, Jamie V., poured. It took a while because he actually tossed his first 2 pours because they weren't good enough by his standards. I thought the coffee would be too mild and would yield no oil or foam on the serving because the beans were a dull but rich brown and not black and shiny. My first clue to the quality was the espresso machine - made in Florence, Italy. 2nd was the how tightly the grounds were packed into the screen. Only tight packing and good machine pressure forces the full range and amount of compounds out of the coffee. The espresso gave me four more. 3.Ceramic cup - not the hated paper. 4.Only about 3/4 inch of espresso in it - nearly all espresso sellers run 2-5 times the amount of water through than is ideal. 5.residual oil/foam on top of the liquid - only the best machines and good beans deliver this. 6.The taste - Everything was there and more. This blend had rich cherry tastes and great body, no bitterness or after taste that was harsh. Absolutely the best espresso I have had in the US. In talking with Jamie(sp.?) I learned that he has a scientific and engineering understanding of coffee roasting, blending and brewing and an artistic approach to the whole business. Barismo distributes its coffee through a very select and small number of outlets under strict supervision of the brewing methods. The storefront seems more intended to introduce people to the product than to generate income. I live in Connecticut, but any time I am within 30 miles of 169 Mass Ave. I will stop at this shop. I can't wait to try the traditional coffee made with different brewing methods and new blends of espresso. I hope foot traffic increases rapidly and other "espressionados" find the shop. Every day can be a little different but every time will be special. Italy in Arlington. Who knew?