Eating Downtown
Land-o-lattés
by David Ziegler-Voll
y daily diet goes something like this: early morning cup of coffee, mid-morning lattés, afternoon diet soda, followed by an evening martini to bring it all back down. I know... healthy. If this liquid diet has taught me anything it’s where to get a good latté, and the Downtown Tucson area is brimming with all the caffeinated goodness one would expect from the urban Downtown landscape.
My personal criteria for a good latté includes aroma, taste, how long I have to wait in line, acceptance of credit cards, and convenience. While I haven’t had a bad latté of late, every establishment serving this divine concoction excels in one aspect or another.
Wilde Playhouse, 135 E. Congress St., is one my favorite new places considering its proximity to my office. Not only are they super friendly (they know my name), but they will gladly accept a credit card purchase for $3.00. This is crucial for those who live and die by the ATM/VISA card such as myself. Additionally, maybe it’s just me, but it seems like their roast is twice as strong as other places --I can only do one of these bad boys a day.
ITL, located at 415 N. 4th Ave., appears to have been uprooted and transplanted from Capital Hill in Seattle, Washington. Even the barristas seem to be of the Pacific-Northwest cut of cloth. ITL will ask you more questions regarding the preparation of your latté than you ever thought possible: Would you like 2%, whole, soy, half & half? Sweetener? Tall? Short? Pulled? My accountant asks less questions, but hey, thorough is good. One other side note is that ITL sells and plays local band’s CDs, and they take no commission.
My pals at The Cup Café, 306 E. Congress Street, make a superior tasting latté. Smooth, rich, and supple... I could easily drink three of these in a row. They will make them to go and you can even call ahead.
The B Line, located at 621 N. 4th Ave., is one of the few places that I don’t order my latté to go. It is just a beautiful thing; a perfect white ceramic latté cup just barely overflowing with a Van Gogh-esque swirl of milk and espresso froth. The boys and girls at The B Line bring to life the absolute essence of the latté. Enough said.
Okay, I know Starbucks gets a bad rap, 802 E. University, but when I am in a rush and feel the need to have egg nog infused into my caffeine supplement, there simply is no other option.
Epic Café, on the corner of University and N. 4th Avenue, will prepare you a lovely latté, but give yourself about 2 hours to enjoy it. Bring your laptop (they have free wireless internet), or a long book. Epic is the coffee house of coffee houses. Open mic, poetry reading, and local art is all part of the Epic latté experience. Mellow out man!
I walk around Downtown a lot and more than once a week find myself strolling into Ike’s, at 100 N. Stone Ave. During those brutal summer months is when I shift my palate to the equally yummy iced-latté. Ike’s has perfected the procedure. Think about it, scalding hot milk and espresso... made cold. How do they do it? Ah, the wonders of science.
The above is just a small sampling of the Downtown area’s espresso offerings. I encourage all to support your local latté brewing facility.
Downtown
Arizona Bagel and Deli 177 N. Church Ave., 623-3300.
Barrio Food and Drink 135 S. 6th Ave., 629-0191.
Caffé Milano 47 W. Congress St., 628-1601.
Café Q 121 E. Broadway Blvd., 622-4210.
Coffee X-Change 407 W. Congress St., 320-0302.
Cup Café at Hotel Congress 311 E. Congress St., 798-1618.
Cushing Street Cafe & Bar 198 W. Cushing St., 622-7984
Enoteca 58 W. Congress St., 623-0744
Grill 100 E. Congress St., 623-7621.
Iguana Café 210 E. Congress St., 882-5140.
Ike’s Coffee and Tea 100 N. Stone Ave. #111, 792-1800.
La Cocina Restaurant at Old Town Artisans 201 N. Court Ave., 622-0351.
Not Just Java 33 N. Stone Ave. @ Pennington St., 624-8852.
Oasis Vegetarian Eatery 375 S. Stone Ave., 884-1616.
Scooters Café at La Placita Village 110 S. Church Ave., 620-1116.
4th Avenue
B Line 621 N. 4th Ave., 882-7575.
Casbah Tea House 628 N. 4th Ave., 740-0393.
Chocolate Iguana 500 N. 4th Ave., 798-1211.
Common Grounds Espresso 327 E. 7th St., 770-9270.
Delectables Restaurant & Catering 533 N. 4th Ave., 884-9289.
Epic Café 745 N. 4th Ave., 624-6844
ITL Coffee Shop 415 N. 4th Ave., 624-4411.
Rainbow Planet Coffee House 606 N. 4th Ave., 620-1770.
University
Bentley’s House of Coffee & Tea 1730 E. Speedway Blvd., 795-0338.
Café Paraiso 800 E. University Blvd., 624-1707.
Starbucks Coffee 802 E. University Blvd., 620-9344.
Time Market Deli & Gatsby’s Pizza 444 E. University Blvd., 622-0761.
