The artistry of milk mattered, but not so much in the foam-painting way. Sure, a perfectly feathered rosetta design was nice, the proud mark of a craftsman. But what I really wanted from my cappuccino was sumptuous texture, a rich but not overly dense cumulus of foam that could make every sip flow in luxurious slow motion. And it still had to resonate vividly with coffee.
Barista Gray Fisher poured my winner at Bodhi, where, oddly, I found Stumptown's Hair Bender blend too acidic (and consistently too cool) on its own. Spruce Street Espresso's second-place cup rose on the softer caramel of Counter Culture's Toscano. At La Colombe, meanwhile, we happened upon a young barman who made a better Abercrombie & Fitch model than a barista, serving us a hastily poured cup of loose foam and faded coffee umph.
La Colombe's espresso, though, was another matter - reconsidered more closely on final-round revisits for our espresso champ. This time, we had one of La Colombe's best baristas pulling the shots, 17-year vet and manager Greg Smith.
The new Savoia blend was an intriguing change of taste, a darker tribute to Rome crafted with chef Marc Vetri's help. But I kept coming back to my familiar cup of lighter Nizza - and liking it.
Did I still love it, though?
Certainly, I appreciate it more than most of the Third-Wavers I know. It has an Old World elegance that's increasingly rare, and I noticed for the first time, to my delight, a whiff of floral African beans.
But as we zipped that morning like hyper bees from one caffeine hive to the next, it was apparent that Nizza had been overshadowed by its bold new competitors. They were supercharged with a triple dose of grounds (21 grams to La Colombe's 7), and had a finesse to match the swagger.
