I hadn’t been into Crema for a few weeks when I finally stopped back in last week. I should go more often: Crema is one of my favorites. There didn’t used to be much in the way of quality coffee on the Front Range, and Crema was one of the first places in Denver doing a great job with quality coffee.
When I walked through the door, I was surprised to see the trademark plywood wall with the menu on it gone. They knocked out the wall and expanded back, which adds some welcome elbow room and some more seating. Fortunately, the addition doesn’t really change the feel of the place. It’s still all about the coffee, and feels a bit hip-grungy in a good way.
As far as I can tell, Crema was the first in Denver to do a second rotating espresso, which is a tradition that I love. You can try a cycle of different roasters this way, and compare different tastes from around the country. They always have Herkimer as their regular espresso, and rotate through Intelligensia, Counter Culture, Victrola, Dogwood, Novo and others on the 2nd.
They have French Press single origins, and with the extra room, they’ve also added a V60 pour-over bar as well. Like the espresso, it’s a rotating selection from different roasters.
There’s a food angle here also that I haven’t delved into too much – I always go for the coffee. But, I’ve seen some tasty looking things coming out of the kitchen. Some of that goes to the coffee side as well: they make their own vanilla and chocolate syrups. My wife had an outstanding mocha with their home-made chocolate syrup. And, the vanilla gets a big thumbs up from my 6-year-old. I suspect he’s as picky about his steamed milks as I am about my coffee.
So, when I went in last week and tried their latest rotating espresso, and saw the addition, I was initially worried that Crema’s vibe and quality might be undermined. By the end of my Cortado and a fun coffee conversation with the Barista though, I was re-assured. It’s the same old Crema, just with a bit more room.
morgan.coffee 