A coffee love affair…

Is there something more enjoyable in the morning when you wake up than a good espresso?

Some will say yes and others will swear by the morning espresso. In the past years, the espresso coffee scene in Montreal has literally exploded. It seems like every corner your turn on has a coffee shop or espresso bar. As much as we think this is a good thing, the inconsistency in the coffee making from one shop to another is quite noticeable and its definitely making the task of enjoying a good espresso hard. Through time, we each find our trust worthy shops and baristas throughout the city. To us, one of those “go to” coffee shops is Baristello.

Long story short, Café Baristello is the work of two passionate coffee lovers…Piero and Jonathan. Their shop is located in the Villeray district in Montreal.  Since we love coffee at La Casa del Habano Montréal, we regularly have Piero over to host events with espresso and cigars or just for a good conversation.  We thought it would be a nice idea to put together an interview to learn a bit more about Piero aka Baristello and his love for espresso.

Baristello Coffee is now served at La Casa del Habano Montreal.  You can also pick up a bag of fresh beans and enjoy it at home.

Enjoy the read!

A: You are really into coffee, in fact, you have a tattoo of an old school coffee maker on your arm.  What got you so into the bean?

B: The bean is just part of the social fun from the lively kitchen table and family conversations to the after-dinner coffee aroma pervading the air.

It’s more the gathering that got me into the bean 🙂

A: Your style of coffee is heavily based on old school Italian traditions.  What is the ideology of an old school Italian coffee experience?

B: Duplicating experiences, aromas and memories are what made me want to share the old school Italian coffee. Since we don’t have the same temperature and water that the old country has we recreate our take on it and make people enjoy the ambiance at many levels.

A: Tell us about your particular blend that you serve to your customers?

B: My old school coffee idea is simple: taste notes should be cocoa, sweet pipe tobacco, subtle woodsy finish.

A: You like cigars.  tell us about how you enjoy a cigar with a coffee (mornings, nights, milder, stronger, etc…)?

B: Afternoon smokes are accompanied by a double long espresso (milder cigar). Evening smokes are variable (milder or stronger) accompanied with either Porto or scotch depending on the mood and ambiance.

A: The new phase of coffee trends has many people treating making an espresso like a science.  I noticed your style is more about feeling and less about measuring pressure and weight.  Thoughts on that?

B: Well measures and humidity are important but the feel/passion of how the coffee flows on that moment will determine the results. Some apply more technical formulas, some apply more passionate formulas. To each our own on how we want to express our results.

A: What do you think makes your coffee shop “Baristello” a destination for coffee lovers?

B: I think it’s organic on how people find their ways in too different destinations. I keep it friendly, family oriented and passionate. It’s not about the coffee but an experience.

For all espresso lovers who want to visit Piero and enjoy the Baristello experience, you can visit him at the following address:

709B Rue Jarry E, Montréal, QC H2P 1W2

or visit his website at http://baristello.com/

Hope you enjoyed the read!

Antonio & Simon-Pierre