"Have you Kaplowitz'd to-day?"
Vero Espresso House
205 E 14th Ave, Eugene, OR 97401
Vero Espresso House
205 E 14th Ave, Eugene, OR 97401
Painted sunshine yellow and covered by shaded trees, sits a craftsman style house with Victorian 'tea room' tack-ons mainly on its insides. Its outsides feature a nice deck & some tables along the other side complete w/ umbrellas. The walk up the stairs is wide and airy and once inside it becomes loud and snug. The counter is very much right fucking there boom. Bob's your uncle.
The workers are pleasant, a woman-aged female & a younger guy. The guy is busy bussing. The woman is pleasantly knowledgeable. She tells me they serve Stumptown's Hair Bender blend when I ask & order my doppio. To my relief, they both are mild and not annoyingly chipper or depressingly glum nor glib. Nice. Casually in charge.
Once inside fully & looking for a spot to squat amid my fellow patrons mostly at tables & chairs, I note the well-lit environs. The perfect amount of local art hangs on the walls... that being none. There's a big mirror I hesitate to walk past before the espresso hits. It's an upscale casual North Face and/or REI crowd [a crowded Sunday brunch crowd] relaxed, not unlaxed. Not artsy or edgy -- a nice meeting place for a nice crowd. Nice. Crowd(ed).
There's a staircase leading up to some reserved group seating. Near there and somewhat under that is the obligatory thrift store vintage couch. Back in the main area, did I mention loud? It's not aggressively-so, tho. A clamor of many maybe only mildly pretentious more-so mundane people, peopling over coffees & maybe some cafe grub which I took no note of. That main area is large, but also claustrophobic. Stoic wood seats.
In a far corner, a couple seems camped out homeschooling their kids. The dad looks like a jerk, the mom harried. A closer corner features a somewhat fidgety but mainly lovely old lady sewing circle. I imagine their hubbys all being dead & happily-so (Them not me). There's no music. A good call in an already loud setting. I take it as a yacht rock crowd. Are Hootie and the Blowfish of that genre?
The Hair Bender: Sneaky strong smoky acidity. Bittersweet forward with a neat nutty bracing. Quite pungent pepper up-top & salty in its nethers. An umami savoriness wets the back corners of my tongue on its finish. There's a Teriyaki sensation. Well brewed w/ an excellent lingering crema. Impressive but less than welcoming. The coffee & the place. I leave the last sip. Then leave.
I feel pressured by a growing line at the counter & the peopley setting. I find myself wanting to return at a quieter time, but the drink itself doesn't hold that same allure. An Indonesian cup without enough balancing thereof. It was all nice, just not by either quite let alone very.
The workers are pleasant, a woman-aged female & a younger guy. The guy is busy bussing. The woman is pleasantly knowledgeable. She tells me they serve Stumptown's Hair Bender blend when I ask & order my doppio. To my relief, they both are mild and not annoyingly chipper or depressingly glum nor glib. Nice. Casually in charge.
Once inside fully & looking for a spot to squat amid my fellow patrons mostly at tables & chairs, I note the well-lit environs. The perfect amount of local art hangs on the walls... that being none. There's a big mirror I hesitate to walk past before the espresso hits. It's an upscale casual North Face and/or REI crowd [a crowded Sunday brunch crowd] relaxed, not unlaxed. Not artsy or edgy -- a nice meeting place for a nice crowd. Nice. Crowd(ed).
In a far corner, a couple seems camped out homeschooling their kids. The dad looks like a jerk, the mom harried. A closer corner features a somewhat fidgety but mainly lovely old lady sewing circle. I imagine their hubbys all being dead & happily-so (Them not me). There's no music. A good call in an already loud setting. I take it as a yacht rock crowd. Are Hootie and the Blowfish of that genre?
The Hair Bender: Sneaky strong smoky acidity. Bittersweet forward with a neat nutty bracing. Quite pungent pepper up-top & salty in its nethers. An umami savoriness wets the back corners of my tongue on its finish. There's a Teriyaki sensation. Well brewed w/ an excellent lingering crema. Impressive but less than welcoming. The coffee & the place. I leave the last sip. Then leave.
I feel pressured by a growing line at the counter & the peopley setting. I find myself wanting to return at a quieter time, but the drink itself doesn't hold that same allure. An Indonesian cup without enough balancing thereof. It was all nice, just not by either quite let alone very.
::: very :::