Intelligentsia Invades Venice
Intelligentsia Coffee
OK, so I’m being a little hard on the place, which is getting a ton of buzz among foodies. As a Venetian for more than a decade, it’s been drilled into my head to resist the dreaded chain stores. And yes, Intelligentsia is a chain. But Pinkberry long ago invaded the neighborhood so I should probably just give it up and admit that Intelligentsia is seriously into quality. The flavor of the white tea was fantastic, and frankly, I hate ice in my drinks. They know what they’re doing here, and if you’re a brew connoisseur, this is among the best you’re going to find. They’re also into “direct trade,” which is like fair trade plus.
Raspberry Breton and Lemon Tart
My yoga buddy Kathy ordered an iced coffee, and we shared two desserts, a lemon tart and raspberry breton. I thought the lemon tart was delicious, very soft and lemony and, well, tart. The raspberry dessert had fresh raspberries and pistachios, which I love, but the crispy bottom of the dessert was a little too hard for my taste. I like a dessert that’s easier to eat without a knife. The bill came to $19.25.
The cafe itself is sleek and airy and bright, but it’s a little strange, too. The bar is round. You step through an arched corridor and order before moving around the bar to another person. You keep getting passed off, it seems, around the circle. Everyone is knowledgeable and happy to explain how the coffee and tea are special so it’s not a big deal. But then there’s the seating. There are only a couple of tables outside, and the rest are bleacher seats, inside and out. It’s a little tough to eat a tart on bleachers. It’s not like there’s some sort of sport to watch, unless you consider checking out the attire of the local hipsters a sport.
Frankly, I’d rather brew my white tea at home and relax at the local cafe Abbot’s Habit if I want a place to hang out. That’s a comfier environment, less of an industrial feel. But if you’re a die-hard coffee or tea drinker and don’t care to stick around, Intelligentsia might just be the place for your morning fix. –Jenny
Intelligentsia, 1331 Abbot Kinney in Venice.
Neat. I’m usually at the Silverlake location with a cup of cappuccino and a notebook.
I so wanted to hate this place…all the “when will it finally open” torture, and the attitude that you could feel oozing through the bars of the front gate well before it ever opened. And then when I biked past at noon today (right when they were supposed to open), there was a crowd gathered out front, and someone inside with a camera, snapping pictures of the crowd through the still-locked gate. Yuck.
An hour later I had their coffee. And had to eat all those words of Intelligentsia hate I’d been spewing for weeks. Hands down, the best espresso shot I’ve had in…well, geez, maybe ever. And a few weeks ago, I spent the better part of a day wandering NYC in search of the best espresso in NY. Nothing there came within a continent of the espresso I had today. Wow.
There is so much coffee knowledge in this place – and so many ways to have your coffee brewed and served – it’s pretty mind-blowing. And I really didn’t feel any attitude at all – much to my surprise, really. I had some great coffee today, learned a bit about a couple of ways I like to brew my brew, and didn’t have to wait a ridiculously long time, either. All in all, a much more positive experience than I expected. I’m going to have to raise my rates to be able to afford a daily cup of coffee, but a small price to pay, really…
I know what you mean. I broke my no coffee rule in Italy last month. I’m going to have to try the espresso now.
Great article but Intelligentsia is not a chain — it privately owned by Doug Zell, his wife, and Geoff Watts. There are only five Intelligentsia cafes in existence- all owned and operated under Doug’s strict leadership which is why they’re all so excellent. I can’t imagine a chain replicating what they do. I may have to schedule a vacation in Venice soon…cheers!
Thanks, coffeefan. I guess it depends on how you define a chain. When I see multiple stores in multiple states, that’s a chain to me, even if they are all owned and operated by the founder. In-N-Out is a chain, even though each location is owner-operated. I think it’s an interesting debate. Here’s how Wikipedia defines a chain restaurant: “A restaurant chain is a set of related restaurants with the same name in many different locations that are either under shared corporate ownership (e.g., In-N-Out Burgers in the U.S.) or franchising agreements.” However, the anti-chain group Unchained Venice isn’t defining Intelligentsia as a chain. I’m really not sure why. It fits the definition to me. How many stores do you need to have to fit the definition of a chain?