Seven Coffee Roasters Market & Cafe
Description on Seven Coffee Roasters website : Seven Coffee Roasters was started in a small cafe/roastery in the Greenwood neighborhood of Seattle in 2006 by Sean Lee. Seven is named after Sean’s grandmother, affectionately called “Nana” by grandkids. Nana, in Japanese, means Seven.
Neighborhood: Ravenna
Address: 2007 NE Ravenna Blvd, Seattle, WA 98105
Music playing: Summertime by Ella Fitzgerald
What we ate/drank: Macchiato, Iced Latte, Iced Mocha, Full Tilt Raspberry Popsicle.
Comments: Plopped in the middle of the Ravenna neighborhood is an old unassuming general store. Unless you are looking for it or happen to be driving through the neighborhood, you will never find it. I remember the first time we “found” Seven Coffee Roasters Market & Café. The moment we walked in, we fell in love with it. It really is just a neighborhood general store, but there are a few but very distinct differences from your usual general stores(although there aren’t many that have survived). First, you won’t find your normal name brands, but you will find local products. No Cheetos or Dorritos, but you will find Kettle and Tim’s. No Haagen Dazs ice cream, but you’ll find Full Tilt. No Sutter Home or Gallo wine, but they do have 8 Bells(located right down the street), Matthews, Januik. For the size of the store there is an amazingly wide variety of wine, beer and snacks. I also love their old school refrigerator that houses their cold drinks. I wonder if it’s the original from 1922(see below). The other thing that sets it apart is that they’re a coffee roaster, which makes their coffee drinks far, far above average for a general store. The actual roasting is done offsite. I’m not sure if due to Seven Roasters roasting their own coffee as well as having lower costs due to it’s location, but their prices are $.75 to $1 cheaper than your normal Seattle café. The first time going to Seven Coffee Roasters Market & Café was in the evening, so we just had beers. At the time, they had taps, but our latest visit only had beers in cans.
According to their website, “the store was established in 1922 and unofficially the second oldest market in Seattle, Seven Market & Cafe now sits where the former Boulevard Grocery once stood.” & “ Seven Market & Cafe sits in the quiet and charming neighborhood of Ravenna, near the University District. Ravenna Boulevard was once a main thoroughfare in Seattle for loggers hauling their goods from Green Lake to Lake Washington. The market served those loggers and others using the boulevard as a passage.”
It’s a tiny little place that might fit 12 people max inside, has a few small tables outside on the sidewalk along with a bench and an adjoining patio that maybe seat 6 or 7. The left side of the storefront has a garage style door that they open. This gives the high seating counter the prime spot to sit to enjoy both the inside and looks out on Ravenna Blvd, which I love for its median that’s lined with trees.
As mentioned in our Best Seattle Bars To Impress Out of Towners and Our Seattle Coffee Shop Thoughts posts, out of town visitors love these hidden local gems and Seven Coffee Roasters Market & Café is no different. We had friends come from out of town and they actually went to Starbucks Reserve twice. We took them to our little hidden coffee roaster, Seven Coffee Roasters Market & Café and they loved it. No crammed cafe with tourists, just laid back conversation on the patio and great coffee. I’ve even mentioned this place to locals and most have never heard of it or seen it, but even those who have driven past it and knew about it said they had no idea it was a coffee roaster. They normally say, “We just thought it was a small convenience store”. This is our normal stop when going to our dog sitter, who lives in the area. It’s also the de facto hot chocolate source when visiting Candy Cane Lane during the holidays.
Their blog is a good source for their history and a blog that profiles the rotating local artists who sell their art in the café and also provides profiles on the various local businesses who serve their coffee- Bryant Corner Café & Bakery, Honest Biscuits, Sod House Bakery and Flying Apron Bakery.
Ratings(1-5)
Favorite Thing:
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Food Options: 4.75
Overall: 4.85
Eavedropping Convo: None. Only that the barista made my macchiato and when handing it to me said, “Let me know if it’s good”. It was.
**********12/20-Unfortunately, This Business Has Closed Down**********
Description on Tempesta Coffee website: Truly great coffee meets truly great donuts
Neighborhood: Belltown
Address: 2103 3rd Ave, Seattle, WA 98121
Music playing: None
What we ate/drank: Glazed Sprinkle Donut and a Torrefazione Italia Americano, Chocolate Doughnut, Vanilla Seahawk Doughnut
Comments: I have a future post coming up that settles the score once and for all who has the best donuts(or doughnuts) in Seattle, Top Pot or Mighty-O. I may have been a little too hasty, because a new challenger appears. Tempesta Coffee may have the best donuts of all.
I happened upon Tempesta Coffee by accident. I had to drop my daughter off at daycare and took the E bus into work, which I don’t normally take. One positive about taking a new bus route is it takes you past places you don’t normally see. On this occasion it took me through a part of Belltown I haven’t been to in a while. I noticed one block prior to my stop, the bus passed a little coffee shop, Tempesta Coffee.
I believe this used to be a one chair barbershop if I remember correctly. I decided to check it out. The place is tiny. It will give Pegasus Coffee Bar a run for its money as the Smallest Coffee Shop in Seattle. There’s no chairs and one cocktail table that might serve two standing people, so it’s definitely a grab and go type of place.
It’s the type of place you’d stop on your way to work or stop in for a short coffee break in the afternoon before heading back to the office. It would be great if they could somehow expand so you could enjoy your coffee and donuts right on the premises or perhaps add a few chairs/tables outside.
I see it’s connected to what appears to be a couple of garages/store units that they could possibly expand into, but it may not be owned by them. I found out that Tempesta Coffee is from the same folks who own Orfeo next door, Steelhead Diner and Blueacre Seafood.
The coffee they used is from Torrefazione Italia. The 12 oz comes with 2 shots and the 16 oz comes with 4 shots for all you caffiene fiends. I’m not aware of too many coffee shops that use this coffee, but whether it’s the beans or the person preparing it, it’s exceptional. I went two days in a row, because I thought the first drink I got was an anomaly, but the next day was just as good. You noticed, I don’t really discuss the quality of coffee in my reviews because I figure all drinks are superb at any Seattle coffee cafe that I would frequent.
I’ve got to say, their Americano is soooo good. I had their Americano in the morning and had one in the afternoon at Espresso Vivace. I don’t know if it was an off day for Vivace and an exceptional day for Tempesta, but it was not even close. It wasn’t a standing 8 count, it wasn’t a TKO, it was a bonafide knockout with Tempesta as the victor. It was that huge of a disparity.
History Lesson: For those of you new to Seattle, Torrefazione Italia used to have cafés in Fremont and Pioneer Square. The founders then formed a relationship with Seattle’s Best Coffee where they shared a roastery. Then Starbucks bought both, Torrefazione Italia and Seattle’s Best Coffee. Although Starbucks decided to continue selling the coffee under the Torrefazione Italia brand, they closed the Seattle cafes along with the other Torrefazione Italia 15 cafes around the US and Canada. One good thing that came out of the demise of the cafes is that the family that previously owned Torrefazione Italia before being bought by Starbucks, went on to create another roaster and multiple cafes, which became Caffe Umbria. One final bit of trivia, the first Caffe Umbria location is the one in Pioneer Square. It was also the first location of the first Torrefazione Italia cafe.
The donuts are made there onsite. I believe it might be Orfeo’s kitchen. $2 for small batch donuts? Sign me up. For some reason, I love that the donuts look imperfect. The glaze was uneven and not a perfect circle, but it just confirms that the donuts are small batches and not mass produced. Some of the donuts from other Seattle donut institutions are so perfect looking they’re made for instagram, but perhaps it just confirms that they are made in mass?
These donuts are not too soft and airy like Krispy Kreme, but also not super dense and of course super delish. In addition to the donuts they also have a breakfast sandwich, a ham and cheese sandwich and get this, a mufuletta sandwich! How random. I’ll definitely have to try it. If the donuts are any indication of the quality to expect, I’m super curious. It appears they are creating an online order process on their website, but it’s not functional at the moment.
The service was friendly and knowing it was my first time, she gave a lot of information about the drink, the donuts and the mufuletta. A couple of insider tips, if you are going to come in for a dozen donuts or more, call in and they can prepare it for you. While I was there she was trying to prepare a 3 dozen and a dozen donut order. Because this is small batch, I wonder if there is only a limited amount of donuts available each day? I’ll have to ask next time I’m in. Also for the muffuletta, call in 10-15 minutes prior to pick up and they can make it ahead of time so you don’t have to wait.
Ratings(1-5)
Favorite Thing: The small unassuming Tempesta Coffee makes me feel like I’m in on a Seattle little secret(for now) for great donuts and a rarity in Seattle, mufuletta sandwiches.
Atmosphere: 3.50
Service: 5
Food Options: 5
Overall: 4.50
Eavedropping Convo: None
Recommended by: Lara(?) at Kona Kitchen
Name: Varisty Inn
Description on their web: They don’t have a website
Neighborhood: Wallingford
Address: 1801 N 34th St, Seattle, WA 98103
Type: Brunch
Packed?: Was not busy when we arrived shortly after opening, but was almost full when leaving around 9:00 am on a Saturday
Music playing: None
What we ate/drank: Beef Fajita Omelette, Carnitas in Tomatillo sauce with corn tortilla and hash brown. Side order of cinammon roll.
Comments: From the outside and from appearances as you first walk in, you’d think this is a greasy spoon diner, that isn’t always the cleanest, but I’ve got to say, the place is dated but immaculate. Varsity Inn is only open for breakfast and lunch. It appears there are a lot of regulars that frequent the place due to many customers being greeted by name as they walk in the door. Where most popular Seattle brunch places are packed with youngsters and young families, Varsity Inn seems to cater to regulars who have been coming here for years and years. They have your typical diner fare, but truthfully we’ve never had any of those dishes. Then why do we go here?
This is listed as a secret but what is the secret? You can see a copy of their menu online and you’ll notice it looks like your standard diner breakfast go to’s. The secret is that they have Mexican specials that are not listed on the menu that are just as good or better than nearby Pablo y Pablo, Senor Moose or Barrio, but cheaper. The portions are huge and you’ll surely need a box for leftovers. Take a gander at these….
We’ve read their Yelp and Google reviews and we’re flabbergasted that most people do not order these dishes. We ask our friends about their favorite places for Mexican and nobody ever mentions Varsity Inn. I think it’s one of those things where people who want normal American diner food go here specifically for that and people who may want Mexican have no idea Varsity Inn serves it nor would they have any reason to know they serve it unless they were tipped off or happened upon it by accident.
The staff is always nice and engage in small talk. I don’t know if they have a bin of toys, but the first time we came in, our server provided out daughter a toy cell phone to play with while we waited for our meals to come out. There is a small parking lot, but street parking can be a bitch especially lately due to the new construction of condo/apts in the neighborhood.Good recommendation, Lara!
Note: This is not to be confused with Ravenna Varsity Restaurant, which is a totally different restaurant.
Ratings(Scale 1-5)
Atmosphere: 3.0
Service: 5.0
Food/Drinks: 4.50
Bang for the Buck: 4.75
Overall: 4.40
Locals Only Rating: Locals “in the know” know about it.
Server recommendations to visit in the future: The staff was pretty busy, but a customer sitting next to us made small talk with us since our daughter just started walking. He mentioned a Mojito as a place we’d might want to try.
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Name: Storyville Coffee Company
Description on their web: A Simple Pleasure. A Desperate Need. A Beautiful Dream
Neighborhood: Downtown-Pike Place Market
Address: 94 Pike Street, #34, Seattle WA 98101
Music playing: Some type of new agey jazzy instrumental spa like music.
What we ate/drank: Doppio Espresso, Frosted Cinnamon Roll, Chocolate Cake, Mocha
Comments: As we mentioned in our Coffee Shop Thoughts, this is the coffee place that most impresses our visitors to Seattle. First of all you will normally end up near Storyville Coffee Company if you have visitors in town since it’s located in Pike Place Market. What seems to impress our visitors is that it’d hard to find, so unless you are looking for it, you won’t come across it unlike some of the other coffee places in Pike Place Market, such as the first Starbucks, Local Color or Ghost Alley Expresso, which you’ll stumble across if walking the market or going to the gum wall. Visitors feel like their in on a local secret spot. Storyville Coffee Company is in the building on the NW corner of Pike and 1st. You walk up the stairs and it’s on the top floor.
The other thing that impresses visitors is the place itself. I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite coffee place, but you will not find a more gorgeous coffee shop in all of Seattle. First thing you notice is the huge semi-circle ordering bar with warm lighting. There are two stations for making the drinks and if you look right behind the cashier and baristas you can see all their pastries. The next thing you’ll notice are their huge semi-circle windows that look down on the market and it’s famous Public Market Center sign and if you look straight ahead, the view of Puget Sound. There’s a huge fireplace and lots of comfy leather seats and sofa. There are a pair of long repurposed wood tables with stools. The hardwoods look original like some of the other spots in the market. They also have another location down the street on 1st and Madison and a location in Queen Anne, but neither comes close to replicating the experience of the Pike Place Market location for your visitors. I’ll make the bold statement that when it comes to both the inside space and the views, there is no other place in Seattle like it.
Apart from the normal expresso and brewed coffee(including cold brew), there are tea options, hot chocolate and Italian sodas. The food options are a kale salad, homemade tomato soup, oatmeal and a breakfast sandwich, but the real goodness are their baked goods. I’m partial to the Frosted Cinnamon Roll. I have a tradition of visiting Storyville for an espresso and cinnamon roll after visiting my dentist, who is also located in the market. What, no cavities? Give me a sugary cinnamon roll then! You’ll pay Pike Place Market prices, but the beautiful space makes it worth it.
They have a subscription service that ships coffee beans the same day it’s roasted out of their Roasting Studio on Bainbridge Island. They claim that by subscribing the cost comes to 65 cent per cup. Not bad. They also have an admiral mission to stop human trafficking by donating a portion of every cup sold to organizations fighting human trafficking. One quirky thing is that they don’t open at 7:00 or 8:00, they open at 6:59 and 7:59. I’m also curious about their logo, a child playing with a toy airplane. The next time I’m there, I’ll ask and report back.
Ratings
Favorite Thing: The frosted cinnamon roll and gorgeous space.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 4.5
Food Options: 4
Overall: 4.5
Eavesdropping Convos:
Girl 1(G1)-So we visited a financial advisor last week and he says we’re way behind in saving for our retirement. All this time I thought that our company automatically puts money for our retirement in the 401k, but it looks like you have to sign up for it. I had no clue. How am I supposed to know? All these years I thought the company put money in this account for us. I wondered why I never got a statement. I told Gary(her husband?) that I had a 401k, but I guess I don’t. He was pretty pissed.
Girl 2(G2)-Yeah you have to opt in. I try to contribute at least the company match since they match it 100%. It can add up super quick.
G1-What!? What does that mean?!
G2-If you contribute 4% of your paycheck, the company puts in another 4%. It’s kinda like free money.
G1-Are you serious?! 8 years I could have been doing this? Why didn’t HR tell me!!!
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