Tempesta Coffee- A New Challenger Appears

**********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