Napoli Coffee

Shun the chains and get your coffee on here….

November 5, 2011

There are 94 places in the Duke City that, according to Urbanspoon, list coffee as one of their main offerings. Of these, around 26 are chains (such as Starbucks) or small local chains (such as Flying Star). Of the remaining 68, about one-third are full seervice restaurants (such as Grove Café & Market, which has great coffee and great food as well!), meaning that there are maybe 40 or so places that I would categorize as coffee houses. You can get a good cuppa at most of the 94, but for sheer coffee delight, you owe it to yourself to hop on over to your closest real coffee house.

I have a short list that I patronize as often as I can because they serve excellent brews and have that welcoming feeling, such as Oasis (in Corrales, a short walk from my house), Cafe Guiseppe (Nob Hill), and Golden Grown Panaderia (11th and Mountain).

As of today, I can safely add Napoli to this short list.

Dr Jane, my radar operator

While driving down Carlisle, Jane spotted Napoli out of the corner of her eye (she has an unerring radar for these kinds of places). Napoli turned out to be moderately full in that middle of a weekend afternoon, the first good sign. Second sign was the heavenly aroma filling the place. All the patrons seemed to be deep in quiet conversation, another sign of a good coffee house.

Their signature coffee is dark, smooth and sweet with a beautiful floral aroma, exceptionally clean acidity and a heavy, nutty body. Flavor nuances include fresh citrus fruits and fine chocolate. Caramelly and spicy, its complexity makes for both a flavorful espresso with rich, rusty reddish-brown crema as well an excellent drip coffee. This fabled blend is featured in espresso bars, cafes and restaurants across the United States that strive to create the “perfect cup.” It is brewed from Batdorf & Bronson’s great beans.

Chicken Salad Sandwich

Jane had an iced cafe au lait, and I had a warm pumpkin spice latte. I also tried a chicken salad sandwich on ciabatta accompanied by a small serving of a delicious tortilla soup. The sandwich was excellent and the soup was very good. But the brews were really outstanding. Rich and complex without even a hint of bitterness. Winners.

Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters has been handcrafting the finest coffees from around the globe since 1986 and our standards are among the highest in the specialty coffee industry. We put immense effort into sourcing and roasting fresh beans for coffee and espresso enthusiasts that crave quality and consistency and seek out special, limited edition coffees for fans of unique complexity of flavor and aroma.

Napoli writes

A Menu

“We were founded in November of 2002. We pride ourselves on giving individualized service in a unique and upscale environment. We want your friendship and we want to know what you desire from us.

“We provide:

Warm and Inviting Seating Area
Fresh, Top Quality Coffee Beans
Free WiFi Hotspot
Delicious Burritos and Pastries

“Our Hot Coffee Selections are:

Americano, Caffe Au Lait ,Carmelito, Caffe Latte,
Caffe Mocha, Ceffe Breve, Brew of the Day, Hot Tea
Chai Tea Latte, Hot Chocolate, Cappuccino, Espresso.
We offer select Coffee Beans:
Dancing Goats, Guatemala, Bizzarri, Arco Extrusco, Mezanote Decaf

Cold Drinks:

Napoli FrappeNapoli Frappe MochaCarmelito FrappeIced LatteIced MochaIced CarmelitoIced TeaIced Chai TeaNapoli SodaIced EspressoIced Americano

Specialty Drinks:

Mocha Amore: white chocolate, milk chocolate, strawberryTuxedo Mocha: spicy dark chocolate, white chocolateLucky Shamrock: caramel, vanilla irish creamIrish Gingerbread Man: white chocolate, irish cream, gingerbreadSplash of Springtime: white chocolate, coconut, strawberrySunshine: almond, amaretto, butterscotchCrazy Nut: english toffee, macadamia nut, hazelnutPumpkin Patch: milk chocolate, white chocolate, pumpkin spiceIsland Mocha: spicy dark chocolate, macadamia nut, orangeBlack Forest Mocha: chocolate, black cherry, almondPirate: coconut, jamaican rum, caramelHome for the Holidays: white chocolate, cinnamon, hazelnutSamoa: caramel, chocolate, coconutDark Knight Mocha: black cherry, spicy dark chocolate, vanilla

“We serve Vanilla or Chocolate Ice Cream. Try our famous Espresso Milkshake today! We have Dos Hermano’s Burritos!

“Napoli Coffee is a local cafe owned by a local woman. We do whatever we can to be environmentally friendly like using eco cups and recycling the millions of plastic milk containers we go through.
Napoli has a bucket exchange program. Bring us a bucket with a lid and we will give you a full bucket of coffee grounds for your compost pile or your garden!”

Really friendly folks work there. The service is spot-on. You won’t go wrong here.