Travelin', Sippin', Bloggin' + Amante in Steamboat Springs, CO

I was looking forward to this place before I even got here. Amante Coffee actually has three locations - the newest being in Steamboat. It actually reminds me of what, say, Cafe Illy would do - very traditional style with a mix of corporate and trendy design. The first thing you will notice is the branding. The ceramic cups and saucers are all branded with red AMANTE and the rest of the store follows suit. The mix of media within the place is nice - concrete floors, large garage door that opens onto a side patio, the red Marzocco FB/70 (it appears) with red and white branded coffee in front, mix of table types and seating ares and a full bar to compliment. The place feels good. I have had a chance to come here on 3 occasions over the past 2 days and I have mostly enjoyed it. My first Americano was just ok. The espresso did not taste very unique. With light and shallow crema, the espresso tasted flat. I went back and had a cappuccino and it was everything I had been expecting since I got here. Sweet, smooth and elegant. Micro foam was great and I enjoyed every sip. My last cappuccino (I'm drinking it as I type) was a mix between my first two. The espresso seemed a bit tired and the milk was more frothy than my last. I still enjoyed it but not to the extent I did the first time. I am not sure what the barista culture is here at Amante. They all seem to know what they are doing and also have been trained well but I do not see the flare or excitement from them that I would expect in a place like this. It is Saturday morning and the crowd has been consistent since I got here. That makes me happy. I love to see people coming in and getting their espresso drinks before heading out for the day. The crowd seems to be getting cappuccinos and coffee mostly - a nice change from the normal mocha orders I hear in Oklahoma City. Nothing is wrong with Mochas but it is interesting to see the culture difference being back in the mountains of Colorado. This is our last day in Steamboat and we plan to hang out and enjoy it before returning to work. It has been a good trip and we had some good and bad coffee while we were here. I may have one or two more posts coming about coffee in Steamboat Springs, CO in a day or two. I have a few other pieces of business to blog about coming up so stay tuned! I hope everyone had a safe and happy 4th. Cheers. ...be bold Tagged: cafe evoke, coffee catering, steamboat springs, amante Our friends at Ideal Bite have free, fun eco-living tips! Delivered daily via email!