Flyover Flavor

Roasting style: Light to medium roast

Opened: 1994

Drinks Menu: The espresso menu offers nice variety, from traditional espresso macchiato to Starbucks-style blended coffee drinks.

Food Menu: Full kitchen that prepares pastries, breakfast, lunch, and dinner (at least at STL locations).

Espresso Machine: Manual machines on which the milk and espresso are almost always impeccably prepared

Brew Options: The works. From traditional espresso to toddy cold brew to hand-brewed tea. If you're in a hurry, you can get the standard batch-brew drip coffee, and if you have more time, you can order a pourover prepared with a Kalita or Chemex.

Locations: 14 locations in St. Louis, Kansas City and Atlanta. This includes Kayak's in St. Louis and Latte Land in Kansas City.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Specialty drinks: They usually offer creative seasonal drinks, using syrups made in house, such as a Turkish latte made with a cinnamon and cardamom syrup.

Review: 

                One of the originals, Kaldi's has established itself as a regional presence and is continually expanding its territory. Whether you like the coffee or not, it's impossible not to give Kaldi's props. The company is known (at least within the coffee industry) for its training standards, requiring baristas to complete a certain number of training hours and pass certain tests before they can prepare espresso drinks for customers. From a customer's perspective, this rigorous standard is evident in the consistency and quality of the drinks. While I have had a couple drinks from Kaldi's that didn't taste right or didn't have the right light, fluffy texture, most of the drinks I've had were not only prepared well, but prepared almost exactly the same way. That's across many locations that I've visited in St. Louis and Kansas City. As a customer, I really appreciate this consistency.

                I think the coffee itself is also good quality, and I enjoy it for a light roast. But, I can’t drink very much of it. Every once in a while, I enjoy a Kaldi’s espresso macchiato, but if I go there too often, it gives me a stomachache. This can happen with light roasted coffee because it's higher in acidity, which if you’re sensitive to that (as I am), then it can cause problems.

                The food is also pretty good, although I’ve been disappointed with the salads. Several visits in a row, the lettuce was wilted and limp – not quite bad yet, but getting there. If I’m going to spend $8 on a salad, I never want to walk away thinking I could make something better at home. That said, I think the walnut-avocado salad is excellent when made with fresh ingredients. My all-time favorite thing to order, though, is the pita bread, which is served warm and dusted with big flakes of sea salt. It’s buttery and soft and salty, which is exactly what I want to munch on during my lunch break. I usually get a second look and asked "just the pita?” when I get an order of it on its own, but it’s worth it.

             The two locations have very different vibes. The Clayton store is a large thin room with the customer area cut into an L-shape hugging the long bar. Small wooden tables line the windows, and a leather love seat and chair sit in one corner. The wall behind the bar is an ugly clash of colors: sherbet orange and aqua blue. The rest of the walls are white and covered in dark smudges and a few gaping holes in the plaster. The look is not the draw of this coffee shop. It is a good place for a business meeting or catching up with someone over coffee.

Finally, a new coffee shop in St. Louis! I've wanted to try Coma Coffee since it opened a few months ago, but have struggled to get there. It closes by 4 pm during the week, 1 pm Saturdays and is closed Sundays. But, a new coffee roaster hasn't opened in St. Louis in a while, so it's worth visiting if you can make it there while it's open.

                Coma is located across the street from the Galleria in the ground floor of a tall black building that towers over the neighboring shops and parking structures. I was surprised by how large the space is. The white walls stretch tall, finally reaching a black ceiling with exposed support beams and ducts. Large windows face out into the parking lot, letting in tons of natural light, as well as a sad view of the oversize Dillard's sign across the street. In front of these windows stands an impressive bar made of white and gray granite. This white and gray theme plays across the space in the tiles that cover the counter and decorate the wall behind the counter.

                As I looked around the sizeable space, I noticed a couple copies of The World Atlas of Coffee near the espresso machine. This is one of my favorite books about coffee, so I geeked out about it with the barista behind the bar. He was knowledgeable about coffee in general and Coma Coffee in particular. He explained that the shop is run by a brother and sister and the name comes from a combination of the first two letters of their names: Corbin and Macy. 

                I was dazzled by the Synesso espresso machine. It was white with silver accents and wooden levers to activate the steam wands. It was lovely and, according to the barista, cost about $30,000. There goes my dream of installing one in my kitchen.

                Unfortunately, the espresso did not dazzle as much. Coma roasts its beans very light, as do most shops in St. Louis. I would have liked to find something different here. The espresso was a single varietal Colombia and when I tasted it on its own, the first sip was an explosion of bright acidity with just a hint of spice. The finish was a little odd and I couldn’t quite place it. My first thought was pumpkin – not for the spiciness you expect in a pie, but the mushy, mild, slightly sweet flavor of pumpkin itself. Maybe I was influenced by the Autumn season and the presence of gourds everywhere you turn.

                The cortado was more pleasant, though still too acidic for my taste. After the double espresso and a sip of cortado, my stomach was calling out for Tums. I could not drink this coffee everyday. And the fact that I can find a similar style at Kaldi’s, Sump, Mud House, Comet, and the list goes on, I can’t guarantee that I'll make it back to Coma. But, whether you're a fan of light roasted coffee or not, Coma is worth checking out. The drinks are prepared well, the service is excellent and the space is great.

Service: The barista was friendly and skilled.

Drinks: Very lightly roasted beans. The espresso was prepared well.

Atmosphere: Beautiful space, though it was a little cold and stiff. Not a cozy coffee shop.

Score: 7 out of 10