Espresso a Mano in Lawrenceville - a gathering place for productivity and meet-ups!

Date of Trial April 4, 2019

Purchased Cappuccino

An authentic brick wall and the beautiful exposed wooden ceiling fill the energetic space. I enjoyed the power outlets on the wall across the brick wall while I was working on some IBM Agile trainings.

Espresso a Mano

3623 Butler Street Pittsburgh, PA 15201

Established 2009

The Ratings

Overall - B-

Items below are rated on a scale from 1 to 5 (1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest)

• Presentation - 4 (simply because my finger couldn’t fit through the cup handle)

• Boldness - 4

• Sweetness - 1

• Price - $3.04 (6 oz)

Extreme boldness, minimal sweetness with a slight bitter taste

Cheers!

Nancy “Brew” Geronian

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IBM proposal work leads me to Café Kubal in a historic hotel in Downtown Syracuse!

Café Kubal

Downtown Syracuse - Est. 2004

Date of Trial March 10, 2019

Purchased Medium Cappuccino with Soy Milk

Strong, pungent, small cup, not as milky, almost espresso-like

The Ratings

Overall - B

Items below are rated on a scale from 1 to 5 (1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest)

• Presentation - 3 (the heart was cute)

• Boldness - 3

• Sweetness - 2

• Price - $4.05 (8 oz)

The cafe shop’s art deco interior was exquisite and the cappuccino didn’t disappoint but didn’t awe me

Three Fun Facts

1. Café Kubal that I visited was located in the Marriott Syracuse Downtown and is the 6th Kubal location in Syracuse!

2. The Hotel Syracuse originally opened in 1924, in the heart of the art deco period. Developer Ed Riley reopened it in 2016 as the Marriott Syracuse Downtown after it sat dormant for more than a decade.

3. Kubal owner, Matt Godard, spent a lot of time in coffee shops when he was in college. As an English major, he read and studied in cafes and worked part time at one near his campus. After graduating, he started his own coffee bean roasting business.

Cheers!

Nancy “Brew” Geronian

27th Birthday Cappuccino Review at DiAnoia's Eatery!

Celebrating my 27th birthday at DiAnoia’s Eatery was fantastic in more ways than one. Everything from our funny, lively waitress to the BYOB to the full display of desserts to choose from felt celebratory. After eating a variety of appetizers and a main course meal fit for a spoiled queen, I paired a limoncello cake with a decaf cappuccino. My taste buds were in full celebratory mode! I also dabbled into a sugar cookie sandwich stuffed with Nutella and a tiramasu cake - all splendid. I may seem like a kind critic with my A+ and A ratings on my first two reviews but these two spots in the Strip District of Pittsburgh deserve the spotlight. I look forward to my continued birthday celebrations in New York City this weekend where you know my Nancy Brew investigations will be chronicled.

Enjoy!

DiAnoia's Eatery

Address 2549 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Established November 2016

Date of Trial March 27, 2019

Purchased Decaf Cappuccino

Pungent with an exquisite layer of foam; added sugar would simply be excess

The Ratings

Overall - A+

Items below are rated on a scale from 1 to 5 (1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest)

• Presentation - 5

• Boldness - 4

• Sweetness - 1

• Price - $3.50

Warm and flavorful to the very last sip

Three Fun Facts

1. DiAnoia’s was voted the 2018 Best Restaurant in Pittsburgh by TheManual and one of the best restaurants in Pittsburgh by Pittsburgh Magazine.

2. Owned by Chef Dave Anoia and his wife Aimee DiAndrea, DiAnoia’s Eatery is an Italian deli and cafe by day and full service ristorante by night that specializes in homemade pastas, pastries, breads, sandwiches, and more.

3. They also serve cheesy gnocchi out of a bread bowl!

Cheers!

Nancy “Brew” Geronian

Cappuccino at de Fer Roastery & Café in the Strip!

Welcome to my new The Nancy Brew blog! Throughout my travels around the world and in Pittsburgh I will be investigating and rating items on the menus of a variety of coffee shops and breweries! The coffee shop below is a beauty and a new treasure in the historic Strip district here in Pittsburgh, my hometown. Enjoy!

Coffee Shop de Fer Roastery & Café

Address 2002 Smallman St, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Established 2017

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Date of Trial December 30, 2018

Purchased Medium Cappuccino

Beautifully executed, timeless and earthy

The Ratings

Overall - A

Items below are rated on a scale from 1 to 5 (1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest)

• Presentation - 5

• Boldness - 3

• Sweetness - 2

• Price - $4.00

A beauty to the eye and the taste

Three Fun Facts

1. de Fer has one location in Pittsburgh - in the Strip! They are active in the community and support and partner with local cafes, artists, grocers, restaurants.

2. You can purchase their coffees online: https://defer.coffee/product-category/coffee/

3. They also serve a fantastic variety of waffles and other yummy goodies for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

Cheers!

Nancy “Brew” Geronian