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cafe giuseppe in nob hill

yesterday afternoon, we took the pup for a walk and ended up at cafe giuseppe at the corner of silver and wellesley. the old apartments at this corner have been "fixed up" with bright paint, nice landscaping, and some, uh, interesting rooflines, and there are a now a handful of retail spaces. guiseppe's has a lovely, simple interior and a cute, comfy patio (though I think it's still a work in progress). they also serve tasty snacks, and quality coffee.

my sweetie had a pretty solid americano and tried a half sandwich which had pesto, anchovy paste and tomatoes. he expressed a wish for heartier bread, but declared it really tasty. I had a cappuccino (no half and half available for a breve, but I'm pleased I can get one here in the future) and a small dark chocolate sweet. the capp was delicious--strong espresso and great foam. because the half sandwich was on the house (a cook's experiment?), we actually spent less than $5 for two espresso drinks and a chocolate, which was frankly amazing.

we'll definitely return to this place. it's wonderful to find good coffee in nob hill that doesn't cost a fortune. the atmosphere was nice, if feeling a little unfinished--I think they've only been open a very brief while. I'd love to see the owners find space for a small rack to sell interesting magazines, though that might be my recent mag addiction coming through. I think as the plants mature the little patio will be a real joy. there was international soccer on a tv in the second room, which perked up my sweetie's ears. and our dog was welcome on the patio too, which is a big draw for us. their sign says they open at 7:30 am, with no closing hour listed yet, and I believe they're open 7 days a week. I hope others check this place out, since I'd love to see it thrive.

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Comment by mombat on July 14, 2008 at 8:00pm: Sounds great! I am excited about a place that is pleasant, affordable and yummy. we wiil check it out.

Comment by Khan on July 14, 2008 at 9:54pm: Been wondering what the hell is going on with that renovation-- many many many months in the making. My coffee freak hubby will be interested to take a gander, and I'll be glad to tag along.

Comment by LenR on July 15, 2008 at 10:10am: Thanks for the info. Italian coffee in general but especially a simple, single shot of Espresso is a passion of mine and I'm always eager to try new places. I find it incredibly difficult to find authentic Espresso, or even an experienced barista, so I would love to get some recommendations here. Where do you find this short, dark, intense, crema-capped cup of perfection?

Comment by SteveJ on July 15, 2008 at 12:53pm: Hi Len, I know what you mean about finding a good barista. I lived in Italy for a while, and there is just a different way of doing it that makes for a perfect cafe. Actually, I had a capuccino at the old Irish Macs and I thought it was as close to authentic as I could find here. So, I look forward to the new place. How is that for being a coffee snob?

Comment by LenR on July 15, 2008 at 4:40pm: Steve, it's not snobbery to appreciate quality. Thanks for the tip!

Comment by Jay on July 15, 2008 at 7:03pm: My partner and I tried Cafe Giuseppe over the weekend and were pleasantly surprised. I had a great cafe au lait and my partner a breve. To me it had more of a feel of a cool, little european type cafe than most places that we're used to here in ABQ. The barista seemed to take pride in preparing the drinks and it showed in their nice rich flavor. They also have a food selection of very unique and tasty homemade muffins and some breakfast burritos. I had an awesome banana-bran and chocolate chip muffin. I will definitely be back, especially since it's in my hood and on quieter Silver Ave instead of Central.

Comment by Phil_0 on July 16, 2008 at 5:33pm: I like the vibe Silver is developing...kind of like the mellow, easy-going counterpart to Central's increasingly flashy personality.

Comment by Birdy-O on July 16, 2008 at 5:52pm: That's just a few blocks from me, I am looking forward to checking out the cafe, thanks for the insight!