Voluto Coffee

Test "Kitchen" @ Voluto

Besides Coffee, we also love food. Before we opened Voluto Coffee, I would cook on a daily basis, from simple to extravagant... and without attempting to sound conceded, I can cook. One of the many reasons for not offering soups and sandwiches is my constant desire for superior quality and perfection. I am most definitely a food snob and it can be problematic when creating and re-thinking our  food menu, especially for a coffee shop our size.  Besides trying to stay focus on the coffee, we do have a great lack of space for productivity, so we're quite limited in what we can accomplish from our long repertoire of amazing dishes. Lately, we have been teasing around with different items to bring all of you a more diverse menu that we can still consider  fresh and simple, but that can also be re-created in our store with ease. We think it's important that whatever "little" food we offer be comparable to our coffee when talking quality. When we first opened, most of all our items where from Sweethouse Bakeshop in Mars. We were excited to support a small business owner that was local ( although still about one hour away). While we still carry certain items from Sweethouse,  such as our ever popular and delicious fruit crumbles and biscottis, we no longer carry the palmier,scones or the cinnamon buns. Although each were delicious, they just weren't popular. We now carry Carrot Cake Muffins, that a local talented woman bakes for us, but these only come in on Friday's and are available until we sell out. She also happens to bake our chocolate chip cookies, which I Heart PGH called the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies in Pittsburgh!....and most recently, we've partnered up with the Two Vegan Girls, who bake our vegan chocolate chunk walnut cookies and our vegan apple cake which have been quite popular.... Today, we decided to  bake a few items from scratch in what we called "Test Kitchen @ Voluto" and regain our credibility with our skills, ( minus the fact that it was quite fun!)On the Menu:

1. Homemade ( everything is homemade, obviously) Granola

2. Chocolate/Almond Croissant Bread Pudding

3. Currant Cream Scones

4. Strawberry & Lemon Zest Preserve

Everything came out tasting quite yummy, although, the granola could have used about 5 minutes less of cooking time and perhaps more Agave Nectar. The pudding is well, just so sinful and delicious. The Scones are what we call perfect, buttery, flaky with a good balance of salty and sweet. The strawberry preserve are so good, that it almost didn't make it OUT of Test Kitchen, they will be the perfect accompaniment to our croissants. All these items will be available this week. We currently only have 3 of the puddings, which will be put out tomorrow in the morning. If I see they're a hit, I'll come in early Tuesday or Wednesday morning and whip up some more. Expect to see more items come and go, until we're fully satisfied with our offerings...There will be more Test Kitchen in the upcoming weeks.

Enjoy! (we did)

Deconstructed @ Voluto, 7.3 7PM ( Part of UNblurred)

For the past 4 Unblurred, First Friday's on Penn, we have had local artists, mostly singers/songwriters do a 2 hour show. Our events were never really a hit despite talented artists singing their hearts out. In all honesty, there's been so many other aspects of the business we have been overwhelmed with that we didn't really dedicate much creative time for this monthly event. As we hosted Sprodown 09',  we had an epiphany. First, we were pleasantly surprised to see this many people interested in tasting and learning more about espresso. Secondly, we realized we should offer this opportunity on a more consistent basis for customers, but with controlled variables ( not that madness is not fun ).   We have been discussing doing coffee cuppings at Voluto amongst ourselves for some time, but many local shops already offer this. While coffee cuppings are still an option, and something that we're still somewhat interested in, we are much more excited about our new focus for the Unblurred...

DECONSTRUCTED @ VOLUTO COFFEE

Starting this Friday, July 3rd from 7PM-8PM, we will now offer the opportunity of tasting between 2-4 espresso's from 2 different roasters in a private setting. We will require people to register via e-mail for the event no later than 1 week before the scheduled date. Each 1st Friday of the month, we will feature 2 new roasters and taste/discuss each espresso. This event should last about 1hr. We actually weren't planning anything for this friday, however, we just so happen to have an unopened bag of Counter Culture Single Origin Ethiopia Sidamo roast date 6/25, and, we were also letting our 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters Single Origin Brazil Fazenda Apucarana ripen a little for this weekend. Perfect!!

Recap!

Photo credit to Rima Warren

What: Deconstructed @ Voluto

Feature Espresso/Roaster: 49th Parallel SO Bazil Fazenda Vs. Counter Culture SO Ethiopia Sidamo

When: Friday, July 3rd, 7PM-8PM

Cost: $10

Registration: NOW and up to Friday morning for this event. Starting August 7th, you will have to register no later than 1 week before. Send e-mail to info@volutocoffee.com with your FULL name and phone number.

** For this event only, there will be a limit of 12 people to ensure we have enough for everyone.

Coated Tongues

 We want to thank everyone that joined in the madness for Sprodown this past Friday,  including customers and follow baristas from surrounding coffee shops, and of course PACA for having us host the event. Most everyone appeared to have a great time and enjoyed this rare opportunity to compare so many espressos at once in an a 2 hour time frame. Although it felt as though our "baby" ( Synesso) got raped,  it was an amazing sight to see this many shots pulled. Rima Warren took some beautiful photos of the events. Jake was a great "espresso expeditor" amongst the somewhat organized chaos. In the end, we probably all had coated tongues and slight jitters...and as I was completely burned out and cleaning out Rich's grinder, I like an idiot , ripped his modified swift or sweep ( or whatever he called it ) in the doser thinking it was a jammed piece of paper :) luckily,everyone else's equipment left intact.

12 "Micro"Spro's on Tap

Tomorrow. 7PM

Little Blue Bird

Could be good for business, or so the PG says. So follow us, as we're following the trend, although we'd rather be trend setters. I realize we're jumping on the wagon a little late, many of the other shops around have been "tweeting" or "twittering" ( unsure of proper terminalogy) for a while now and have several followers. Although we won't become what one of our employees called "twitter Sh&%er" and it is actually found in the Urban Dictionnary:Someone who overuses Twitter and constantly "tweets" what they are doing, even when they are taking a #2......We plan on just sending out menu updates, events or exciting/pertinent news. OK.

We're soon going to have a receptacle in the shop for all of our corn cups, unlike regular PLA plastic, Corn-based PLA can be composted. Grow Pittsburgh have now been picking up all of our coffee grounds twice a week, and we're hoping to add the cups to this program. So, we're asking all customers to bring back their cups if possible so we can minimize filling up the landfills. We'll "Tweet" when the program is in full effect.

SPRODOWN...6.26.09

We’re very excited to partner up with PACA (Pittsburgh Area Coffee Association) in providing you a night of caffeine overload and  a sensory experience for your palates… (Bananas will hopefully be provided to soak up your jitters). If you shy away from espresso because of your misconceptions, or perhaps that last shot pulled for you tasted like cigarette butts  ( I’ve been served something very similar), or you just have been dying to get your tongue acquainted with a spro that normally isn’t found in Pittsburgh, don’t miss this opportunity!

Starting at 7PM, a line up of grinders & hoppers filled with various espressos (blends & single origin) from local and national roasters will be waiting and ready to impress. You’ll also have the opportunity to discuss and learn more about this beverage with members of PACA & Voluto Coffee, and meet other fanatics and coffee geeks alike.

 

Recap:

What: Sprodown, spro & lots of it.

Where: Voluto Coffee 5467 Penn Avenue, near the Pittsburgh Glass Center. PARKING IN REAR

What Time: 7PM

Who’s invited: Anyone with a “spro” tooth or game for being coffeed out.

Cost: Free, although a $5 donation is suggested and extremely appreciated

Disclaimer: You are attending this event at your own risk. We will not be medically responsible if you’re unable to handle your jitters. As with ETOH, there is probably a limit to how much caffeine your body can tolerate before you start feeling its effect. If you appear intoxicated, we may refuse to serve you any more spro. WE'RE JUST KIDDING HERE GUYS. READ RICH'S COMMENT FROM ALDO COFFEE BELOW

 

Leap of Faith

We wanted to give a big thank you to China Millman for the great write-up in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette today. She’s really been a positive force in the coffee community and it is just a blessing for small business owners like us. The article mentions risk taking and thinking back, we did take a leap of faith, by the time we had prelim designs from Evolve and were in the mist of negotiating lease contracts, the economy was slowly crumbling. Ultimately, we decided to push forward. Now almost 6 months after we opened our doors, we’re slowly becoming a part of the community and the neighborhood. We’ve had such a diverse crowd come in to support us and we’ve met an array of just amazing people. The relationship that we’ve build with some of our customers in such a short period of time is quite incredible and makes waking up in the morning worthwhile. So thanks to all of you really, all of you who continuously come in and support us, you’re the reason we’re still standing here today. Thanks to all of you who blog or twitter about us, thanks for telling your friends who then tell their friends. Thanks to all of our friends and families for helping and putting up with us for the last 2 years. You’ve listened to all of our ideas and you’ve shared our excitement and our tears and you’ve drunk plenty …

Being a small business owner is quite a challenge, there are so many variables that must be thought out beyond the daily running of the store…When the lights are turned off at night, and the Synesso goes on idle, our brains are still on full throttle, we certainly have more respect and compassion for others like us now.  Jake (a barista from Beaver Falls) posted on his blog regarding the closing of Beleza and raised the question how does a coffee house survive on just selling coffee. I can see why and how tempting it can be to want to start changing your concept and adding more food items to bring in more revenue. I wish we could delegate the accounting aspect to someone else, or have an endless amount of cash flow. So, sometimes in a panic, business owners may try new things, or cut down on cost by switching to a lesser quality product.  It is a challenge when your sole income is based on a $1.65 cup of coffee, especially when your focus is on quality versus quantity and profit. Barb and I are determined to keep our focus on the coffee and its farmers. We certainly achieve this on a daily basis by the wonderful partnership we’re building with our roaster 49^th Parallel.  We want to become a prime destination for our coffee and our attention to details and this is why you’ll just get a smile back when you suggest us having Panini’s and soups or salads...it’s not that we don’t appreciate the suggestions, but we believe that the farmers who brought us this coffee deserve it being the center of attention. Sometimes when everyone goes Zig, it’s good to go Zag and while we’re no way trying to say we’re expert at our craft and that we’re setting an example here in our community, we’re just glad that we’re sticking to our beliefs. Perhaps they will save us in the end.

Coffee & Tea Menu 6.1.09

Here's what's on the menu this week and probably for next week as well....

Costa Rica  Monte Crisol: A desireable flavor of caramel dominates the cup with a clean and crisp acidity. Sweet, round and balanced.

El Salvador La Providencia Estate: A mild acidity coffee that is incredibly chocolaty with full body and a creamy texture.

Ethiopia Yergacheffe Wondo Worka: Candy-like aroma and a legion of fruits open this clean cup. Honey, cherry, and apricot with a brightacidity. Astounding sweetness with a thick and syrupy body. Available 6.4

Kenya Ruera Estate AA: An estate coffee that displays tropical fruits, a smooth body and a unique aftertaste of rhubarb. Available 6.4 (16oz IP)

Organic Ethiopia Yergacheffe Beloya Micro-Lot #3: This natural processed micro-lot has an abundance of flavor! Vanilla aromatics and sweet blueberries open up this fresh cup. Pure and rich with intense berry-toned flavours and citrus characteristics. Full body and balanced (16oz IP)

Single Origin Espresso; Brazil Fazenda Apucarana: The espresso is sweet, syrupy and is distinguished with excellent acidity, a buttery mouthfeel and a decadent brown sugar finish. Available 6.6 & 6.7

Organic Morrocan Mint Green Iced Tea: This Green tea is quite minty and refreshing.

We are also featuring some vegan sweets that are quite delicious and as usual, we have Enrico's croissants, Fruit Crumbles ( Rasberry & Peach) and Turnovers ( Apple & Pear/Blue Cheese), and finally, the BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies in Pittsburgh. Here's a list of the vegan treats we're trying out this week:

- Chocolate Chocolate Chunk Cookies

- Chocolate Walnut Cookies

- Chocolate Brownies

- Apple Cake

Memorial Day

We will be closed for Memorial Day...we all need some well deserved time off. We'll see you back on Tuesday morning, 7am.

Sammy's Gone...

For those of you who came in to try Sammy Piccolo's Blend, #2 Winner of the World Barista Championship, we hope you all enjoyed it as much as we did. Last Saturday, we had it on bar 5 days off roast, which we think was perhaps a little under developed. It was very good, and the grapefruit notes were there, however, we were missing some of the caramel sweetness. Today, it was a much different espresso. After 12 days off roast, it was so much sweeter and brighter, and definitely had the snap of the grapefruit, but I could definitely appreciate the caramel notes from the Herbazu. Rich from Aldo came in to try it, and his palate is much more developed than mine, and he said the bottom of the cup had a tamarind sweetness to it, and I couldn't agree with him more...I remembered liking Luke's single origin espresso from his MARBC performance, and Sammy's Blend sort of reminded me of this one a little, but with a little more body as the Yergacheffe in the blend gives it that hhmmpff. ( I'm not sure how you spell this). Both Coffee on their own are remarkable, especially the Organic Yergacheffe Aricha, but 49th Parallel did an exceptional job with this espresso blend. I like it so much, I wish we could have it on bar at all times...This just re enforces my love for bright coffees. The Colombia Timana AA is quite fruity and cherry like, and would have to be my favorite on bar at the moment. I was excited to taste this one as it was our first Colombia from 49th. The El Salvador is also a great coffee, and the way it is processed is also very exceptional as it goes through a few extra steps of sorting to ensure only the "biggest" and best beans are picked.  It's a much bolder coffee than the Colombia and it isn't has bright, which I know some of our customers are probably happy since we've had many bright coffees recently. I'm not sure how long 49th is planning on having it available but we shall all miss you, Sammy. Our Roaster certainly have an amazing ability of blending for espresso, and this is truly a talent. The Epic alone is superb, and 12 days of roast this morning was oohh so sweet, it just keeps getting better...as it sits there..just proves that you shouldn't always believe when they say 7-10 days is best..not for this one, maybe it's our packaging, but when butter meets caramel, with a squeeze of lemon..yum.  If you want to read why 49th Parallel is astonishing...and organoleptic ( new word we learned today)...click here