Flywheel coffee (upper haight)

[hyperbowler]

I stopped by Flywheel this morning. It's the store just north of the Wholefoods on Stanyan. The space is still in progress, but its wood and modern design are reminiscent of Haus or Four Barrel. The coffee is a similar style as well, though the owner mentioned having roots with the much older Martha & Brothers.

I''m a fan of acidic coffee, and i found the espresso's acidity pretty high, more so even than Sightglass or Ritual. It didn't have that over-roasted taste you get from Blue Bottle, but the espresso lacked the right viscosity. I'll definitely be back periodically to see their progress.

[boris_qd]

Stopped in on Monday. Tasted like over roasted and bitter Martha bros. coffee. Style and cost of four barrel with the quality of mb or Peets. No thanks.

[sugartoof]

Add Sightglass as another to the list of coffee spots with a woodsy decor they're copying. It's a nice looking space, but the look is bordering on cliche.

The coffee was both bitter and acidic, and tasted like bad Martha & Brothers, and rivaled a bad cup of Peets (when did they get so unreliable?) . Doesn't really encourage me to go back, or get excited about what their own roasting will turn out. Pastries and baked goods also looked to be a combination of amateur baked, and factory made stuff you see at the generic coffee shops in the area.

[hyperbowler]

Sigh. I think I'm being optimistic out of desperation ... I've been to most of the coffee shops nearby it, and none are particularly memorable. I've never understood the appeal, but Haight Street Market has Blue Bottle.

Yeah, you'd do better getting the pastries at the Whole Foods next door. The one item I ate there that looked homemade, a Russian cookie or something, was pretty lousy.

[sugartoof]

I think I would pick up coffee next door at Whole Food too. Hopefully it improves.

As for the revamped Haight Street Market... it does have a coffee bar with the pour over Blue Bottle offerings. Good to know it's there at least.

Have you tried the Augies beans served at Stanza? I'm curious about that place.

[hyperbowler]

Thanks for the tip. I hadn't realized that chocolate place went out of business.

I liked it. Stanza's espresso was complex and nicely balanced. They have a few assorted local pastries (caneles, croissants) and cookies from Goodie Goodie. The barista was pretty friendly for 7AM.

http://www.facebook.com/stanzasf

[hyperbowler]

I stopped in for an espresso again. They're getting there in terms of quality and decor, and I'll gladly go back. They more than made up for the lack of body and crema I experienced in last time's espresso, but it was now lacking a good amount of acidity. The taste was more mild than I would have expected, especially since it had an over-roasted aroma.