Fans of Italian coffee culture, rejoice: A new cafe in downtown Oakland aims to replicate the Continental coffee experience, with all its sleek design touches and steam-shooting gizmos. And it’s run by the Italian-descended family behind local roasters Mr. Espresso.
The Caffè by Mr. Espresso, which opens today at 1120 Broadway, channels a product name no doubt familiar to many Bay Area caffeine junkies. Carlo Di Ruocco, who’s from Salerno, Italy, founded Mr. Espresso way back in the 1970s and made a name for himself roasting beans with oak wood and wholesaling them to local shops. After nearly five decades, this is the brand’s first attempt at running a regular coffee shop – and judging from early information, it looks pretty neat.
“After 45 years of supplying coffee to some of the best cafes and restaurants in the Bay Area, we thought it was time to open our own brick-and-mortar,” Luigi Di Ruocco, co-owner of Mr. Espresso, announced in a press release. “We believe we have created a beautiful space that celebrates our commitment to great coffee and brings a bit of Italy to downtown Oakland.”
That “bit of Italy” is reflected in the shop’s no-nonsense approach to serving. It’s meant to mimic the stand-and-sip culture of Europe, with few seats available for camping out for extended periods. The E71E espresso machines hail from Italy – the Mr. Espresso team calls them “some of the best in the business” – though there are also mad-scientist-style brewing gizmos from West Oakland’s Ground Control that involve twisty siphons and glass bulbs.
The Caffè is making all the standard coffee drinks and also some more unusual pours including horchata cold brew, a Nocciola-tte with hazelnut-praliné paste and a Shakerato made with cold-shaken espresso. For food, there are Italian bites like prosciutto cotto sandwiches with Crescenza cheese, white pizza with prosciutto and agrodolce onions and butterbean salad with marinated artichokes and roasted peppers. Breakfast seekers might grab some pastries from The French Spot in San Francisco or farro porridge with honey and macerated fruit. And of course, there will be bags of Mr. Espresso for sale to take home.
Details: Open 7 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday at 1120 Broadway, Oakland; thecaffeoak.com and facebook.com/mrespressooak.
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