Coffeenati: Carabello

It was probably a couple years ago at this point when I toyed around with the idea of starting a Coffeenati series on this blog featuring some of the local coffee shops [similar to my Pizzanati series that you can check out by clicking here.] The idea of going out for coffee last Saturday morning sounded appealing, so I decided to run with it. I told Francisco to choose a place from Cincinnati USA's list of 10 Hot Coffee Shops, and he very discerningly chose #1 on the list. We actually had visited Carabello Coffee back in November 2015, inspired by the exact same list. So, here we were again, back at #1. 

Carabello Coffee
Carabello's "mission is to artisan roast exceptional coffees and then use the profits to fund "works of compassion." And they do that both here in our own Cincinnati community as well as abroad in places like Nicaragua and Kenya. The tag line is "Coffee & Compassion in Tandem". 

The coffee shop setting is cute - casual vibe more on the hip than cozy side.  

The menu is fairly simple.

Perhaps a little too simple for an unsophisticated casual coffeegoer like me. I ordered a Caramel Macchiato, and the barista [sensing my naïveté] asked if I would like that Starbucks style. Apparently, an authentic macchiato is an espresso with a dash of frothy steamed milk - unlike the Starbucks version, which is more like a latte.  Dammit, Starbucks, you're making me more uncultured than I already am lol. Well, yes, indeed, I did have a Starbucks-style drink in mind when I ordered my macchiato, so that is what they made me.  

It was a touch bitter but overall enjoyable.  We also ordered an almond croissant. OK, I totally don't mean to sound like a snob here, but after spending a couple of days in Paris, I can say this was definitely more like an almond pastry and not a flaky, buttery croissant. It was still perfectly tasty though!   

Verdict: Both times I've visited there, I've found their coffee a touch on the bitter side. To be fair, when I brew coffee at home, there is a measured pour of some delicious flavored creamer added in. Also, we usually brew Berres Brothers Highlander Grogg at home because it's so freaking delicious. Let's just say that the Berres Brothers site describes this flavor as "Indulgently sweet, richly enticing. Our top seller...an explosion of caramel, butterscotch and hazelnut.", so I definitely have a preference toward a sweeter coffee.