Coffeenati: Urbana Cafe

Urbana Cafe
Urbana Cafe began as a mobile blue Vespa Apé at Findlay Market but has since expanded to two brick-and-mortar locations. The owner/founder had converted this truck into a mobile espresso cafe in 2013, showing up at farmers markets and festivals around the city to serve coffee, espresso drinks, pastries, etc.    

Our visit took us to the Pendleton location, which opened in December 2015. It's located in the heart of the Broadway Square next to Nation Kitchen + Bar. It claims a bit of an Italian flare and offers a cute, rustic modern interior with an urban coffee shop vibe.  Seating seemed a bit limited inside.  

The staff were quite helpful, offering info on the various pastries available and answering Francisco's questions about the different varieties of coffee available. They even offered him a sample of one he was curious about, which sealed his decision.  

I inquired about which pastries were made in house, and I ended up trying the lemon bread.  

It was moist with poppy seeds and a flavorful, crunchy crust.

Francisco made a much better decision by ordering the pear tart. This was reminiscent of an authentic French pastry - which is a really good thing considering we were told it was dropped off by a French baker that morning!  The crust on this tart was incredible - flaky, buttery - and the overall taste was light and satisfying.  

Regardless of the pastry quality, we were there for the coffee, and I absolutely loved my caramel latte. It was so smooth with a light sweetness and no bitterness.  Francisco ended up with the Smooth Nitro, a cold brew coffee with almond milk. He loved it. It was creamy and had good, strong coffee flavor without the usual bitterness

Verdict: We loved their coffee. It is so smooth and not bitter. And that pear tart...just as good as something you could pick up on the streets of Paris.