Restaurant: Quills Coffee, Louisville, Kentucky
It was a mild January morning when I stopped in at Quills Coffee Co. in Louisville, Kentucky. The quiet, unassuming coffee shop has been on my bucket list of places to try since I spotted them one day while eating at my favorite local Irish pub. They were hard to miss, situated right across the street from Molly Malone’s on Baxter Avenue.
For some reason, though, I just never made it over there. Until Saturday, when I had just finished running in the Frostbite 5K, an annual winter race in Louisville. The temperature was approaching 50 degrees. Frostbite…not so much.
But my morning had been frantic. Oversleeping, upset stomach, race…and now that everything had settled and the race was run, my roommate and I were gearing up to quickly make a couple of stops before heading back over the river to change and head out to Evansville, Indiana for back-to-back roller derby bouts with a friend of ours. Caffeine wasn’t necessary…it was essential.
We wandered into Quills and were greeted kindly by the staff behind the bar. We explained that it was our first time coming in and they said they would be happy to help us if we had any questions and to take our time looking at their drink menu. We did just that, pondering over what to try, and then, once set, we placed our orders. My roommate ordered a white chocolate mocha. And I went for the simple classic…a soy cappuccino.
Orders in, we settled in at a small, corner table and before we knew it…orders were up. First the white chocolate mocha, which, when I went to retrieve it, had beautiful art done in the milk. I mean…here is a company that loves its coffee. That is evident in the care and precision that goes into each cup. And all of it topped off with a fantastic design of some sort. Latte art…it’s my new obsession. A few moments later, my soy cappuccino was up, foamed to perfection and adorned with more latte art. A fern leaf on this one. It was love at first foam, I think.
Settling in, I had to take pictures. But my roommate was eager to get more caffeine into her system. She took a sip of her white chocolate mocha, not wanting to ruin the artwork, and looked beyond elated. She raved about the mesh of flavors. How the espresso wasn’t bitter at all, how the white chocolate was there, but not overpowering to the drink itself. And how rich it was. I opted to take a small sip…and yes…white chocolate nirvana. Achieved.
My soy cappuccino was calling my name, so I lifted my cup, admired the fine art in the foam once more, then took a sip. It was fantastic. The espresso shot was timed to perfection. Being a cappuccino, there is little room for error. If the shot runs too long, the espresso is strong and bitter. Too short, and it’s too weak. This tasted of espresso, accompanied by the steamed soy milk, topped off with a foamy layer of goodness. Oh yes…I do love my foam. You could call me obsessed with it. I don’t want whipped cream on any of my drinks…not even mochas. Give me foam any day and I’m a happy coffee connoisseur.
The atmosphere of Quills Coffee is fantastic. It had a lively buzz with customers of every age. Mothers sat with children. Young couples conversed over coffee. The older crowd sat near windows and read the paper while enjoying their cup of caffeinated goodness. It appeals to everyone. The dimly lit interior gives off that classic coffeehouse flair and the decor is minimal. Keeping it simple is the perfect way to highlight the important part – the drinks.
If you live in or near Louisville, Kentucky…I urge you to stop in at Quills Coffee and check them out. And if right now crossing the river from Indiana seems daunting, never fear…Quills just opened up a New Albany branch, dangerously close to where I work, on Market Street. And, unlike New Albany’s other coffee shops, it seems this one is open up like a normal one…until about 10 p.m. If nothing else, the Louisville one is. Which means…I can go to a local place and get a steaming cup of…whatever I am craving…and not have to hit up Starbucks in our local grocery store.
Do you realize how happy this makes me?
Quills Coffee is all about bringing great service to the area and providing a fantastic product, not just to the regulars, but to newbies like me. And for that, I felt beyond welcome, and extremely satisfied with the company. Need a fantastic coffee fix, I highly recommend trying out Quills Coffee. Treat yourself to something good…topped off with a little latte art full of coffee TLC.
The Celiathlete 