RSS
Home
Café Review: The Bean & Leaf (Financial District)
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
The Bean & Leaf, or a reasonable faximile. Personalty does go a long way.
In the shadow of the old State House, this pleasant downtown eatery offers a small-scale coffee bar and better-than-average tea selection. I went there Thursday for a mid morning snack, second breakfast, call it what you will, and came away with mixed feelings.
The first thing I noticed when I walked in is that the Bean & Leaf is less of a café and more of a cafeteria. It smells like a cafeteria, reminiscent of high school lunch. I didn’t sample the food (which I will go out on a limb and assume is better than high school lunch), but it consisted of a variety of salads, sandwiches, macaronis, and a few daily specials.
I ordered a small cappuccino, which was weak and served too hot. In addition it was very creamy. Some people will love this, others will hate it. For me, it started out weird, but began to grow on me about halfway through. I didn’t drink the entire thing because I had another café to review that day, and I noticed a few stray coffee grounds in the bottom of the cup.
Along with the drink, I purchased a freshly baked brownie. Like the cappuccino, it started out disappointing, but grew on me as I ate it. The chocolate flavor was mild, and not as chocolaty as the ones I make at home. However, it was extremely moist- so moist that the center didn’t even need to be chewed, merely crushed against the pallet and swallowed. In the end, I suspect that (also like the cappuccino) some people will love this and others will hate it.
Service was good, but unremarkable, as was the facility. I ate outside on a bench, which was pleasant, but seating is available inside as well. Even so, the Bean & Leaf will probably stick in my memory. The image included in this article is a specially commissioned work of art that (fairly accurately) captures the spirit and appearance of the place and pays homage to some of its frequent patrons. It’s a place with character, and as John Travolta said in Pulp Fiction, personality goes a long way.
To read more of my reviews, click here.
Related Articles:
Comments
.jpg)
