Melbourne's a litany of laneways. Canberra's one big roundabout. Sydney has harbour drama, and Brisbane's a one way street. Adelaide has a rep for straight streets and no-nonsense navigability. How, on a melting Monday, did friend of MMC lose the way to Wyatt? Street-corner stranded and lateish for work, we're clutching at stirring straws. A standing street sign promises Cafe Espresso Cucina, and Gawler Place's Glow is our beacon. The Order: two takeaway lattes with extra shots. The Price: tres reasonable at $3.50 - single shots at $3.00 flat.
A quick recovery from the directions disjunction, MMC and friend sync orders for the first time. The Glow prices are pleasers, but will MMC regret a double-shot debut? The Shopspace: worryingly empty for a 7am-3pm cafe, we've the choice of unremarkable wooden chairs. There's something sloppy about having to slow-weave our way to a buried service station. The Greeting: a sour stone-wall from a waitress we hope to heaven is not making our coffees.
Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your coffee grow? In berries, on trees, in Central America, it's hand-roasted in Stepney by Rio. MMC is medium chuffed to have stumbled on Rio Coffee. Synonymous with Hutt's Chianti and King Will's Melting Pot, it's on the down-low that Rio are also the makers of Cibo's special blend. They source smart coffee for smart cafes, and even Australian-grown coffee for the environmentally deluded. MMC is aglow with expectation.
Pushing signora aside, the prize barista bursts into the ring, nostrils flaring. He's young, but it seems this bull took his mother's milk with espresso. The red flag's waved, and he charges towards us, hand-delivering two lidded takeaways. Inside the orange cups? Colourful, strong coffee. The Pour: smooth milk, with concentric-circle crema. The Strength: a big mm-hmm from friend of MMC. MMC struggles to judge at twice-strength - it's a mouthful of rich, bouncy yum.
The Lesson: sometimes good things happens to bad cafes. From our few weeks' observation, Glow aren't serving a lot of meals. The stragglers in and out for takeaway coffee, however, are onto something. For coffee alone, a glowing review from us.
The latte word: an almost-more 3.5 beans out of 5... Half down for service/space weirdness. Tomorrow, we're promised perfection - join us again for My Morning Coffee.
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