Louie Coffee Shop
Louie Craft Coffee popped up in Liberty Village recently, marking itself as the area's new go-to coffee joint. Opened by a pair of wise sisters, the space is both sleek and comfortable, with matte black walls and a tawny wood coffee bar and bench, and pops of colour with taxicab-yellow cafe tables along one wall.
Drop globe lights, exposed brick and little potted succulents provide those distinguishing small details in decor - and they've spared no expense in the coffee details either.
They use a beautiful Strada La Marzocco machine for espresso making, and grind the beans with burr Mazzer and Simonelli grinders. But the creme de la creme of the operation is their beans, a custom blend of Brazilian, Mexican and Burundi coffee made and roasted especially for Louie Craft by the Social Coffee Co .
It makes up a lovely Americano ($2.85), or have it iced on a hot day ($3). They have drip coffee as well, or for non-coffee drinkers, try a chai latte ($4.25) or a from-scratch lemonade.
The baked good offerings are a pretty standard - but delicious - selection of quick breads and cookies. There are scones, like blueberry, for $2.75, or palm-sized cookies, like ginger or triple chocolate, for $2 each.
There are ready-made sandwiches and in a glass display you'll find a variety of San Pellegrino sodas, a boxed salad option and some Greek yogurt to quell hunger pangs.
I spent a leisurely afternoon at Louie Craft Coffee reading, despite the available WiFi and conversational vibe of the space. It was too relaxing not to enjoy the coffee shop exactly as I intended - reclining with a novel in style.
Without a patio, you'd think you'd get itchy to leave, but the door is open wide and the ivy covering the building shades the whole place, making it cool and inviting, even with the light streaming in the big windows. No offence to Redd hair salon , the former occupants, but I think Louie Craft Coffee is a much better use of the space.
Photos by Jesse Milns.