Double Shot Espresso @ Monorail Espresso, Downtown

After living in Barcelona, visiting family in France and backpacking through Italy, I've learned both the importance and beauty of an espresso. I couldn't imagine surviving one day in an y of these countries without this creamy black caffeinated liquid. Since living in Seattle, a place known for their coffee, I've been hard pressed to find a barista that pulls the perfect and amuses me with the same passionate experience I loved so much in Europe. Here in America, we don't have walk up counters to stand and drink our espresso shots, we're too focused on big complicated coffee drinks to tote around in our fancy thermoses or recyclable to-go cups. Walking downtown with my buddy, I recognized a small hole-in-the-wall (literally) espresso shop, Monorail Espresso.

This little cafe is run by an old Bulgarian man and decorated with photos with his customers dating back to 1980. We ordered two espressos from the sidewalk where he and his maquina-de-cafe faced out on. He prepared our coffee and asked what appeared to be the most important question, "Is this for here or to go?" Noting the small metal counter protruding out from the side of his shop, I responded, "Here of course!" Suddenly he stopped, raised his hands with joy and exclaimed with a thick accent, "A man who knows how to drink espresso!" I've learned that recognizing people for their skill and art, often makes them more happy and passionate. He sprinkled sugar into the ground coffee before making the shot, a technique I had never seen before but tasted great.

We stood against the metal counter sipping our espressos, chatting with the old man and admiring the various photos. The aroma from the espresso and the entire experience was perfect. For just on second, I stood there on busy Pike Street and felt like I was back in Spain enjoying that same delicious cafe I had grown to love.