4536 Lee Hwy
Arlington, VA USA
It’s not every day you stumble across a Kiwi style cafe in the Northern Hemisphere, or anywhere for that matter – but if one thing’s for sure, the good old US of A has a little bit of everything.
Apparently, Cassatt’s is the product of an American who fell in love with NZ and decided to recreate a small slice of it in Northern Virginia. They offer a gourmet selection of Kiwi wines, pies, cakes and even pavlova which is a stellar choice if you are really homesick for some downunder.
The decor definitely seperates this place from other cafes in the region – there is an almost Wal Footrot chic about the place -a quirky mix of a cosy sheep farmer’s living room and an RSL -definitely a winning combination while you have a bite to eat.
However, for those of us in the know when it comes to coffee, the ideaof a NZ cafe is a tantalising drawcard – some say parts of NZ exceed even Melbourne when it comes to antipodean caffeine excellence.
Understandibly then, the blood was rushing to taste what bean skills Cassatt’s had to offer.
I was looking for a coffee with a harder kick than an excited sheep(especially with my newborn son keeping me up all night) so I ordered a flat white and an espresso. For you Melbournians who take Flat Whites in your stride, I’ll have you know that over in these parts this drink is referred to as a “latte, no foam” (courtesy of some mega-franchises that you’ve probably never heard of) so it’s a nice touch to be able to use a familar dialect when ordering coffee.
The espresso arrived with a very dark layer of crema on top. Curiously it was also served with a wedge of lemon on the side – I wasn’t sure if Iwas supposed to suck it like after a tequila shot. Unfortunately that may have been the idea, as the espresso was more bitter than a Richard Hadlee hat-trick against the Aussie opening batting order. The flat white, sadly was also a little too bitter with the milk well over-cooked.
I would have loved to give this place a bean or two, just my way of trying to extend an olive branch to our Trans-Tasman neighbours attoning for years of inappropriate jokes and beatings in cricket. However the true strength of Cassatt’s is some great chow and cakes and despite my coffee experience we will certainly be going there again for a bite to eat in the future.–
Team Caffeine, Eric really rocks, EXCELLENT, pity about the coffee, loved the line about the Tequila, CLASSIC!!!
Thanks mate for the best and the worst that the U.S. has to offer, and remember guys for all the HOTSHOT cafes that Melbourne has to offer check out:
Till next time, keep on caffeining on……. The Caffiend!!
[Support MCR and delight your taste buds by joining our Home Barista Hotshot Club]
For those of you craving a real flat white, check us out if you are ever in Nova Scotia. It can be hard to find a proper coffee around these parts but we are converting the locals…stick around for the food too, all made from scratch with real ingredients. Our brownies are to die for and maybe one of the only places around for a nice big ANZAC biscuit!!
[...] Hutton-like case of curiosity. The espresso came with lemon on the side like a tequila shot – I’d seen this before – only this time it looked like someone stole my lemon and left me the raggedy rind. Maybe [...]