Westminster Station

Hours

   Where everything is done right; sounds as though we're very up ourselves doesn't it. Don't worry, we are actually very friendly, but we take our drinks and food seriously, and not just enough to impress most people serious, but REALLY TRULY BECAUSE WE LOVE IT serious, because we love what we do. Feel free to come in and talk coffee or tea, it's our favorite topic of conversation. Or you can come in just to relax and enjoy coffee and tea taken to a whole new level. Oh, and our food and desserts, our condolences to your diet but they are to die for. Sorry.

FREE CONCERT
July 10th at 8pm to Midnight

   FREE CONCERT In The Park(ing Lot) July 10th starting at 8pm and going to at least Midnight! Two stages featuring lots of local bands (covering from acoustic to hard rock) and various performance artists will provide an evening of great entertainment. There will be lots of food and drinks available along with booths provided by businesses in the Carroll Plaza Shopping Center.

  The concert is sponsored by Westminster Station (we will be providing the staging, lights and sound equipment as well as security). Bands for the July Concert are booked but if you have an act (music or performance art) Contact Us! to participate in the August Concert!

A Creative Open House
May 30th at 1pm

   Come to The Station this Saturday at 1pm and talk about how Westminster Station can better support the arts and creative individuals. Bring questions, concerns, ideas or just come to listen. It will be an open discussion, everyone is encouraged to participate. We will provide lots of our delicious coffee & something to munch on...

Beans... Beans... Beans...

   You know that real estate saying, "location, location, location"? In the world of coffee it would be "beans, beans, beans". Great coffee starts with great beans, no two ways about it. A coffee house's choice of beans reflects greatly on the effort they intend to put into them, to turn those individual beans into a great cup of coffee. It's not blind luck the roaster we use is one of the best in the country. We chose our beans VERY carefully, only after much research and taste tasting, insuring we bring you the highest quality espresso and drip coffee. As a result, if a cup of our coffee is not what it can or should be, we can't take the easy route and blame the beans; the pressure is on us to carefully transform great beans into great coffee. Funny thing is, it's a pressure we like--it's very frustrating to both spend the money on the best equipment and to develop the best methods to extract the desired flavor, only to produce a "good" cup instead of a great cup. While it might be easier and less expensive to produce just "good" coffee, it's simply not as much fun. Where's the challenge in it, and when you're this passionate about something you want to create perfection. Producing something you can call "world class" is so much more satisfying... it's the old adage that if you're going to do something, do it right. Works for us and we dare say it will also work for you. After all, one taste will tell.

How Many Shots Are In That Grande?

   That depends on where you're getting that Grande. At Starbucks it would be two--the same number you get in the smaller Tall. Come to think of it, it's the same number you get when you ordered the "larger" Venti. So let me get this straight, no matter the size of the drink I order at Starbucks, the amount of the actual coffee stays the same? Yup! Doesn't seem fair, but that's just me. That's why we put two shots in a Tall, three in a Grande, and four in a Venti, UNLESS you tell us not to. Better yet, we don't charge you extra for those flavor shots like some people do. *cough*Starbucks*cough* It's our belief that your pumpkin latti or your macchiato (NOT talking the Italian version here btw, see section below for that) should taste the same no matter what size you order, and have as much of that delicious coffee as you deserve. That's part of that doing things right bit we're so hung up about.

What Do We Mean By Italian Style?

   Simply put, it's a cup of coffee equivalent to both the style and quality that you would get in the heart of any small town in Italy, only we give it to you here. Put another way, we save you tons on airfare--sort of nice of us we think ;). Seriously, Italian style coffee is, in many ways, the Holy Grail of coffee. Our most cherished complements from customers are those displaced Italians who tell us that our Italian coffee is the closest they've had to coffee made in the heart of Italy. Pause please for a moment while beam with pride.

   We start with the best fresh beans, grind them moments before extraction, carefully prep the portafilter basket (how, we keep a trade secret) and then pull the shot. When we pull the shot (extract the liquid from the coffee grounds) we make sure the extraction time is right on the money (if not, if require our baristas to dump the shot, and adjust the grind as necessary). Of course, having literally the best espresso machine in the world helps. We also use bottomless portafilters to monitor the extraction for any prep errors, and to ensure we don't over or under extract the pour (unless you want a Ristretto or Lungo of course). Oh, and we monitor our group heads to within a tenth of a degree. We don't make assumptions on such important matters. And oh the creama, the glorious creama we create--the heart and sole of espresso. Even if you don't favor drinking a straight shot of espresso, have us show you one, just so you can see and appreciate creama done right.

   Getting a cappuccino or a latte? No problem. We don't just know the terms--we actually know the difference where it counts, in the cup. Don't you hate when you order a cappuccino, the head nods, but all you get is yet another latte? So do we. You can even throw in a wet, or the dreaded dry cap, and we'll give you exactly what you asked for. Can't help it but we like what we do :) Oh, and unlike what seems like just about every other coffee shop out there (you know who you are, tisk tisk) we DO NOT RESTEAM MILK. No huge steaming pictures here, no hiss and spit of milk steamed improperly (I like to think it's the sound of the milk screaming in protest), no just getting the temperature in the ballpark. Instead, we op for cold, fresh milk, correctly steamed one order at a time, to the exact temperature that makes the milk transform itself into a sweet complement to coffee, not a burnt or lukewarm unwilling partner. And of course, both our espresso styles (Italian and Seattle) get the same exacting attention to detail.

   The pour. Now if you ordered a latte, this is where the fun begins. Getting things to this point involves an intricate dance between art and science, but here the art takes center stage. We're taking latte art in all its forms... rosettes, hearts, swans among others, created on top of your latte by our baristas. Or, depending on their mood, an intracate etching will top things off, and, because we steam our milk properly, that latte art will stay on top of your mug as you drink it, until the very end. Want a true macchiato, a con Panna, a Breve or a Flat White? Not a problem. Just ask away.

   Why don't we offer size choices for our Italian coffee? Sorry, but it's part of that doing it right bit. Choose Seattle style cappuccinos or lattes for the larger sizes. Italian done right demands using real Italian cups, designed and sized for each specific type of Italian coffee. Each style gets it's own cup style and size, in order to best bring out the attributes of that style. Ristretto and espresso cups are small, designed to best showcase the creama, while latte cups are large (at 10 oz) for the extra milk and space for latte art. There are other sizes and shapes for macchiatos, con Pannas and caps, but you get the idea... Smart those Italians ;) We import our traditional brown and white china from Italy, so the same cup you would get in Rome, you get with us.

   Just hand you a cup? Not likely. We use proper Italian saucers, along with a glass of filtered water (Italian glass, surprise, surprise). Take a sip, close your eyes, and think of tranquil canals of Venice, the grandeur of the statue of David, or the majesty of St Peters in Rome. Go on, you know you want to. Forgive us if you see a smile on our faces as you do; we enjoy the effect our Italian coffee has on our customers.

   Note from the author... Sorry for the length of the entry, but Italian coffee deserves every word of respect I can give to it. Besides, a dry cap is coffee's version of a good cabernet. In my humble opinion ;)

Sorry
No Music
This Saturday!

Have a
Band or Act?
Contact Us!

Join Us For
Open Mike Night!