Black Crow Coffee
722 2nd St N, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
No WiFi, their cortado was a failure, you should go. Seriously. Black Crow is inviting, interesting, inspiring, provocative, void of pretense, and downright fun. The place is total eye candy as far as coffeeshops go, and the clientele is a diverse mix of normal folk doing remote work, bohemian types, and bikers still in their cleats. I just wouldn’t trust them with anything other than a drip or a simple latte.
Coffee:
First the failure. My cortado came in a small to-go cup which is strike one. Following Matt’s sage example, I always order my drip to-go. That way the coffee stays hot longer and I’m a stickler for HOT coffee. But a cortado is a different matter. Most commonly they are served in a 4 oz glass Gibraltar glass as was originally made popular in San Francisco. The drink is small, so it has a short half-life for a thirsty coffee lover, with little time for temperature change. An espresso comes out of the machine at about 200 degrees and the STEAMED (not frothed) milk for a cortado is in the 130-160 degree range. Combining 2 oz of each creates a surprisingly silky smooth delight, a demi delight. I have come to think of my cortado as an offering of precision befitting the wardrobe of an elegant vessel. When its served up in a paper cup, I am deflated. And when its oversized with too much milk, impossible to do in a 4 oz Gibraltar, well, now I’m riding on a rim. So it was at Black Crow Coffee. My drip was hot, chocolaty, Peruvian blend with a rich mouth feel and a pleasant after taste linger. BCC is an offspring of Indian Shores coffee shop with roasting done at their Grand Central Mothership location.
Barista:
Pleasant enough but not nearly as engaging as the vibe. Could use some additional training on coffee drinks.
Vibe:
Sitting on a corner location, with large signage painted on the building’s facade in a happening neighborhood with a catty corner micro brewery, is a coffeehouse of sensory delights. Their front door signage warmed my heart and welcomed me in:
“If you are RACIST HOMOPHOBIC SEXIST XENOPHOBIC or SICK Please come back when YOU’RE NOT.”
The interior space consists of three two “transition” rooms opening up to the main seating/service area which further opens to a spacious palm and umbrella shaded outdoor space. Decor is a vibrant mix of record cover wall murals, painted ceiling murals, vintage divided light doorways hung on the wall, antique instruments, Persian rugs, and repurposed furniture. A bulky, circa 1960’s fridge, is professionally painted to read, LITTLE FREE ART FRIDGE, and, Take what you need, Leave what you can, along with a few quotes of inspiration. The freezer space is reserved for anonymous love letters just in case you need one… and who doesn’t?! The counter features paper or pasta straws (actual pasta noodles), and their “system” for keeping track of their customers bonus points is a pair of file drawers sitting on a table with a variety of different note cards stuffed into it in a style thats both pig pen and heartwarming at the same time. WIth no WiFi, Black Crow Coffee has a decidedly analog coffee culture that is a centerpiece of its charm.
Make You Better
Barista training is evidently lacking. I didn’t sample a smorgasbord of coffee drinks but my experience only gives me confidence in recommending their drip coffee. Nonetheless, BCC is a gem.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed Black Crow and I’d recommend it. Its an analog coffee shop with three lumps of cool, a place you’ll want to explore.
~ Clyde <3