For all you
coffee lovers (and I'm talking to the true coffee lovers who are considered snobs
by the rest of the world, not the coffee-lover-wannabes), there's a new coffee
shop in town! This place has been around for almost a year now and if you
haven't heard of or been to it yet—you're seriously out of the loop.
Compañía de Café, or simply “Coffee Company” for those
untrained in the language of Latin America, is a Mexican-American café located
in Sylmar, which (if you've never been there) has a prominent Hispanic
community. Sylmar isn't known for being the most high-brow part of town, so you
might not expect to go there for fine dining or coffee. That's the very reason owner
Gaby Arvizu established the coffee shop in the first place—her hope is to
develop the small community into a well-built environment where fine shops and specialty
coffee establishments thrive, and I'll say that Compañía is a great start to that goal!
Upon walking into the store the aroma of freshly ground
coffee beans will practically slap you in the face (not to worry, it's a very
pleasant slap). With my increasingly discerning nose I was even able to detect the distinct
smell of recently roasted Ethiopian beans, which have a very fruity and citrusy
scent and taste. The environment overall is remarkably inviting and eclectic,
with furniture ranging from antique leather couches and fabric sofas to wooden
chairs and metal stools. There isn't a single seat in the café that might match
your expectation of a simple coffee shop like Peet's or Starbucks, but that bohemian
vibe is one of the reasons I love Compañía. Good-sized tables are available for groups who've
come to socialize, and bars with lamps and plug-ins for your electronics are
available to those who've come to study. Compañía has even added something I have for years bemoaned the dearth of in
coffee shops –outlets on the floor by every table, putting an end to the
dreaded line of people waiting for access to one. Wherever you sit, you can be
sure that your technology will be happy too.
Now to the best part: the coffee. Compañía offers the Café de la House, their house blend,
for most drinks, but for pour-overs they have a selection of beans from three
different origins to choose from, which are always rotating. They always have a
bean roast, if not two different roasts, from Ethiopia and usually one or two
from the Americas. On my first trip to Compañía I got a pour-over from Yirgachefe, Ethiopia, and as soon as I took the
first sip I was instantly in love with the cafe. The environment was enough to
make me a fan, but the coffee sealed the deal and made me an addict. The cup of
brew was smooth and delicate, with a rich citrus perfume and intense sweetness
that had the profile of a blueberry. Every cup of coffee I've had since at Compañía has thoroughly delighted me, and I have yet to
be disappointed. The staff is another plus, with very friendly baristas who ask
questions preemptively to identify and match all your needs.
Compañía de
Café sets the standard for how all coffee shops should be, and in my book
provides a great inspiration to the city of Sylmar of the kind of community
Gaby Arvizu envisions. So fellow coffee lovers, add this café to your list of
fine coffee establishments not to be missed! And to all you
wannabe-coffee-snobs, Compañía is a
good place to start.
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