CAFFE LUXXE: Los Angeles Coffee-Talk, Redefined | Examiner.com

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LIFE / STYLE & FASHION / FASHION TRENDS

CAFFE LUXXE: LosAngeles Coffee-Talk,RedefinedJune 21, 2012

3:39 PM MST

Public coffee-drinking in America is oddly anti-

social. Urbanites craving some semblance of

human contact stake out their tables, order a

Venti, then disappear into their own private, silent

terra caffeinata, earbuds in place, iPhone at the

ready, and multiple personal screens aglow.

Great espresso and cappuccino, great service andgreat conversation at three Caffe Luxxe locations in LosAngeles

Photo by Gary Chau, Caffe Luxxe

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Coffee shops take on the reverent hush of

libraries, or perhaps even the monasteries where

the first coffee-drinkers brewed their beans to

stay alert for unending prayer and devotion.

But two Los Angeles entrepreneurs are putting

the “society” back into café society: Mark Wain

and Gary Chau, Baristi and Co-Owners of Caffe

Luxxe. And while Wain and Chau lead the charge

for the “3rd Wave” of gourmet coffee (especially

espresso) in technical cuisine terms, they are

equally passionate about creating community

and a friendly vibe.

“It is possible to have great conversation over

bad coffee, but why would you?” queries Chau,

who brings an unerring eye for merchandising

and international expertise in luxury branding to

the table.

“And, better coffee leads to better conversation,

anyway,” adds Wain, who fell under the

obsessive enchantment of the bean as a young

coffee-hobbyist in Berkeley in the late 1980s. At

the Montana Avenue location on any given

morning, there is actual chatting, done old-

school: face-to-face, and audible. Here, almost

nobody texts while standing in line – they

converse instead. The owners and the other

Baristi recognize regulars, and welcome

newcomers—who soon become regulars.

Caffe Luxxe crafts coffee beverages and sells

whole beans at three locations: the original Santa

Monica location, opened in 2006 (925 Montana



Avenue); Brentwood/Downtown (11975 San

Vicente Blvd.); and the new Brentwood Country

Mart (225 26th Street). By the Autumn of 2012,

the roasting operation, called the Laboratorio, will

move from Seattle to Los Angeles, making Caffe

Luxxe the gourmet coffee brand most fully

identifiable with Los Angeles.

Are they purists? No, but they are sticklers for

quality. For instance, they don’t sell ground

beans. They won’t grind a bag of their beans for

you, since grinding exposes the volatile oils and

other active essences of the bean to air.

“Basically, once you open up the bean and

increase the surface-area to infinity, oxidization

begins and well, that’s kind of when the flavor

immediately begins its rapid decline,” says Wain,

getting sadder by the minute. “It’s kind of like

cutting into an avocado. It starts to turn brown

instantly, and soon you won’t want to eat it. We

recommend that you grind only enough for one

day’s enjoyment, and no more. Keep your beans

whole for as long as you can.”

Bad coffee begins with bad beans. “Soil, sun,

water, elevation, all contribute to levels of acidity

and many other aspects of flavor,” says Wain.

“Then there’s the roast, the grind, the techniques

of preparation, and so much more. But a bad

bean cannot be saved.” Caffe Luxxe ensures

premium bean quality by purchasing in micro-lots

—only the best of the best. Like everything here,

choices are made thoughtfully.

In addition to the velvety espressos and

cappuccinos which Los Angeles Magazine calls



“the best coffee in Los Angeles”, Caffe Luxxe

offers artisanal baked goods including delicate

macarons and exquisite alfajores (filled

shortbread cookies), tarts and other light treats,

made fresh, in small batches—when they’re

gone, they’re gone.

A small selection of impulse-buys and gift-items—

whimsical letterpress cards, re-usable handmade

boxes covered in beautiful art-papers, fig-

scented French hand crème—are impeccably

curated by Chau. “Even when people dash in for

a quick espresso, they often linger and shop,

because they want a little something more, and

they want to prolong the experience,” he says.

“We’re far from being a department store, but we

do find that our customers share a taste and

sensibility in all sorts of products, objects and

experiences.”

Throughout the summer, Caffe Luxxe will host

cultural events, and use its walls as gallery space

for local artists. Recently, Baristi competed in “the

greatest event in milk-pouring history”, the “Latte

Art Throwdown”. This Battle of Baristi consisted

of creating the most perfect rosette¬—the rosetta

being the finishing signature of steamed milk

which finishes the caffe espresso and elevates it

beyond buzz to art. The graceful, loping loops of

the traditional rosetta also form the brand’s logo.

On Wednesday, June 27, at 6:30 pm, at the

Montana Avenue location, local Santa Monica

author Craig Boreth will launch his new book,

“The Hemingway Cookbook”, which features

authentic re-creations of meals that enriched



Hemingway’s literature. Tapas-style dishes

inspired by the cookbook will be served.

Chau adds, “We take the feeling of European

tradition and luxury, and present it with an

accessible, casual attitude which is uniquely

American. With LA’s extraordinary weather, and

the eclectic, diverse culture of the Pacific Rim,

Caffé Luxxe is all about bringing people together

over fantastic, hand-crafted coffee.”

www.caffeluxxe.com

--Victoria Thomas

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Victoria ThomasBurbank Urban Style Examiner

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CAFFE LUXXE: Los Angeles Coffee-Talk, Redefined | Examiner.com