The specialty coffee industry in Brazil has grown impressively over the past several years. As part of my work with another coffee shop, in the U.S., I spent the whole of last week visiting coffee farms in Minas Gerais and São Paulo. We are staying in Brasilia and had planned to drive back via Patrocinio, to hit another great café. When we realized we wouldn't make it before they closed, we looked for another shop on the way. I'm so glad we did! We changed our route to go through Ribeirão Preto, and stopped at Grassy, to get some quality coffee to help me drive for another 6 hours that night. Here is what we encountered: The ambiance: its stylish and comfortable. The place feels and smells as delicious as one expects from a good café. There were plenty of people there, but we still found a place to sit. The drinks: We ordered lattes, a shot and a brewed coffee of a yellow topaz varietal from the Cerrado Mineiro. The shot was very well balanced and presented the same coffee with a good amount of sweetness with a slight tang of acidity and a mildly dry/whiny finish. The lattes, which I did not drink, were loved by all who did! I followed the baristas recommendation and ordered the coffee be brewed using an aeropress. I think this was a mistake. Many of the notes I found in the espresso were very muted by this representation and the extra fines that the aeropress allows through caused the coffee to be too dry. The Service: This is where they excelled! The owner, Raphael, came and asked us what we thought of the drinks. When I shared my thoughts on the brewed coffee, his passion for the quality of his coffee became apparent. He quickly made some recommendations on other coffees and brews he did recommend and had some made for us to try. While it's impossible to do this every time a customer isn't quite satisfied, it was clear that he recognized our appreciation for coffee and longed to reciprocate and share what he had learned. He introduced us to two (new to us) Brazilian post harvest processing methods, and had us taste and smell these coffees. He asked questions and took the time to share his knowledge about Specialty Coffee in Brazil. While acknowledging the challenges the industry faces, he was, nevertheless, very proud of and well equipped to share the unique qualities of Brazil's specialty coffees. Obviously, there is always room to grow. From what I observed, baristas could use a little more training in tasting and knowing their coffees on various brew methods, and become equipped to describe how this changes the experience of that coffee. This is difficult to do if coffees change frequently... and it takes time for new baristas to develop this. However, the spirit of sharing, growing in understanding, and the passion for coffee that we encountered there, tell me that this too will improve with time! I highly recommend stopping in for a cup! Well done!

Lugar aconchegante...bebidinhas e comidinhas deliciosas e ainda na saída borra de café sde cortesia para minhas plantinhas ����