A Taste of Fall at Caffe Aroma
Ahhh…a rainy fall day in the Elmwood Village. On Saturday after picking up some veggies and my week’s supply of White Cow Yogurt at the Elmwood Bidwell Farmers Market, I decided to head over and grab something warm to drink at Caffe Aroma while I perused the cookbook section at Talking Leaves.
While standing in the short line at Aroma I was pleased to spot a sign advertising a seasonal coffee drink, a Pumpkin Spice Latte.
I’m not one for coffee drinks, especially flavored ones. I kicked my coffee habit when I moved to Buffalo from Seattle more than a decade ago. Much to my chagrin, espresso was nearly impossible to find in the Queen City back then--as was gourmet coffee in general. My four to six shot a day addiction was doomed. The Topic and downtown’s first Spot location weren’t yet open and converting Buffalonians from Folgers to the nectar of the fresh roasted bean. And Starbucks had yet to take over the world including Buffalo (Starbucks is known at my house as “FourBucks” because it’s nearly impossible to leave one of their locations without spending at least that amount). The only place I ever saw my beloved dark, smoky elixir for sale was at a few of the old school, ritzy Italian restaurants where it was served with a slice of lemon.
Anyway, the drizzly and unseasonably warm weather reminded me of the city of my youth, and the Pumpkin Spice Latte at Aroma seemed particularly tempting. Made with espresso, whole milk and Monin’s Pumpkin Spice syrup, it was full of the aromatic flavors of the season; nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon. As a person that has always disliked sugar in my coffee, I would probably ask for a half shot if I were to order this drink again, and I would suggest the same to anyone with a similar distaste for sweetened coffee.
It was nice to sip my way through a grey day at the bookstore. The Pumpkin Spice Latte is only available for a limited time, sure to be replaced by the gingerbread and eggnog flavored coffee drinks of the approaching holidays, so grab one while you can.
Caffe Aroma
957 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo 14222
716.884.4470
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