Hotel RL + Victrola Coffee

SPONSORED POST


Many people expect a decent cup of coffee in the morning when they stay at a reputable hotel. Is it too much to ask for a hot cup of joe that doesn't taste like old cigarettes? Experience would echo with a resounding "yes." Sadly the expectation for good hotel coffee has been eroded over time, with tons of mediocre (at best) coffee experiences regularly tarnishing the mornings of coffee lovers across the globe.

But fortunately, some hotels are exceeding expectations in terms of coffee excellence. Take the Hotel RL, who not only offers great coffee from Seattle juggernaut Victrola Coffee Roasters but they have actually gone as far as to build a legit coffee bar in many of their lobbies. Having the opportunity to stay at their Baltimore location this past weekend, I was able to experience this hotel rarity firsthand.

Weekend Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Weekend Coffee
Location: Dallas, TX
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Weekends are usually the focal point of a person's week. Outings get planned, ideas become daydreams and recreation gets Grouponed. We are a culture that lives and dies by our weekends.

CC: Nolita Mart

Subject: Nolita Mart and Espresso Bar
Location: Manhattan, NYC
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Sadly when many people think of a "convenience store" the concept only conjures up images of a Kwik-E-Mart, complete with the beef jerky, sub-par coffee and various unhealthy munchables to sate the general needs of the average consumer. By no means do I detest the existence of this variety of one-stop shops, as they absolutely serve their purpose (where else will you get a wrinkly hot dog and a gallon of milk at 3 AM?), but I more detest that by and large, there are few small-scale markets that take it to another level.

CC: Metronome Coffee

Subject: Metronome Coffee
Location: Tacoma, WA
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]


When I get over to the Seattle area, I try to make it outside the city for at least one adventure in a nearby destination. This last time I went out of my way to Tacoma, the "City of Destiny", to do a quick driving tour and of course grab some evening coffee.

Catching wind of a few places, I settled upon a spot with a rather large space called Metronome Coffee. Situated in a corner building with a gorgeous outside patio (for nicer weather), the interior is eclectic with clean horizontal lines, bright lights and an overarching classy feel. Their coffee of choice was Victrola (a perfect choice given the musically-related names of each establishment) from the north, of which I had the Streamline blend for espresso and an Ethiopian Wote Konga for a pourover. The espresso, pulled short with brown crema, held nicely balanced notes of vanilla, fig, cocoa and salty peanut; a stellar beverage throughout. The Ethiopian pourover rang of fresh blueberry muffin, wheat, teriyaki, sage and slight Dr. Pepper in a medium body, rounding out to be one deliciously bright and delicious coffee.

After hanging about for a little open mic fun, I made my way out back to my Seattle hotel left with a desire to see more of Tacoma another day. If you make it there before I, give Metronome a stop for some great coffee.

CC: Victrola Coffee Roasters

What's a Coffee Commentary?

Subject: Victrola Coffee Roasters
Location visited: Seattle, WA
(411 15th St E location)
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]



Few places have I yet to see beat Seattle's parking availability. It's amazing how you can go see the Space Needle or even near Pike's Place Market (albeit that one takes more time) and still find ample parking even on the weekends! Granted the city is often cursed with dismal skies and depression but at least you don't have to be dismal or depressed about parking...

Anyway, I was able to park in a perpendicular street spot (one of the spots on the street that you back into and so end up perpendicular to the street) right by my last coffee stop before hitting the road to Oregon: Victrola Coffee. Now, I've never heard of the place before doing some coffee research on the greater Seattle area. But after some simple preliminary searches, Victrola seemed like a quality spot to try out and hence my companion and I had headed there right after our lunch stop at Pike's Place.

The section of 15th St E that Victrola sits in seems to have numerous neon signs, having a slight camouflaging effect on the store. No matter, since my friend and I were looking for it and hence picked it out easily. The exterior was quaint, with some outside seating cradled in the window nooks out of the way of the sidewalk. The interior had a very full moon look with a nice collection watercolors (at the time), with a good deal of seating and an odd key system to their two bathrooms (I guess it's harder to lose a key when it's attached to a spatula...)

On to the coffee, they roast their own beans (at their other location I deduce), with a nice variety of single origins as well as Cup of Excellence and other auction coffees. I had the Empire Blend, which came off bright and full. Their espresso, pulled expertly, had a nice chocolaty sweetness with a hint of sunshine. The teas were free leaf but I didn't get the chance to sample their quality.

As one would expect of a Seattle coffee giant, Victrola gave a beautiful performance. While you have a plethora of coffee choices around the greater Seattle area, I would make a point to give Victrola a go.