Gracenote

I've mentioned The Coffee Trike before, and I was thrilled for San (the owner) when I found out he was opening a brick and mortar location. What a wonderful new endeavor for him!

Quick Definition List to make this post easier to follow:

1. Gracenote Coffee Roasters (Gracenote Coffee) have been around since 2012. They roast locally, and they source some delicious beans.
2. Gracenote Boston Espresso Bar (Gracenote Boston) is the brick and mortar shop that San opened in October 2015. 
3. The Coffee Trike is the wonderfully innovative trike that San used to bicycle in to Dewey Square every Monday to Friday unless the weather was super bad. He used Gracenote Coffee.

Unfortunately, The Coffee Trike had been parked right outside my train stop during my morning commute, and while Gracenote Boston is only a few blocks from there, location, it's in the opposite direction from my office. An extra eight blocks on a winter morning is huge. This morning I decided to hell with it, I missed my morning deliciousness, and I was going to get some. There are two great coffee shops near my office, but they aren't The Coffee Trike, and it's about damned time I checked out Gracenote Boston.

The full review can be found behind the link after this quick summary:

PROS

• Delicious cold brew. Seriously. The best.
• Friendly, helpful staff.
• A charming and pretty shop.
• Located close to South Station.
• They use Gracenote beans and also sell them so you can bring them home.
• They use Square so if you have the app on your phone but forgot your wallet you can still get your caffeine goodness. 
• The daily Twitter posts are useful and generally accompanied by craving-inducing photos. 
• Some staff (maybe all? I don't know) might use beautiful latte art on your drink.

CONS

• San wasn't there. Thankfully his staff is super friendly, so I had a lovely introduction to my morning.
• No seating.
• Small drink size.
• The shop was built for tall people. 
• Weird location that's off the beaten path but only by about .15 miles.
• Really hard to find the first time. All future trips will be a piece of cake
• The website doesn't provide info on the brick and mortar location.

SUMMARY

• Go there. 
• Seriously. Go there. 
• YUM!

Gracenote Boston Staff. I don't know when this photo was taken, but those shelves have more on them now!

I'm so glad I finally went to Gracenote Boston! While the location is in an ugly part of town, the inside is a welcoming and happy place. While they do smell a bit like a coffee shop, I look forward to the scent really inundating the building. That will take some time, though. The location is both homey and modern.The shiny espresso machines, the stack of beans and accouterments for sale, the climbing drink accessories, the wooden drink bar, and the painted brick walls came together to create a happy place to start your morning. The lighting was bright without being over powering, and there were windows that opened up into the next spot in the building. They are high enough that I couldn't see into the next location, but they were low enough that they created a larger, airier feeling so that the small shop didn't feel tiny or claustrophobic.

The part that blew me away is that Gracenote Boston topped the Trike's cold brew. The Coffee Trike's cold brew was the best I'd found in the Boston area. Oh hell, to be honest, it was the best cold brew I've found anywhere, and I used to travel on business constantly. While pouring my cold brew, the second barista poured themselves a small cup and tasted it. I was given a small description of the brew (not the detailed description of the beans that I used to receive) and was told that this morning was going to be a real treat for me. You know what? It was. They do something even spiffier to the cold brew. The barista said what it was (aerating, maybe?). The end result was that it looks and tastes creamier, it's even smoother going down, and the bright flavors really perked me up. Today's cold brew was also the sweetest I've ever had. However, I don't know if that's a result of the different process or from the beans themselves.

I drink my Gracenote cold brew black. I normally put some type of a creamy liquid in when I go other places or have cold brew made with other beans. I have used the almond milk Gracenote Boston provides, and it's good. I feel comfortable recommending any of their beverages with the almond milk. I wonder what would have happened if the barista had tasted the cold brew and discovered it wasn't up to their normal, excellent standards. Would they have recommended I get something else (perhaps an iced americana), or would they have just sold me a sub-par beverage?

My coffee cake was yummy and had a slice of apple inside. They were also selling espresso chocolate cookies that looked like they'd kill you with sweet joy as well as some pretty little meat pies. I'd have ordered a meat pie if I'd noticed it before paying; I like protein in the morning.

Gracenote Coffee is in a small shop, and they don't have chairs. There is a thin ledge you can stand. I placed my coffee on it so that I didn't have to juggle the coffee cake, the drink, and myself. I've heard that this is a very European set-up. Based on the location of the shop,it makes sense to have a small location without seating. Folks probably take their drinks to go and then walk to the office. Besides, those of us who found Gracenote Boston because we followed The Coffee Trike over are used to not having walls or a ceiling, and we sure didn't have seats. It would have liked to sit and enjoy my coffee cake instead of wolfing it down while I stood there, but I doubt that's something most people need or want, and I wouldn't need or want it most days, either.

The small, climbing holder for drink lids, straws, stirrers, etc.was less than ideal. It's directly above the garbage can, and I had to lean against the garbage and stand on tippy toes to reach the lid for my cup. The straws are also high enough that I ended up touching quite a few before I managed to grab one. Eyew. This was a serious drawback for me because commuter hands are generally less than clean, and the idea of leaning on a garbage can gives me the willies. That holder/garbage can set-up was the only part of my visit that I actively disliked.

When I mentioned that I wasn't tall enough, the staff said they'd heard that from other customers. It made me wonder why they hadn't resolved the situation if there had been complaints. Granted, not everybody is short like I am. The tall, sophisticated looking woman who was drinking her shot of espresso at the bar smiled and said she loved it because she didn't have to bend over to get the items she needed. She finished her espresso, was handed her to-go drip coffee, and easily grabbed a lid on her way out of the door. Jealous!

The next two customers were regulars. I'd paid cash, so I'd hadn't realized you can use the Square app, even though it is right there on the counter. I'm blaming lack of caffeine. Square sends stars to your account like a punch card system, and unlike punch cards, you won't lose it and have to start over. If you pay cash, they'll give you a text or email receipt so you still receive your stars! I'm assuming that would also happen if I used the credit card attached to my Square account since all locations that take Square automatically send my credit card receipt to my email. I really need to install Square on my "new" phone (by new, I mean I switched from iPhone to Android over a year ago).

Gracenote Coffee comes in a pretty red bag.

While I only tried one beverage at Gracenote Boston, I've had many other beverages made with Gracenote coffee either at The Coffee Trike, at another location that I've been to in Boston that uses Gracenote coffee, or even at home since they sell bags of beans (and will grind them if you lost your grinder during a move). I look forward to trying other drinks in the future.



I didn't have a to-go cup with me, and I forgot to ask if bringing my own mug would have made a difference. The drinks at Gracenote Boston, like the drinks at no-longer-existing Coffee Trike are small. I'd like a larger cold brew so it lasts until mid-morning at work. Unfortunately, they come in only one size, and it's a small. While the coffee shops by me are good, they aren't as tasty as Gracenote Boston. however, Gracenote Boston is a 12 minute walk from my office and the other shops are within three minutes of my office. Hopefully bringing my own larger mug will allow me to get a larger beverage.

Getting to Gracenote Boston my first time was a pain in the ass. Google maps sent me all over creation; it took over 20 minutes to go approximately .3 miles from South Station! When you go to Gracenote Boston for the first time, ignore Google Maps directions and just use the actual map. Or you can follow these handy dandy directions:

1. When you're at South Station, put the clock behind you and walk a block or so towards Lincoln Street (Dewey Square will be on your right). 
2. Turn left onto Lincoln Street.
3. Walk about two(?) blocks and the shop will be on your left.

If you're looking online for information about Gracenote Boston, check out their Twitter account. They post espresso porn photos most mornings as well as a list on the beans they're using. They've replied to every tweet I've sent, too. That's how I know that some of their photos were and are taken by Gracenote and some are taken by customers who come in and post them online. Yesterday's photo was the shiny espresso machine with a shot of espresso coming out of it. *sigh*

This morning's Twitter photo shows how the staff provide a full experience. The drinks smell and taste beautiful, and they are can be a work of art. I generally don't get latte art on my drinks because I can't do dairy. They use a good almond milk that works well with the steam of the machines, but art isn't an option for me. That's ok, though.

Don't bother with their  website, though. It's fairly useless. Rephrase, the website is useless if you want information on the brick and mortar location. It's great if you want to order coffee or find out about their beans. I was surprised that I couldn't find more information about their brewing process or their history of how and why they decided to open. I'd have liked to have seen a section and page(s) dedicated to the brick and mortar location, information about when it opened, the hours, details on the beans they are using, a menu, information on who they get their baked goods from, a map, etc. on the site.