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Don't let the name fool you -- this is part of the Carmel Valley Coffee Roasting Co. chain. This location is filled with sofas, stuffed chairs, and outdoor tables around the corner facing the inner shopping courtyard of the Carmel Plaza Shopping Center.
Using an old two-group La San Marco, they pull a monster-sized shot with a thin, pale crema in a paper cup. (They used to a three-group La Pavoni to fill classic brown Nuova Point cups: "to-go" won the culture wars here.) It has a flat aroma of stale drip coffee, and a drip coffee flavor that's a little woody. Surprisingly, they're quite good at milk frothing: it tends to have fine foam and a rich, even texture. This makes that rare combination where I recommend their overpriced milk-based drinks and nothing else.
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