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Modelled after a paninoteca on Via Quadronno in Milan, this café has locations in Tokyo, Coral Gables, FL, and soon Hong Kong. Many say they serve the best espresso in NYC, and that says something about espresso in NYC. You enter a tavern-like café with a lot of wood, a grand, gold, and imposing two-group La San Marco on the counter, Italian wine bottles for display and drinking, and many customers in Upper East Side business suit attire. Small tables for casual dining in front; table service downstairs in back. They serve renowned panini, but I learned they are all pre-made and cannot be tailored to order. They serve espresso with a dark brown but "balding" crema of splotchy thickness. It has a good, rich flavor of cloves, thyme, and pepper. Served in "VQ" flying pig logo Richard Ginori cups. Very good, but not a standout. They also make excellent microfoam for milk drinks and sell the Miscela Antica Tostatura Triestina coffee blend they serve.
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