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Santa Cruz finally has the student café scene it always wanted, though somewhat surprisingly in the form of a non-profit operated by the Vintage Faith Church next door. Open since mid-2008, their slogan is "made with love" - and it's hard to argue with that. The staff here, many volunteers, are incredibly friendly and coffee enthusiasts to boot. It's a packed scene of collegiate youth, with occasional jazz performances at night. Inside it is spacious and somewhat dark with an odd, edgy feel of someone's old antique store: it's a rather vast floorplan consisting of mismatched sofas, tables, chairs, church benches, hanging window panes, pianos, candles, light fixtures, and found art. Using a two-group Nuova Simonelli at the front bar, they serve Verve's Sermon blend (how appropriate) with a dark brown swirl of modest crema in traditional brown ACF cups. (Date-stamped Verve coffee is also available for retail sale.) The resulting shot is a little light on body, but it carries a lot of flavor in an appropriately sized shot: some dark caramel notes over a pungent flavor of cloves and herbs with a sharp brightness at the bottom of the cup. Served with a small cookie on the side. Their cappuccino is typically "traditional": lighter on the milk and volume (so you can taste the espresso) with thick and creamy milk just barely frothed in as a thinner layer. Maybe not the best Verve shot you've ever had, but you'll be hard-pressed to find a better place to enjoy one.
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