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Taking up the space that was formerly Daniel Creamery and its cheese production, the Summit has tall ceilings in a wide open space converted for café and art space use. The main seating area is littered with rectangular tables and chairs with plenty of wall outlets and laptop zombies - making you feel like you just entered a community college computer lab. Around the edges are walls of artwork - aka the Peek Gallery - which currently features various hand-painted signs from New Bohemia mocking the abuse of "real" and "authentic" labels (and making us think of SF's Eat Real Festival). Artwork celebrating the abuse of labels here seems more than a bit ironic, given that the Summit bathes in the labels "local", "seasonal", and "craft." They offer a basic café menu and desserts in addition to a coffee menu that features Blue Bottle, using their 17-ft Ceiling blend for espresso. The Summit also features barista Seán Wilson, who trained under Eton Tsuno at the defunct (and much missed) Café Organica -- arguably SF's first real multi-roaster café in 2005. There's also a front counter with stool seating and a four-group La Marzocco behind it. The barista takes his sweet time but produces a worthy shot. It could have a more substantial body, but it has a frothy, darker brown, even crema of some thickness. It manages also to avoid being too acidic until the bottom of the cup, otherwise exhibiting a balanced, herbal-leaning flavor with some sweetness throughout. Served in colorful retro cups made in Turkey for Ikea. [CLOSED Jan 2012.]
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