Review: Leaf & Bean - 7/17/11

Today seems like a good day for a coffee shop review. Maybe it's because I'm up so early. This time we actually remembered to take pictures, too! This was from Sunday, actually, but I'm sure you don't mind, right? Good!

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Java java java java java java!

Ever since Joe and I got the idea to start a blog reviewing restaurants in and around Rochester (or perhaps even before it), I’ve wanted to review Leaf & Bean Coffee Company in Chili (and that’s pronounced like chai-lie, not the food chili!). It’s one of my absolute favorite places to get an iced vanilla chai or Thai iced coffee in the summer or to get a soy latte or cherry hot chocolate in the winter. I’ve cut down on coffee this past year, but even going there for chai (a black tea blended with spices and steamed with milk) is a treat. I’ve never had a bad drink from this place, and their service is always quick and friendly. Since Leaf & Bean is a family-owned local business, I’m far more inclined to support them than a corporate chain like Starbucks. (Not to mention that Leaf & Bean’s coffee doesn’t have the harsh bitterness that Starbucks’ coffee tends to have.)

Leaf & Bean also serve sandwiches, soups, and pastries. I’ve never attempted to sample any of the cakes in the glass case up front, but they look delicious! (Friends who have accompanied me on trips there have confirmed their wonderful taste.) On Sunday, Joe and I stopped in for a late lunch. My parents invited us over for a barbeque that evening, so it would still be several hours before we would get to eat dinner.

Joe tends to avoid the coffee and tea there, not out of dislike but simply because even a small “cup of Joe” (haha) gets him pretty wired. Instead of ordering a coffee drink, he picked up one of the vintage-style Coca-Colas, made with sugar, from the case. I decided it was too hot for even a frozen chai latte (soy milk in summertime is occasionally iffy for me—it just starts to taste gross after a while). I ordered a strawberry mango “blenderita,” the term they give to either their iced lattes and smoothies. The smoothies are made with juice and tea, although I’m sure you can request them with milk as well if you prefer. I think one thing that would greatly improve them would be to include real bits of fruit; this would give a much thicker texture to the drink and make it more flavorful. This, I think, is really the only drink I would have a complaint about, and I partly blame the juice bar at Breathe Yoga in Pittsford for spoiling me when it comes to this sort of thing. (I’ll probably discuss them another time. If you’re looking for something quick and healthy, their fresh, organic meals, smoothies, and pressed juices are an excellent solution!)

Most importantly for this trip, Joe and I ordered food. Leaf & Bean’s menu contains a wide variety of sandwiches, and one cool thing I really like about the majority of their food selection is that they name the entrees after street names in the Gates and Chili area (e.g. Westside, Haymarket, Howard, and Marway). This is a great local touch that you just don’t get with big chains.

Joe ordered the Union, a roast beef panini with Swiss cheese, roasted red peppers, and fresh greens. He assessed that the beef tasted medium rare—tough to do with roast beef; the sandwich left him sated without being overly stuffed. (How long have I been out of the meat-eating game? I had to ask him if it was possible for roast beef to be medium rare. Oh, dear...) His sandwich was supposed to come with a horseradish mayo. Instead they gave him the dressing I’m pretty sure is the only dressing I’ve ever seen with their sandwiches, a sweet and tangy balsamic honey dijon. I thought this was a bit strange—were they out of the other one? Nevertheless, he was content with the meal, or at least content enough for it to tide him over until the barbeque that night. 

Meat!

For my meal, I ordered half a sandwich and a cup of soup. The sandwich was the Coldwater, a vegetarian panini made with fresh (very fresh!) mozzarella, roasted red peppers, and basil pesto. My sandwich arrived with the same dressing that accompanied Joe’s, which was a nice complement. I’m sad to say that this is one of few vegetarian options in terms of sandwiches, but their soups of the day are frequently veggie-friendly. Sunday’s soup du jour was a creamy roasted red pepper and Gouda soup, almost more like a bisque. It had just the right amount of seasoning and wasn’t too salty, either, as I find most soups to be. I was actually pretty stuffed when I finished. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but that half a sandwich is actually a pretty decent size! 

Experiencing the laid back atmosphere at Leaf & Bean makes for a great way to pass an afternoon. I know Joe and I have spent many an afternoon there, especially on snowy winter weekends. Back before we moved in together, the comfortable arm chairs and benches served as an excellent setting for our brainstorming sessions on how many dishes to buy or when we would finally be able to afford the adoption fee for our cat. Music plays on the overhead speakers, not too loudly, and it tends to vary depending on when you’re there, ranging from classic rock to indie to, I think at one point, some classic Motown. I’ve even gone there to write before, and it’s fairly common to see someone working on a laptop with a nice tall latte within arm’s reach. A few local artists have painted some of the art featured on the cafe’s walls, and up by the front entrance, you can catch a glimpse of a few well-deserved plaques and certificates awarded to Leaf & Bean from local organizations. They also have a wide selection of coffees, including flavored ones, for sale to bring home, along with t-shirts, coffee mugs, and other gift items. 

Our overall review of Leaf & Bean is four stars in terms of the food (good quality cafe fare), but for their coffees and teas I’d give them five stars. I hope they stay in business for a long time because without them, I don’t know how I would get my chai fix every now and then!

Rating: 4/5 stars