Stepwise is ran by a "barista's barista," per a barista who referred me here. At risk of ruining a future Minnesota coffee scene reputation, I will try to be as honest as I can. Stepwise is not ran by my barista. My cappuccino was good, not great, and the espresso did not stand out under the milk. I don't think that's an indictment of the shopkeeper, instead, I think it's just evidence of the difficulty of espresso consistency and that coffee is not universal. I'll break these down.
It is incredibly difficult to get consistent espresso. Even if you dial in your bean perfectly, you have to maintain all of the variables of your shot repeatedly. First, you have to grind consistently. Your dose has to be the same weight, the granules consistent sizes across shoes. Your puck prep must be perfect, or at the least, consistent. Your machine must retain the same temperature profile through the shot, the same pressure, and your shot should be the same volume. The barista repeated to several customers, including me, that he was slammed. His single-group espresso machine did look comically small in the back of the cafe, but he really did not have that many customers. Just more than he was used to. I'm sure his technique and gear was on point, but unfortunately, he just had to make 8 cappuccinos in 10 minutes and his consistency suffered.
There probably was something about the coffee that I was not smart enough to taste. That is probably the case. But unfortunately, I did not taste the coffee underneath the milk. I prefer an airier cappuccino, but these had thicker milk. The smell of the coffee rose above the milk. However, the flavor was not notable, nor could I recount to you what I tasted. To someone more experienced, knowledgeable, or just with different taste, they may have enjoyed this. To me, it was just another cappuccino.
I liked the direction that Stepwise was taken. A casual, weekend-only cafe that closes early. The ceiling could use some sound deadening. The booths could be pushed up against the wall, and some decor between chest level and the high ceiling could improve the calmness of the space. The cafe suffered from a chaotic incompleteness that did not fit my model of a cafe. But to one that likes that vibe, Stepwise is perfect for them. But not for me.
Coffee is ideally diverse and accepting. So I will not write off Stepwise. And I may return. But it is not my go-to.
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