Coffee Hero

Some baristas really care, don’t they?

I recently stopped by the Mudhouse, the classic Charlottesville hang out and anchor to the Downtown mall. I was feeling a little chilly and a little sweet-toothed on this fall day, and so I ordered an even weenier drink than I usually do: half a cup of decaf, half a cup of hot chocolate. But, to be honest, it was just what I wanted.

After paying cash to get the quarter discount, I took an empty cup from the cashier. She told me to fill up with decaf, and then they would add the cocoa. But the barista nearly knocked the cup out of my hand, snatching it from me and saying, “I like to put the cocoa in first… You get a nice foam that way.” And she then proceeded to top her frothy creation with shaved chocolate. From weenie to artistic. With my decaf drink in hand, I think I held my head a little higher as I strolled down the mall.

Tags: Barista, Charlottesville, decaf, hot chocolate, Mudhouse