Crema Keeps Getting Better

CREMA
15 Hermitage Ave.
Nashville, Tennessee 37210
(615) 255-8311
www.crema-coffee.com

The first time I visited Crema, I found the place to be extremely pretentious, a little expensive, and the coffee too different to impress me. The place came off as a retooled machine shop or auto mechanic.

The truth remained, however, that Nashville loves Crema. So, as time went by, I could not avoid it, especially considering it's location convenient to downtown. As I kept coming, the more and more I liked it.

To begin with, their different process of making coffee really is impressive. They borrow the name "crema" from the natural foam on top of an espresso drink. Usually, this is an extremely thin layer, and is easily ignored. However, the good folks at the Crema store use an entirely different espresso press which allows more air to pass through, this allows for a larger "head" (AKA a larger crema). This is not milk froth in a cappuccino, this is a froth made of the coffee itself. And it is a neat feature.

More recently, Crema has moved their iced coffee from regular brewed over iced to the milder and more refreshing cold brew method.

Now, I stand by my remarks that Crema is extremely pretentious. I realize now that this is not the fault of the staff, who are usually helpful, and sometimes extremely friendly: it's caused by the young hip crowd. Walking in and seeing ten Apple laptops scattered throughout the building is common. But the snobs are easily ignored, and the wifi is excellent.

Next time you're tooling around downtown, and you need that quick perk, Crema is an excellent choice.