About the Café
https://www.mokabescoffeehouse.com/
MoKaBes’s Coffeehouse (actual spelling) is an inviting space at the corner of Arsenal and Grand at the edge of Tower Grove Park. Due to COVID-19, they have tastefully rearranged their café to accommodate appropriate social distance while still providing plenty of space for small parties of 2-4 either on the main level or a wrap around balcony upstairs. Their ordering is novel in that they provide you a table number and provide a QR code to access their menu, order, and pay. Their menu is homey and familiar with a spread of options to satisfy most palettes.
After some deliberation, I settled on the Biscuits and Gravy with two eggs sunny side up and fruit. They delivered my coffee almost immediately after I ordered and breakfast followed soon after. I was surprised by the bounty of the full order and suggest that unless you’re feeling particularly hungry, you can probably get away with a half order. MoKeBe’s provided a thoroughly enjoyable breakfast served with quality coffee and I expect I’ll return soon.
The Coffee
MoKeBe’s serves Chauvin Coffee, a relatively large but low-profile roaster out of Kirkwood, a suburb of St. Louis. Though their history goes back 85 years, they deal mostly in wholesale, office, restaurant, and private label roasting and distribution. Their portfolio is voluminous, containing 18 single origins, several blends, flavored coffees, espresso, and decaf options. On this day, MoKeBe’s featured coffee was the Chauvin Coffee St. Louis Blend, a medium and full city roast blending Central and South American coffees which retails for $14.25 direct on their website.
Taste
- Roaster: Chauvin Coffee
- https://chauvincoffee.com/
- Bean Origin: Blend – Central and South American Coffees
- Bean Type: Arabica
- Price Range: $$ (2/4)
- Roast Color: 4/6
- Brewing method: Drip
- Grounds/Water ratio: Unknown
- Flavor Notes: Dark, slightly nutty, little acidity, little citrus, medium body
- Aroma Notes: Neutral aroma, some nut
- Tasting notes from the bag: A blend of Central and South American coffees with a small amount of a dark roast coffee added, but not so much as to give it a dark roasted taste. This is an excellent after dinner coffee which is well balanced for taste and flavor.
I’ll preface my biases that I typically prefer single origins to blends, particularly darker roasts, but this brew surprised me. The choice of single origins tempered the darker roast with a lighter profile, which brought out the nuttier qualities of the beans without much bitterness typical to a darker brew. Simply put, it is a solid medium roast blend with some darker notes. It paired well with the heavier biscuits and gravy I ordered, but I had a chance to take tasting notes prior to breakfast. In that respect, the St. Louis blend stands on its own as a pleasing cup to start your day. I could easily see myself making this at home and will likely try Chauvin Coffee’s beans in the future.
Rating: 7.5/10
Coffee By The Mile 