I love days when the sky is gray and there is a light, constant drizzle of rain. This was the kind of weather there was on the day of on my last visit to Empire Coffee. To say that this type of weather is highly unusual in Chico in June is, to say the least, an understatement, and I was delighted. The weather was so reminiscent of the Pacific Northwest where the incessant rainy, dreary days make coffee all the more divine. Somehow, cool, wet weather and gray skies intensify the need to jumpstart the morning body with caffeine.
Empire Coffee is like no other coffeehouse. Housed in an old Amtrak train car at the corner of West 5th and Orange, it has an ambiance with much more character than one finds at Starbucks or Pete’s, or even at any of the other local haunts in Chico. The owners of Empire Coffee have also set themselves apart from all the others in that the menu is completely organic and fair trade. Yes, every single coffee and tea item available is organic and fair trade – a far cry above the other places where patrons may, or may not, find that one, and only one, seemingly token, organic or fair trade item is on the menu. For some people, it is tough to reconcile one’s love of coffee with environmental and social concerns. This is not a problem at Empire Coffee. And, then, there’s my other favorite feature – the soy milk. Do you feel like an alien in some coffee shops when you ask for soy milk? I do. Guess what? The folks at Empire Coffee don’t charge extra for soy milk, not so much as a penny, and they also don’t have to run to some back closet, and dust off an ancient box, to find it. Ahhhhh, so refreshing…
The drinks are awesome, and there’s actually real chocolate in the mocha (one of my favorites). The last time I had the ‘matcha’, I enjoyed its gentle sweetness, especially as compared to the high-sugar stuff found in more run-of-the-mill coffee shops. Empire can sweeten it with brown rice if you like. The coffee is outstanding, but not for the faint of heart, as even I, coffee-connoisseur-of-old, find it to be on the strong side some days. The ‘Molly’s Folly’ is one of the best. But, make no mistake, the strong coffee is, for me, another of Empire’s endearing features. Empire serves the kind of bold, stout coffee that I have fondly come to associate with the Pacific Northwest. Years ago, for the first time ever, I experienced the strong coffee / rainy day combination just inside the Idaho border as I was traveling west. I will always remember the day. For me, Empire Coffee brings a touch of the Pacific Northwest to Chico.
