We keep a little running list of cafes around the world we’re dying to visit, and towards the top of that list is Half & Half in St. Louis, Missouri. It’s a lovely looking farm-to-table restaurant with a very serious multiroaster coffee program, run by 2012 South Central Brewers Cup champ Mike Marquard. Their menu is pretty unique; cupping bowls served over the counter to patrons, a “one of everything” option, side-by-side brew method comparisons, and a rotating list of roasters including Kaldi’s and Counter Culture Coffee.
While New York City (and Canlis in Seattle) have the coffee-theater fine dining game on lockdown, restaurants like Half & Half in St. Louis, Victory 44 in Minneapolis, and Playground in Santa Ana are leading in their own way, turning excellent coffee service into a joyous part of the farm-to-table brunch experience. There are probably more places that do a great job with this – you should tell us about your favorites in the comments section below.
Anyway, we really want to visit Half & Half, and now they’re offering weekly multi-roaster public cuppings on Monday mornings, offered completely for free.
Here’s more from Mr. Marquard:
“Starting Monday morning, November 12, I will lead a public coffee cupping at Half & Half. The cupping will start promptly at 8am and last 30 to 45 minutes. We will repeat this ritual every Monday at 8am. It is open to anyone, regardless of coffee experience or opinion. The cupping is also completely free.
“I am also taking open donations for coffees at the cupping. All seasonal, single origin coffees will be considered for placement on our menu. If you’d like to have a coffee on the table, please mail it to my attention or drop it off by Thursday afternoon at 2pm.”
Learn more by checking out Half & Half online here.
