Handsome Coffee Roasters, Coffee Recs, Where to drink coffee, Best Coffee, Barista, Los Angeles, CA, California, Best Pastries, Bakery, Dublin, Ireland, Austin, TX, Texas, Tyler J. Wells, Michael Phillips, Chris Owens, Best Coffee in Los Angeles, LA
Article
Who
Tyler J. Wells, Michael Phillips and Chris Owens are world-class baristas and owners of Handsome Coffee Roasters.
Why
The three baristas all previously worked at Intelligentsia Coffee before launching Handsome Roasters. Mike Phillips ran Intelligentsia's training program, and won the U.S. Barista Competitions in 2009 and '10, and the World Barista Championship in 2010. Chris Owens worked as lead barista and trainer at Gimme Coffee in New York and Intelligentsia in Venice, and was the head roaster at Ritual Roasters in San Francisco.
Handsome Coffee Roasters
August 29, 2012
Los Angeles, CA
Q & A with TYLER J. WELLS, MICHAEL PHILLIPS AND CHRIS OWENS
Q. For people who aren’t familiar with Handsome, how would you describe your coffee?
A. Tyler Wells: Our coffee is delicious, fun, and most importantly accessible. We're operating at pretty nuanced level of execution and quality, but that doesn't matter if our customers don't feel like we're doing this for them. We're really trying to communicate our passion without being snobs.
Q. At your cafe, you’re very specific about how you serve coffee -- and you don’t offer sugar, decaf or any frills. What options do you give the customer and what led to that decision?
A. Chris Owens: We wanted to create a menu that was both approachable and only had the things we were absolutely excited to serve you. Items so good they stand on their own. Our espresso-based menu has been streamlined so there are no hoops to jump through or jargon to know.
You have two basic categories in the espresso menu -- espresso and then espresso with steamed milk. On the espresso and steamed milk side, you have your choice of three sizes: 3oz, 5oz and 10oz. The other options you have are the filter coffees. We have two main categories for all our coffee beans, Comfort and Adventure. So the question is are you feeling adventurous or would you prefer to comforted today? We can take it from there and it will be delicious.
Handsome Coffee Roasters
Arts District Coffee Bar and Roasting Works
582 Mateo Street
Los Angeles, CA 90013
T: 323.606.3593
Website:
Hours:
Mon - Fri: 7am - 5pm
Sat - Sun: 8am - 5pm
Photographs courtesy of Handsome Coffee Roasters
Coffee Advice & Tips
Tips For Brewing The Perfect Cup Of Coffee At Home
Michael Phillips: Coffee at home is a pretty open game that is determined by what a person wants to get into.
As for tips:
- use freshly roasted coffee, ideally within 7 to 10 days of roast
- pay attention to the details of coffee to water ratio and grind size
- we use a ratio of 1 gram of coffee to 15 grams of water (1 tablespoon of ground coffee to 3 ounces of water.)
Technivorm Brewer | Kalita Coffee Dripper & Hario Kettle For Pour Over Coffee
Photographs courtesy of The Woodsman’s Tavern (David Reamer) | Eric Adkins | Prizefighter
Coffee Tools & Machines
Technivorm
Michael Phillips: I personally really enjoy a simply and well made Technivorm brew of coffee. It is delicious and has a low learning curve.
[See details.]
Pour Over
For someone that is a little more adventurous and hands on, doing a “pour over” style of brew that involves manually using a kettle is a great option as well. It can be a very engaging craft experience that lends an enjoyment of process to the cup.
Style Of Coffee
Michael Phillips: Style of coffee is all about your mood. Cold press coffee is great for when you just want something easy because you can keep a batch of it in the fridge at the ready. I personally love a well-brewed hot cup of coffee more than anything though.
Coffee Roasters’ Recommendations
Find | Shops For Coffee Gear
Chris Owens: To be honest, the "gear" I like most are all the great seasonal fresh crop coffees. When one of the great roasters showcased in Los Angeles gets a new coffee in, I love to go down and try it. I'm most excited when Handsome gets new coffees in of course. But I'm just a tad biased.
Drink | Coffee
Deus Ex Machina | Cognoscenti Coffee | Proof Bakery
Photographs courtesy of Deus Ex Machina | Cognoscenti Coffee | Proof Bakery
Los Angeles, CA | Where To Drink Coffee
Tyler Wells: There are a lot of places doing a great job and I'd love to list them all, but I’ll highlight a couple of sleeper spots that you wouldn't know were there or you wouldn't know were so good.
Broome Street General in Silver Lake
It’s great -- an amazing selection of home goods, snacks, and wonderful coffee. Fine folks, to boot.
Proof Bakery | Cognoscenti Coffee
They are a perfect combination of the best traditional pastries and wonderful coffee around.
Deus Ex Machina in Venice
They are running a great coffee program in the context of a gorgeous retail space selling vintage motorcycles, clothes, and just cool stuff.
[See details.]
Hot Dogs and Coffee at Frank
Photographs courtesy of Frank
Austin, TX | Where To Drink Coffee
Frank
It’s a hot dog and sausage restaurant that has an amazing coffee program -- or maybe it's a great coffee bar with an amazing hot dog program.
[See details.]
3FE -- Coffee, Colin Harmon, Espresso
Photographs courtesy of Frank
Dublin, Ireland | Where To Drink Coffee
3FE
Michael Phillips: there are a ton of really inspiring coffee professionals in the industry right now. If I were to single out anyone, it would have to be a gentlemen by the name of Colin Harmon who runs two coffee bars in Dublin by the name of 3FE. He is helping to re-focus and frame the conversations happening in coffee right now around the concept of hospitality and connecting with the customer... something very near and dear to us at Handsome.
[See details.]
Recommendations
Details of Tyler’s, Michael’s and Chris’ coffee recommendations in Los Angeles, Austin and Dublin.
City Guides
- Los Angeles, CA: Download
- Austin, TX: Download
