Above: DSM Brew brings international flavors to the local coffeehouse market.
By Wini Moranville
These days, you can find good coffeehouses in nearly every neighborhood, so if you’re going to open one, you’d better set yourself apart. Judging from a recent visit, DSM Brew does just that. In addition to offering top-notch coffee drinks, including nitro coffee (cold-brewed, nitrogen-infused coffee), the venue veers off the beaten path with:
• Tuesday Tea Times: On Tuesdays only, the kitchen serves a traditional afternoon tea, featuring a choice of quality loose-leaf tea, a selection of dainty sandwiches (e.g., egg with dill mayo, cucumber and chive, smoked salmon with pickled onion), scones and pastries. Reserve in advance at dsmbrew.com.
• Heavenly Gelato: DSM Brew scoops up 16 flavors of Villa Dolce gelato, a rich, dense, colorful and intensely flavored Italian-style ice cream made in California. Flavors spotted recently: Madagascar vanilla bean, pure Sicilian pistachio, coffee chocolate chip, Argentine sea salt caramel and Rosanna Raspberry (a vegan gelato).
• Affogato!: In Italian, “affogato” means “drowned.” It also refers to a dessert made from a scoop of gelato “drowned” in a shot of espresso for a singularly uplifting effect: The gelato indulges your sweet tooth while the espresso brings you back to life after a heavy meal. DSM Brew serves this classic Italian concoction—remember that the next time you’ve had a great meal out, but aren’t quite ready to head home yet.
DSM Brew also serves beer and wine, a limited selection of cold sandwiches and grilled panini as well as brunch on Sundays. Also of note: Brunch costs $12.95. Brunch with endless mimosas costs $17.95. Sounds like day-drinking on a dime to me.
DSM Brew is at 300 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway, #140; 515-259-3634; dsmbrew.com.
Wini Moranville writes about food, wine and dining for dsm magazine and dsmWeekly. Follow her on Facebook at All Things Food–DSM.
