Grand Opening -- Caffè del Doge Crosses Oceans to Open its Doors to Palo
Alto - 12/10/05


Coffee lovers in Palo Alto have reason to rejoice this holiday season: Caffè
del Doge, the celebrated artisan Venetian roasting company, has chosen
University Avenue as the home of its first café in the U.S. In Italy, Caffè
del Doge is known as the café for coffee purists. Recently named one of the
best cafés in Italy, Caffè del Doge is described as a place where "coffee is
worshipped with reverent joy".



The café's Grand Opening on the 22nd of December will be a true holiday
celebration, offering free samples of everything that makes this café
unique: unparalleled coffee, traditional Venetian food, and the music and
culture of Italy. For the opening, the Palo Alto café will host three of the
best baristas from Venice, as well as Caffè del Doge principal Bernardo
della Mea. Visitors in a festive mood can indulge in rich espresso drinks
that have never been served in American cafés, such as the giacometto, a
unique creation of hazelnut spread, espresso, and frothed milk. Visitors
will also be delighted by the decorated cappuccino, an art form that creates
elegant designs through the deliberate pouring of milk on espresso.



Even the everyday cup of coffee at Caffè del Doge is a higher education in
the varieties and nuances of outstanding espresso. Customers are invited to
choose the beans for their espresso from 10 different single-origin estates.
Like fine wine, these premium beans vary on many dimensions, including
brightness, intensity, balance, and aroma, with notes that range from
chocolate to spicy to flowery. As customers learn to identify the nuances of
each estate, they can create their own perfect cup of coffee.



Baristas for Caffè del Doge brew the chosen beans using artisan methods,
hand selecting the bean grind, water flow, temperature, and contact time for
each cup. Each espresso is judged by sight and aroma, and only the best is
served. To train local baristas in these methods, Caffè del Doge will host
three Venetian baristas for three months, and a visit by the World Barista
Champion is planned for later in the year. In a unique exchange program,
employees of the Palo Alto café will be sent to Venice, to study traditional
methods of espresso preparation under the mentorship of Caffè del Doge
principal Bernardo della Mea.



Caffè del Doge also brings the culinary traditions of Venice to Palo Alto.
The café's menu reflects the Slow Food movement of Europe, featuring both
imported delicacies and local organic products. For first three months of
operation, Venetian chef Alessandro Mazzone will be on hand to perfect the
menu of cichetti (traditional Venetian small plates), tramezzini (Italian
hors d'ourvres), and panini (Italian toasted sandwiches). The café's wine
selection comes from the personal vineyard of Italian Count Emo Capidalista,
whose wines have won awards and praise from notable wine critics like Robert
Parker, Luca Maroni, and Luigi Veronelli.



Caffè del Doge principal Bernardo della Mea says, "The mission of Caffè del
Doge is to introduce the Venetian tradition to Palo Alto. We are opening a
true Venetian bar in Palo Alto. Nobody knows these Venetian secrets of
roasting and coffee preparation. Our passion to share them is growing day by
day."



Caffè del Doge Grand Opening: 419 University Avenue, Thursday, December 22,
12-7pm.



For more information about the Caffè del Doge and the Palo Alto grand
opening, contact or 650-323-3600.



www.caffedeldoge.com



###