Monthly Archives: October 2011

Vita at Saint Martin’s University Gala on Nov. 5

| October 28, 2011

Caffe Vita is honored to serve espresso to the attendees of the upcoming Saint Martin’s University Gala on November 5, 2011, in Lacey, Wa. Headlining this black-tie affair is celebrity chef Mario Batali. He’ll be joined by special guest emcee Lynne Rossetto Kasper from The Splendid Table. The event includes a five-course dinner with fine wines, a culinary demonstration by Mario Batali, and live and silent auctions. Sorry, tickets are no longer available.

The annual Gala raises money for student scholarships. Saint Martin’s University is the alma mater of Armandino Batali, co-founder and salumist at Salumi Artisan Cured Meats and father of Mario. We’re looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones as we gather in the spirit of hospitality, community, and fine dining.

Photo from the Vita Archives.

Coffee Shop Series: The Maldives and Motopony on Nov. 3

| October 27, 2011

Together with Verizon, we’re bringing you local favorites The Maldives and Motopony for free at Neumos on Thursday, November 3 (8pm doors; 9pm show). It’s our third and last concert for the year in Verizon’s Coffee Shop Series. The show is all-ages and the upstairs bar at Neumos will be open.

Sign up here to enter to win General Admission tickets or VIP Experience passes. The VIP Experience includes a pre-show party, a tour of our roasting facility, and more. (Pssst! One of the bands will be joining the tour.) Also, watch our Vita Facebook and Vita Twitter updates over the next few days. We’ll make some VIP Experience passes available to some lucky internet friends.

To pick up a pair of complimentary tickets, swing by these Verizon and Caffe Vita locations listed below. At the Verizon stores, starting today, they will send you off with a tin of Caffe Vita coffee (until they run out).

Verizon Seattle ticket locations
(Thurs, Oct 27 – Tues, Nov 1)

  • Downtown | 1633 6th Avenue
  • Northgate | 401 NE Northgate Way

Caffe Vita Seattle ticket locations
(11am-6pm, Sun, Oct 30 – Tues, Nov 1)

  • Capitol Hill | 1005 East Pike Street
  • Fremont | 4301 Fremont Avenue North
  • Queen Anne | 813 5th Avenue North

Want to do something good with your old wireless phone? Bring it to the show on November 3, and it’ll go to Verizon’s HopeLine phone recycling program, which supports victims of domestic violence.

Now, let’s get back to the music! Watch The Maldives perform live in our Bean Room for KEXP at the Capitol Hill Block Party in 2009.

Have you seen Motopony’s ”King of Diamonds” video? We’ve got it for you right here.

For all the details, visit the Coffee Shop Series website.

HiawathOween this Saturday

| October 26, 2011
This Saturday is HiawathOween at café weekend. We’re sharing their invitation below. You should go to this.
Fall is here and our favorite time of year…..

In celebration of Halloween and harvest we cordially invite you to our annual community fall gathering on Saturday, October 29, 2011.

This year’s HiawathOween will be a festive, family-friendly costume swap & fall food drive in support of our neighborhood foodbank/ FBSM. 

FESTIVITIES INCLUDE: Invite your friends and make it a play date or craft time for adults & kids.

  • Costume swap – or clear out that Halloween dress up bin and donate it (gently used & clean costumes please). Unclaimed costumes after the event will go to our neighborhood Goodwill or FBSM child.
  • Craft time – we will have a few craft tables open for BYOM – (bring your own materials) to gussy up those costumes.
  • A spookie cookie decorating table* limited supplies for walk-in guests. RSVP to reserve your cookie.

SWAP/ DONATE: 5 cans of food or $5 donation to FBSM = 1 spookie cookie to decorate or 1 raffle ticket. 1 costume = 1 costume voucher swap or 1 spookie cookie

WHERE: This event will be held in our community room at the Hiawatha Lofts from 10am-2pm on Saturday October, 29th 2011. CLICK here for map.

DETAILS: CLICK here for more details on the costume swap & food drive.

RSVP here to reserve your spookie cookie on facebook or in the cafe by Wednesday, October 26, 2011.

NEIGHBORS & RAFFLE DONATIONS:*if you are a neighborhood business or partner of cafe weekend and would like to participate further, please feel free to contact us. 

Looking forward to see you here and excited to see what you are going to be this HiawathOween!!!

It’s Coffee For the Kids!

| October 24, 2011

During the first week of November, join Caffe Vita in supporting all-ages art and music at The Vera Project with Coffee for the Kids. Caffe Vita will donate 10% of sales to The Vera Project on the following days at each of our six Seattle cafes:

11/1 – Tuesday - Capitol Hill -  1005 E. Pike St.
11/2 – Wednesday - Queen Anne - 813 5th Ave. N
11/3 – Thursday - Pioneer Square - 125 Prefontaine Pl. S.
11/4 – Friday - Fremont - 4301 Fremont Ave. N
11/5 – Saturday - Phinney Ridge - 7402 Greenwood Ave N.
11/6 – Sunday - Seward Park - 5208 Wilson Ave S.

So, drink up — it’s for the kids! Vita <3 Vera.

P.S. Hey, have you checked Vera’s show calendar lately?

TODAY Show at Pike Place Market

| October 20, 2011

This morning, Caffe Vita’s Coffee Specialist, Andy Kent, prepared a traditional caffe latte on live television for TODAY Show hosts Kathie Lee and Hoda at Pike Place Market. Tune in to NBC today at 10:30am PST to watch the episode that was taped this morning. [Update: video now posted above.]

There was a coffee showdown, and Caffe Vita brought home the hardware, winning the coffee taste test with a beautiful, classic drink. Way to go, Andy!

FareStart Guest Chef Night – Caffe Vita’s Chef Robert Prince

| October 20, 2011

We at Caffe Vita want to tell you about a very special FareStart Guest Chef night happening on Thursday, November 3. Returning to the kitchen with FareStart students, Chef Robert Prince, Caffe Vita’s Key Account Manager, will prepare a three-course meal in the Guest Chef Night series. The cost is $24.95, and all proceeds and gratuities go back into the program to fund student services and training. Here’s the link to make your reservations through OpenTable.

The menu for November 3 is posted below. The dessert will feature a Caffe Vita coffee ice cream made by our partners at Bluebird Microcreamery, who opened up their second location on Phinney Ridge less than a week ago.

GUEST CHEF NIGHT MENU
November 3, 2011
Chef Robert Prince

STARTER
Cannellini Bean with Wilted Kale and Pickled Pepper
ENTRÉE 
Brined Pork Loin Chops Roasted and Finished on the Grill,
Warm Roasted Fingerling Potato Salad with Balsamic Braised Onion
Vegetarian Entrée
Risotto with Oven Roasted Tomato and Whole Milk Ricotta
DESSERT
Fall Fruit Crumble with Bluebird Caffe Vita Ice Cream 

Caffe Vita and Chef Robert Prince are longtime supporters of FareStart, a nationally-recognized culinary job training and placement program for homeless and disadvantaged individuals. As part of FareStart’s culinary training program, they offer regular weekday lunch service (here’s the lunch menu – we love that Founder’s “Field Roast” Sandwich). The restaurant is located at 7th and Virginia in downtown Seattle.

We hope to see you at FareStart on November 3. It’s going to be delicious. Again, reservations are required. Here’s the link.

Coffee Shop Series, Oct 13 VIP Tour and Concert

| October 15, 2011
Last night was our second Coffee Shop Series concert in partnership with Verizon. Before the sweet indie-pop bands The Scene Aesthetic and He Is We took the stage a half-block away at Neumos, we hosted VIPs for a roasting demo and roasterie tour. To gain their exclusive status, these kind people donated their used wireless phones to Verizon’s Hopeline program. Additionally, they were treated to a meet & greet with the bands, a Via Tribunali pizza dinner, and drinks, too.
The next Coffee Shop Series concert will feature Motopony and The Maldives at Neumos on November 3. Tickets are free, and we’ll post more details on the blog next week. Check out our photos from our fun time last night, and see you at the next show!
Daniel Shewmaker, green bean buyer, led the Coffee Shop Series VIPs on a Coffee Experience tour of the roasterie.
A Very Important Batch (VIB) of Finca Nuevo Vinas was roasted for the VIPs.
There was time to enjoy a cup of French press Finca Nuevo Vinas before heading back to Neumos.
The Scene Aesthetic performing at Neumos on 10-13-2011.
Between bands, prizes were distributed to the crowd. Prizes included tins of Caffe Vita coffee, a signed drumhead, an Xbox LIVE subscription, and a coveted HTC smartphone.
He Is We on stage at Neumos on 10-13-2011.

Fresh Vita Tees, Green and Grey

| October 12, 2011

New Vita tees are in. What can these tees say about you?

In rich green, the stylish French press design features the line, “out of this world and into your cup.” When you wear this shirt, it shows that you’ve got a handle on things and that you’re all about taking the plunge.
In light grey, it’s clear you don’t have time for anything but the best. Taste matters to you, and you like your coffee strong. Every day it pumps you up so you can get all of your stuff done. It’s simple. It’s delicious  It’s the coffee.
Make a statement or just wear a shirt. Find them at a Caffe Vita near you for the easy price of $14. Get them while you can.
Thanks to our models, Erin and Wade, who took a break from work to pose for the camera in the Caffe Vita Bean Room.

Donation Pledge to 12th Avenue Arts

| October 4, 2011
Caffe Vita will donate 10 percent of Capitol Hill coffee bar sales from the month of October to 12th Avenue Arts, a new Capitol Hill Housing (CHH) building to be constructed near 12th Avenue and East Pine Street. This mixed-use development will bring more than 80 affordable apartments, community meeting space, and permanently affordable performing arts space to the neighborhood.

Last Tuesday at Sole Repair, supporters and neighborhood business owners gathered to hear project updates and learn about the progress of the capital campaign (CHH’s first ever). Through a mix of funding sources including private donations, grants, tax credit, state programs and commercial bank loans, CHH is hard at work to secure the $38 million required for construction. The groundbreaking is slated for the summer of 2012, and the project is scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2014.
For more information on 12th Avenue Arts or how you can support the capital campaign, get in touch with the kind people at Capitol Hill Housing.

Michael Seiwerath, Executive Director, Capitol Hill Housing Foundation, speaking at the 12th Avenue Arts event at Sole Repair on September 27.