What’s the symbol of New York? The Statue of Liberty. What’s the symbol of Seattle? Latte art. (Work with us here.) The rosetta latte art pattern that adorns cups nation-wide was first seen in Italy, but perfected and introduced to the world of American coffee (and beyond) by Vivace’s David Schomer. If all espresso joints owe more than a little to Starbucks, all good ones owe a lot to Schomer, whose books and videos are industry standards. Coffee nerds the world over are, right now, thinking how to finance a flight to one of Schomer’s marble-adorned temples. When the original Capitol Hill roaster found itself in the crosshairs of light rail construction, coffee geeks freaked-it was as if coffee itself was being torn down. Luckily, Vivace’s lively walk-up window was untouched by mass-transit plans and is now mere blocks away from a new big brother. And although the shiny new location in the base of a condo building is a little less “street,” it seems the sky has not fallen-the place is packed daily.
