Chromatic Coffee, part of the Bay Area’s third wave of indie roasters, has opened its long-awaited second coffeehouse in Silicon Valley.
After five years of pulling shots and making pour-overs at the flagship Santa Clara location, the baristas have now expanded to 17 N. Second St., a historic 1928 building in downtown San Jose.
However, the Chromatic folks are no strangers to downtown, owner Wendy Warren says. Her compatriots in caffeine, brother James Warren and colleague Hiver Van Geenhoven, have been roasting beans for a few years at this location (though will be moving to larger digs).
At Warren’s coffeehouses, female-run enterprises find strong footing. Teas come from Victoria Boyert’s Satori of Saratoga, and they are freshly brewed by the cup. Nut brittles are made by candy specialist Hway-ling Hsu at her Sweetdragon Baking Co. in San Jose. And Manresa Bread, where Avery Ruzicka is head baker, supplies the pastries and bread.
Seasonal coffees such as Holy Mountain are big sellers, says Otessa Crandell, manager/retail director, and Keynote and Gamut are perennial favorites. Coming this summer will be Day Trip, a rich, dark roast from Brazilian beans from the Minas Gerais region.
Crandell, who has been with Chromatic from its founding, and floor manager Sherrise Gutierrez will manage both locations. Overseeing the eats side of the operation is food manager Nasarae Johnson, who has already stocked the fridge with Chromatic’s breakfast parfait, made in-house with Straus yogurt, Sweetdragon fruit compote and Manresa granola; vegan chia pudding; chicken Caesars; and, in partnership with nearby Zanotto’s markets, a selection of grab-and-go deli salads.
Hours, offerings are evolving at this location. Check www.chromaticcoffee.com or the Facebook page for the latest.
