Coffee & Cakes

With a Starbucks on every corner, how do the locally owned coffee shops and bakeries find their niche? The answer lies in strong coffee, fresh baked goods, sterling customer service, and in some cases, unique menu offerings.

“I like a strong cup of coffee.” That’s the opinion of Jake Thornton ’02. He recently purchased Caffe Del Mondo, a Southington mom and pop shop in business for over 20 years, with the goal of offering high-quality coffee beans and artisanal brewing methods.

-JAKE THORNTON '02

“There’s a significant difference between good coffee and bad coffee,” says Thornton, “and one of the things that I think is really important for the coffee industry is letting everyone know that.” Caffe Del Mondo does its part to bring great coffee to the people by serving locally roasted beans, all of which are fair-trade and organic.

With proprietary blends mixed on site (the Southington Blend is a fan favorite), Caffe Del Mondo is known for its varied coffee menu, which includes flavored coffee. “Instead of sugary syrups, the tastes in our flavored coffees are roasted directly into the bean,” says Thornton. Connoisseurs who prefer their coffee strong and black may even enjoy the Chunky Monkey brew, which has banana flavor infused with the bean.

Also made on site? Caffe Del Mondo’s famous chocolate chip cookies, egg and cheese sandwiches, and paninis. Other baked goods are sourced from a local bakery in Cheshire. “It’s all about supporting the local economy, and helping out other small businesses,” says Thornton. The Cheshire native even goes so far as to purchase vegetables to be served in the shop from nearby farmers markets when available. “I’d rather spend a little extra and serve quality ingredients. That’s what I want Caffe Del Mondo to be known for.”

Thornton has big plans for the future. The whole Caffe Del Mondo team is heading to New York for a coffee fair to learn artisanal coffee techniques, such as cold brew, slow drip, pour over, and French press. Thornton dreams of having a coffee bar where baristas brew specialty cups in front of customers. He also has plans to enlarge the outdoor patio area with greenery, string lights, and seating. His goal? To continue to expand the Southington coffee-palette.

“If you actually sit down and have a good cup of coffee,” says Thornton, “a lot of people don’t understand it. I didn’t for a while either. But like with good wine, a lot of people never get to have it because it might be too expensive, or you can’t find it. But coffee is sort of different, because there’s a lot of good coffee out there and it might be 50 cents more, but we're talking about 50 cents not 50 dollars. And that's one of the reasons why I started to explore [the coffee business].”

David Sherman ’91, owner of Baltimore coffee counter Ground and Griddled, believes the secret to good coffee is in the water. “Good coffee often times is as simple as having the proper filtration system. If you don't have clean water the coffee will never taste good,” he says. The second secret? Finding a good partner. Sherman sources his beans from Stumptown in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Stumptown roasts the beans to order and ships them next day, so Ground and Griddled always serves the freshest brew.

-DAVID SHERMAN '91

In addition, Ground and Griddled makes plenty ingredients in-house, including their own nut milk for lactose-free orders, their own sausage for breakfast sandwiches, and their own dark chocolate ganache for adult hot chocolate that’s rich and dark.

Sherman’s philosophy is to deliver “very consistent and beautifully, consciously, and intentionally made coffee with absolutely no arrogance or pretense.” It starts with great ingredients and ends with “really good customer service.” This philosophy extends to the shop’s breakfast and brunch menu, as well.

“Even though we’re making bacon, egg, and cheeses, we want to make the best ones in town, says Sherman. “It’s a simple sandwich but everything is done perfectly, with a high attention to detail.” While the tried and tested bacon egg and cheese (called “The Plain Jane” at Ground and Griddled) might be the best selling food item, Sherman has a unique menu inspired by his time working in Spain as a chef, as well as his time working under Chef Danielle Olevia. His menu includes smashed avocado, paprika, and a fried egg on toast; a cheese and veggie scramble; and a breakfast BLT.

Ground and Griddled is limited to breakfast and brunch. “It’s located in a really cool food hall that’s done in a historical, old automotive building,” said Sherman, who also owns CafeCito, a restaurant serving breakfast and lunch with dinner catered and hosted for events on request (read the story “Bars and Breweries” on page 48 for more information on his cafe). The building, called R-House, is a 350-seat food hall with food options from ten innovative chefs; Ground and Griddled fills the coffee and breakfast sandwich niche for the location.

But what’s coffee without the cake? Leah Abraham and Antonio Settepani, parents of Seyoum Settepani ’16, have that sweet spot covered with their bakery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Called Settepani Bakery, the traditional Italian pastry shop is home to cakes of every type. From mocha to tiramisu, Settepani Bakery lists more than 20 cakes on their website and is rumored to have the best cannolis in the city.

Shoppers craving something sweet can sit at small cafe tables to enjoy pastries or gelato; however, Settepani Bakery is also a distributor, delivering wholesale baked goods to restaurants around the city—including their own, Settepani Restaurant in Harlem.

From coffee to cakes, Cheshire Academy alumni are making sure diners get great-tasting caffeine and sugar fixes across the globe, and that’s something we can all be buzzed about.