Caffè del Doge Brings the Ultimate Coffee Experience to Palo Alto

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. Their new Palo Alto café
is both a tribute to, and higher education in, the traditional secrets of
preparing the perfect espresso. Locals who have developed a connoisseurship
for fine food and wines now have the opportunity to discover the varieties
and nuances of outstanding espresso.

At Caffè del Doge, 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 then 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.

Even the café's baristas will represent the traditions of Venice, through a
unique exchange program. For the café opening, Caffè del Doge is bringing in
the best baristas from Venice, and a visit by the European Barista Champion
is planned for later in the year. Meanwhile, Palo Alto locals will be sent
to Venice, to train in the authentic 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 menu reflects the Slow Food movement of Europe, featuring both imported
delicacies and local organic products. For the café opening, Venetian chef
Alessandro Mazzoni will be on hand to finalize 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 Capodilista, whose wines
have won awards and praise from notable wine critics like Robert Parker,
Luca Maroni, and Luigi Veronelli.

Both the Italian parent company and the Palo Alto café are committed to fair
trade practices, strict preparation standards, and environmentally
sustainable ethics. Caffè del Doge has cultivated long-term relationships
with coffee growers, to guarantee the highest quality of coffee beans for
the café, and a higher quality of life for the growers and their families.
Through its "I Bambini del Caffè" foundation, Caffè del Doge provides
educational, health, and nutritional services to children in economies that
are heavily dependent on the production of coffee.

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

www.caffedeldoge.com