Indigo Coffee and Tea
Update 8/20/08: Indigo was forced to change its name to Tuvalu.
In a word: Funky yet functional.
The specs: #0353
Address, hours & details via Isthmus; profile at Just Coffee; reviews at Sara with no H; official web site.
JM ate the ham and cheese croissant with a Blue Sky lemon-lime soda.
Nichole ate the red pepper soup with a cappuccino.
We split a mini chocolate cheesecake and also bought some bulk coffee beans.
The bill was $26, or $13/person, plus tip.
JM and Nichole both gave Indigo Coffee and Tea an A- (see our grading rubric).
Latest Indigo Coffee and Tea news and reviews
Verona seems to be blessed with above-average coffee shops. Maybe it's that only the best ones make it onto Isthmus' list, but in Indigo's case especially, we were glad we got to go. The space performs many functions - cafe, of course, but also art gallery, gift shop, kids' play space, indoor and outdoor dining. This might add up to chaos in the wrong hands, but Indigo pulls it off, and the scads of Saturday patrons were evidence of its success, which did not overcrowd the place at all.
The bakery and some of the sandwiches, wraps and breakfast burritos come from Madeleine's Patisserie, Gallup and Elegant Foods, according to our barista. It was hard to decide but we started lunch with dessert, a cute, rich chocolate cheesecake that we can highly recommend if you are the kind of person who enjoys tasting things. Nichole was pleased with the cappuccino, which met her insanely picky preferences for smallness of size, tightness of foam, and wholeness of milk.
The roasted red pepper soup was just OK; it felt more like a punched-up creamy tomato soup. The accompanying focaccia was eminently dippable and quite good.
JM's ham and cheese croissant was flaky - despite its roll-like appearance - but not spectacular. It suffered just slightly from being reheated, but was still a satisfying breakfast. Both our plates were presented well - the orange wedges went a long way to justify what might have been seen as a steep markup on the food. But again, cost is also about atmosphere, and Indigo's was nice.
There's a certain pride in being able to collect some of the best elements and bring them together in one experience, especially in a suburb, exurb or small town. Indigo has little over and above similar places in Madison, but to grab some of the best ideas of these and bring them to Verona is a gift too.
I know you are just hitting what is on the Isthmus list - but if you're ever in Lake Mills you should try Carps Landing. They just opened the other day and they are wonderful!
Posted by: Heather | July 13, 2008 at 12:05 AM