On a recent rainy Friday afternoon, I paid a visit to one of Orlando’s newest coffee shops, VESPR Coffeebar. Not only did I experience a great cup of coffee, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that they served some top-notch, made in-house, vegan treats, as well.
I had been to VESPR once before, but it was for a quick pickup of a matcha green tea latte and banana nut bread from locally owned vegan bakery, Raphsodic. Although my drink and sweet treat were great, my recent, more slowed-down visit was just enough to let me know that there is nothing like sipping on a hot cup of coffee while sitting and staring out of a window.
Having lunch at a coffee bar is not my usual choice, but the Friday that I made my way over to VESPR, I had my mind set on partaking in a deal that I just could not refuse. To introduce their new bowls, they were offering one free drink with any bowl order. It was the final day of the deal, and I wasn’t planning to miss it for anything. Plus, the person making the bowls was none other than Chef Bryce from my favorite Orlando vegan experience Basal Eatery. Yep, he works at VESPR too!
So, in all honesty, it took me more time than needed to select the bowl that I wanted. They had two options: 1. Berry White and 2. Wild Green. They were starkly different from each other. One was sweet, the Berry White, while the other was savory, the Wild Green. It was lunch time, so I was definitely in the mood for savory. Actually, I am pretty much always in the mood for savory. But, after Chef Bryce informed me that the Berry White was the customer favorite, I knew that I had to try it.
One bite and I could definitely see why the Berry White bowl was a customer favorite. It had quinoa mixed with organic blueberries, pecans, cacao nibs, coconut flakes, cinnamon, organic granola, berry reduction, and agave nectar. Yes, there was a whole bunch happening in this bowl! Now, I will say that this bowl hits a 10 on the health meter. For me this means that it has amazing nutritional value, but the flavor was very subtle. I was expecting a nice sweetness from the blueberries and the agave nectar, but nothing really stood out. I am looking forward to trying the savory bowl on my next visit, though.
My “on the house” coffee drink was a much easier choice. I had to try the Mocha Latte (made with almond milk), which of course was made with Ghirardelli chocolate. When I say I was in heaven while slowly sipping on my really pretty (see below) cup of coffee, I am not over exaggerating in the least. It was perfect: not too sweet, the exact amount of chocolatey goodness, and the presentation was amazing.
Then, I went totally left field and added something else to my order: the much talked about Avo Hashed Toast. I was being greedy when I ordered this. I saw the ingredients in my Berry White bowl, and I was a bit hesitant that it alone would be filling. So, at the very last minute, I decided to throw something else on my rainy, Friday afternoon menu. I am really glad that I did. Out of everything I ordered that day, I have to say that this was my favorite. It was so simple: Levain bread topped with organic guacamole, fresh cucumber, red chili flakes, hemp seed, curry lemon, and extra virgin olive oil. It was jam packed with great flavors!
I am really looking forward to my next visit to VESPR. Not only do they serve up great food, but they offer a great atmosphere with cool music and really nice employees who are willing and capable to offer food and drink recommendations.
