Slow by Slow Coffee
403 S 8th Street
Boise, ID 83702
Remington, Everly, Jude, and I recently took a road trip to see our family in southeastern Idaho. On our way, we were able to stop in Boise to visit my sister and check out some of the local coffee and food. We went to three different coffee shops: The District Coffeehouse on 10th and Bannock in downtown Boise, the Flying M Coffee Garage in Nampa, and Slow by Slow Coffee on 8th Street in the Bodo district of downtown Boise. There is plenty to say about each of the shops, but Slow by Slow most embodies the specialty coffee niche I’m writing about. They are a multi-roaster shop with Ritual Coffee being their mainstay.
Slow by Slow is located in a historic brick building next to boutiques and restaurants. The interior is unique with the counter on the main floor to the left and the sitting area about five steps up, farther back in the building. The floor downstairs is black and white hex tile, the counters black and wood, the back wall brick. There are several large windows and some plants by their merchandise shelf where they sell coffee and coffee making supplies, coffee mugs, shirts, and RX Bars. For free are handy 5×7 cards with brewing instructions for various methods of brewing from Ritual. Even if you already know how to use your brewer of choice, they have nice looking illustration on them and would be a lovely addition to the coffee brewing section of your kitchen. (You do have an entire section of your kitchen devoted solely to coffee brewing, right?) Upstairs floors are black-painted-wood, chairs and tables are woods and metal, walls and trim are black and white or brick. Lighting is not as good upstairs as there are no outside windows. There are three large tables and a couple small tables, as well as a bar looking over the counter area.
The menu includes two espresso options (Ritual’s Acid Test blend and an Ethiopian when I went in), pour over options from three different roasters, available hot or iced, and the usual milk drinks. The barista was friendly and willing to go over any questions we had. I ordered the Acid Test espresso and my sister ordered an iced Costa Rican pour over. We got our drinks and took a seat at one of the small tables to wait for Remington and Everly (who later ordered the Ethiopian espresso and raspberry danish, respectively).
The espresso was really pleasant. It was mildly sweet with a rose aroma, raw sugar sweetness, and grapefruit note which had both acidic and bitter qualities about it. I loved the gentleness, the complexity, and the rose. I love flowers in my espresso.
As far as coffee shops in Idaho go, Slow by Slow is a must-try. I really appreciate their dedication to sourcing quality beans and training well, as well as their effort to bring the Boise coffee scene up a notch. It would be an excellent space for coming with friends, stopping by on your way to the Saturday market, as a place to study or read or write in peace, or as a caffeinated start to an early date. But really, whatever reason you have for visiting a coffee shop, if you’re in the Boise area, Slow by Slow is a great choice.
Where have you enjoyed coffee this week?