Oxford is home to many breakfast staples, including Kofenya, Bagel and Deli and the recently opened Tous Les Jours. My personal favorite of the bunch has always been Fridge and Pantry, but I’ve always wondered why they didn’t have a coffee menu.
I think a staple to a good breakfast restaurant is a coffee menu, because if I’m getting up to go to breakfast, I’m going to need some caffeine. Additionally, I love trying different lattes and coffee flavors unique to different cafes.
So you can imagine my excitement when Fridge and Pantry announced they would be opening an espresso bar.
I took the liberty of heading to Fridge and Pantry on a nice Sunday morning to see if this espresso menu matched my expectations.
Upon arrival, I was met with a menu that featured hot and cold espresso drinks as well as cold brew and non-caffeinated drinks, such as teas and matcha. The menu also included several flavor shots, dairy-free milks, cold foams or whipped cream toppings.
After perusing my choices, I ultimately decided on a Turkish Hazelnut iced latte and my mom, who I brought along on this review, ordered a hot vanilla latte.
After we ordered, we entered Fridge’s seating area where I discovered the espresso bar was next to the alcoholic bar, allowing customers to watch as the drinks were made and sit at the counter, which I enjoyed.
For being a busy Sunday and the fact that there was only one employee at the espresso bar, our drinks came out particularly fast.
The first thing I have to say is that the cups these drinks are served in are a great size for their price. My latte was served in a 16 oz cup for 6$, which is similar to the $6.25 price of an iced latte from Starbucks with a flavor shot. The cup’s lid allows a consumer to sip the coffee without the need of a straw, so props to Fridge and Pantry for helping the environment.
My latte came out with a layer of espresso foam on top, which I really appreciated, even though I had just seen the drink being made from an espresso machine. The coffee itself was very creamy and wasn’t hidden by the taste of milk, which I despise. There was a good amount of hazelnut flavor that the coffee was sweet, but not overbearingly sweet, like a drink from Dunkin Donuts. It complemented the avocado toast that I ordered, perfectly.
My mom’s hot latte, which was served in a 12 oz cup, was also topped with espresso foam and just as creamy as my iced latte.
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Both lattes were topped with a very creamy layer of espresso foam.
I was very pleased with Fridge and Pantry’s new coffee addition and look forward to trying their other drinks. However, one thing I think may set Fridge and Pantry’s coffee menu apart from others in Oxford is if they were to add seasonal drinks or flavors unique to their restaurant.
Fridge and Pantry’s Espresso bar is open daily from 8 a.m to 9 p.m.
Score: 10/10
mcdowekr@miamioh.com
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