Nestled in the lobby of the Regional Enterprise Tower on Sixth Avenue, Simpatico Espresso has provided a respite — and a caffeine fix — for Downtowners for more than five years.
The shop strives to be local, featuring coffee from La Prima, biscotti from Enrico's, and frittatas and other snacks from Colangelo's Bakery, in the Strip District.
It's also known for being friendlier than some other cooler-than-thou coffee spots. Owner Ward Payne and manager Monica Mailly can frequently be heard calling out their customers' first names and recalling drink orders from memory.
"Everyone's a regular here," Mailly says.
Customers also have the option of opening a tab to draw down each month.
The shop recently expanded its menu. In addition to coffee drinks, pastry treats and snacks (including vegan options), Simpatico now features protein shakes and smoothies. The all-fruit smoothies include strawberry, peach, four berry and piña colada.
But it's not all fruit: I tried the Organic Cookie Crunch smoothie, with a low-fat organic sandwich cookie whirled with soymilk, chocolate, vanilla ice cream and chocolate whey protein.
Customers can also request a variety of nutritional add-ins, such as whey protein, and other powders ranging from "brainiac" (with gingko) to "heart-healthy," which includes flax and pumpkin seeds.
"The big thing," Mailly explains, "is we wanted to give people who work Downtown healthy options."
