Orange Blossom Coffee Shop
It had been weeks since I made my way down to my office in downtown Bradenton. Primarily due to some repairs being completed in the aftermath of our most recent hurricane, Hurricane Ian. But this had become the norm after Covid-19 made coming into the office seem barbaric. Nevertheless, as I made my way into the office, I was surprised to see that a new coffee shop had popped up, or blossomed, out of nowhere. From the outside, the place was relatively unsuspecting and really didn’t draw you in, but as I passed by, I got a glimpse of the interior and could see it was a place that demanded respect.
It’s well known that looks aren’t the end-all-be-all, but truth be told, they play a large part in what we perceive could be either a good or bad experience. In this instance, it gave me a good feeling and I wanted to see if all of this would translate into a good cup of coffee.
The Experience
I have to say, I was pretty excited walking up to Orange Blossom. The last time Downtown Bradenton had a good coffee shop was about two years ago when they had a shop called Oscura. Since then, nothing could really fill the void and I was left to get dessert-style drinks from our neighborhood Starbucks.
The interior is a combination of contemporary styling mixed with a dash of industrial details. It features an open floor plan with plenty of seating and free high-speed WiFi. The coffee bar is the focal point of the whole place and is lined with multiple menus to make selecting your drink of choice a painless affair. If you need a little time to think, or just like to be nosey, as I happen to be, you can walk over to their retail area and find a nice selection of local coffee offerings, brewing tools, and other accessories.
To complement the design, the baristas made ordering a joy and were extremely helpful when I unloaded a barrage of questions pertaining to the coffee they chose to serve that day.
When it came time to pay, I was shocked to see a single digit before the decimal point. I can’t remember the last time I walked out of a coffee shop having paid less than $10. I was able to purchase two items and only have to fork over $7 and some change. During these times of inflation? Unheard of.
The Coffee
I’m sorry to disappoint you, but with this being an afternoon pick-me-up, I chose to skip my normal flat white and opted for a cold brew with a side of espresso so I could really taste the quality of the coffee.
For starters, the cold brew set the tone for the rest of my day with its bright, fruity flavors. It instantly woke me up and put me in a better mood. It was ice cold, refreshing, and just the thing I was looking for on a hot Florida afternoon. If the cold brew was this good, I could only imagine what the espresso was like.
Well, let me tell you… It was fantastic. By this point, I’m not sure I was too surprised. I watched as the barista carefully and masterfully did his puck prep, weighed the shot, and timed it to perfection. The coffee had ZERO bitterness, a primary taste of Caramel, undertones of nuts, and a finishing of chocolatey goodness. As I briefly mentioned above, the barista was very helpful and was able to tell me they were using their Honduran medium roast blend. One of the many blends they carried and sold.
Summary
This shouldn’t come as a surprise but I highly recommend a visit to this shop. It scares me that it’s so good, yet, situated in a spot that may not give it the attention it deserves. More people need to know about this place and the great coffee they produce, if nothing else, they’ll probably make their fortunes off of me as I plan on making this a mandatory stop anytime I’m in the area.
