Lion’s share

Rules for starting a coffee shop: dream about a lion, be a champion skier, love Italy, meet a coffee guru, care about the Earth, and have a passion for people. That’s the manual used by Greg Buchheister to bring his entrepreneurial coffee house idea from Truckee to Reno. Coffeebar is an urban brew house in an industrial-style setting with open beam ceilings, star-like light fixtures, tables that feature the Italian dictionary as top covers, and an energetic staff.

The food menu has four sections, breakfast, crepes, panini and salads ($3.95-$8.75). The drink menu runs the gambit from espresso to specialty drinks like café marocchino ($4.50-$5.75). There’s tea and tea lattes ($2.75-$3.50), juices and smoothies ($3.95-$4.95), and beverages like Mexican Coca Cola, Italian soda and home-brewed kombucha, a lightly effervescent fermented drink of sweetened black tea. This had a honey-Jasmine essence, not too sweet, and refreshing ($4.95). They also make their own chai.

The crepe quattro ($6.95) looked interesting. Nutella, mascarpone and bananas with fresh strawberry sauce and powdered sugar. Presented in a traditional French envelope, the chocolaty, creamy hazelnut spread hugged the bananas and perfectly cut strawberry rounds. It was complemented with a layered chocolate cappuccino ($3.75). This allowed the flavor of the remarkable coffee to marry with the Monin dark chocolate syrup, creating a deep and pure chocolate taste and a rich aroma.

For something savory, I went for a panini, classic Italian sandwich. I had the Milano ($8.25), Cajun-spiced turkey, crispy prosciutto, brie, sweet and tangy serrano jelly and roasted garlic aioli on a ciabatta roll from Truckee Sourdough Company. There was a cascade of flavors and textures: The pepper jelly gave a hint of heat and sweet, the turkey kicked up the salty, and savory elegance came from the brie—buono Milano!

In-house bakers create a variety of goods fresh daily with signature treats including scones and croissants. There are also muffins, cookies, cakes, strudels, and daily varieties of gluten-free quiches.

I saw something called a Giuseppe Chocolate Bar ($3.25) and jumped in head first. It was enough for two, unless you’re a glutton for dessert punishment. With a graham cracker crust topped with peanut butter, marshmallows and Rice Krispies coated with chocolate, this bad boy was nirvana to all who celebrate peanuts and chocolate.

Coffee is a big deal here, and all are organic coffee blends, selected and roasted locally by Master Roaster Carl Staub each Saturday morning. They offer a house blend “Italian Roast,” a blend of four to five coffees, to a classic French roast. They use the French press method to brew this caffeine confection par excellence.

There are three beers on tap ($4.50-$6.50), and eight more in bottles ($4-$11). I’d categorize them as trendy artisan quaffs—fun. And wine-by-the-glass ($10)—totally Italian—and a wine club in the making. There’s a real green Earth mentality here, and practicing what they preach means making the little things count, like using fettuccine instead of wood or plastic for stir sticks for drinks.

The lion is the Coffeebar logo. Buchheister had a dream one night where he slay the mighty beast and now honors simba, a frothing mane flowing from the head of the noble beast seen on everything Coffeebar. And as people discover the place, it’s all about the pride.