Tazza D’Oro’s commitment to the community manifests itself in the locally-based foods as a part of the menu. The coffeehouse partners with Penn’s Corner Farm Alliance for fresh and organic produce. The coffee shop offers many flavorful versions of panini, a sort of grilled Italian sandwich, that feature both locally grown foods and perennial favorites. All of Tazza D’Oro’s milk comes from Turner’s Dairy. All products from Turner’s Dairy are hormone- and antibiotic-free.
“Milk from Turner’s really allows the espresso drinks to shine,” Selekman said.
While Tazza D’Oro fosters harmony in the local community, its roaster focuses on the well-being of the global community.
Enrico opened Tazza D’oro in 1999 after two years of traveling the United States looking for a coffee roaster. She decided on Batdorf and Bronson, a coffee roaster based in Olympia, Wash.
“Out of all the coffee in the world, they source the best one percent,” Enrico said.
Batdorf and Bronson attempt to keep their environmental footprint small by using one hundred percent renewable energy in their Olympia plant.
“They are into developing relationships with their farmers around issues of sustainability,” Enrico explained. “They pay well above fair-trade prices. Also a lot of their coffees are organic and shade grown.”
Despite the highly specialized coffees provided by Batdorf and Bronson, the price of coffee drinks at Tazza D’Oro is in line with other specialty coffee shops.
These extra-special coffees at Tazza D’Oro require commitment from the baristas to produce the best drinks possible. Enrico sees her coffee shop as a training ground for professionals instead of a blow-off summer job.
“Most people think that working in coffee houses is just a stepping stone or something to work your way through college, but my goal as an owner is to help develop career paths for those people who are passionate about coffee,” Enrico said.
“We’ve been in talks with Batdorf and Bronson about doing an internship program,” Slekeman said, “which would involve one of us going to tour the roasting facilities, seeing what they do first-hand, working one of their shops.”
There is certainly a lot of opportunity for those who want to make a career in coffee.
“Coffee is the second-most traded commodity in the world behind oil. So there’s a lot of potential for corruption in the coffee industry,” Slekeman said, “but that’s all the more reason to be conscious about it.”
Enrico’s vision for Tazza D’Oro as a community is coming alive with the loyal and knowledgeable customers as well as baristas.
And if all that is not a convincing enough reason to go, Enrico hopes that the aromatic, flavorful and perfectly delightful drinks and the crispy homemade paninis are all the reason one needs.
Tazza D’Oro is located on 1125 North Highland Ave., and is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays, from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday, and from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday. Sunday brunch is served from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tazza D’Oro can be reached at (412) 362-3676 or at tazzadoro@earthlink.net.