I have been on quite the yoga kick lately. While my favorite yoga classes include Bikram and any type of power vinyasa, some friends and I recently opted for an all together different type of yoga. This summer, we participated in Om Street; essentially, West Hartford, CT closed down a main street in the center, hired a band, and had a half dozen yoga teachers guiding us through an outdoor yoga class. After our invigorating morning workout, we headed to La Petite France for some post yoga treats – mocha included. 🙂
Taste: 2
Did they use skim milk or something? This mocha tasted a bit watery/airy. While I have had my share of skinny vanilla lattes, I could never voluntarily return to low fat or fat free milk in my coffee. Many years back, during the ‘skinny’ latte days, I went with a friend to an Italian bakery for some coffee and pastry. When I ordered my coffee with skim milk, our lovely Italian grandma-esque waitress replied: “oh no, you’ll have whole milk.” 🙂 I now take coffee and espresso with whole milk, sometimes a little half and half. In any case, I was not impressed with this mocha. Not only was the initial taste unimpressive, but in between sips I was left with a bitter aftertaste. I could not even finish this mocha because the remaining chocolate had solidified on the bottom of the cup (did not even ask if I wanted a ‘for here’ cup!). What made this mocha palatable was that with it I paired a delicious almond chocolate croissant.
Appearance: 2
This mocha is nothing special. It has potential, but I think I tried La Petite France on an out of the ordinary day–right after Om Street, way too busy! My mocha maker at La Petite France was this absolutely overwhelmed college kid. He complained to me about how some staff members did not show up today and he was more or less left alone to feed all of the post-yoga foodies. Perhaps he was too busy to put forth some effort into my mocha. Eeeks.
Ambiance: 4
Although my mocha creator did not exactly set the tone for a great ambiance, the interior of La Petite France was buzzing with good vibes and caffeinated yogis. This is a tiny place for people of all ages. It seems like quite a social place to gather, but I could see myself studying or reading here as well (I prefer reading amidst the distractions of a coffee shop! Helps me focus). The colors are bright, the place is sort of clean, and the crepes looked lovely! Overall, I can’t say I thoroughly enjoyed my time here–I may, next time, grab some croissants to go. However, if you find yourself in need of a coffee in West Hartford Center, come to La Petite France if you’re simply looking for average taste.
Del Mocha Vista 