Un palazzo bello di caffe

Thanks to local bean fiend tonx, Seattlest was alerted to the "soft" opening of Espresso Vivace's new espresso palace, across the street from REI on Yale Avenue North. From the new Vivace cafe, you can peer into the verdant foliage in front of REI. Camping gear mecca, meet espresso mecca. The Grand Opening is April 18.

Owner David Schomer isn't messing with his winning formula of "una bella tazza di caffe." Anyone who's been to the Roasteria will sense a familiar, if much more opulent, Italian cafe ambiance. The space is grander in just about every way, with inset mosaics in the floor, a large, as-yet-unveiled painting, and a separate "quiet" section that the staff calls "the bubble." Long stretches of marble-topped bar mingle with conversational nooks, and a rich wood paneling is everywhere.

Schomer's espresso fixation is holding firm. There are some pastries and biscotti to go with your espresso, and Italian sodas, but this cafe doesn't offer panini or pasta salads. As a concession to the after-work crowd, they will sell bottled beer, all IPAs. Hours are 6am to 11pm, seven days a week. It'll be interesting to see what kind of crowd Vivace draws, given the mixture of professionals in the area (NBBJ has space upstairs), REI shoppers, and neighborhood residents.

Seattlest ran into our friend Mary there, who's been pulling espresso since...uh, carry the 7...um...since the Norm Rice administration, and she advised us to check out the spacious, well-appointed restrooms, something of a contrast to the more austere restrooms at the Roasteria. Count on David to sweat the details.