The largest espresso machine in the state of Texas -- appropriately named Athena -- recently took throne at a new restaurant called Cafe Intermezzo in Plano's Shops at Legacy. Fitting of her divine namesake, the custom-built polished brass appliance stands taller than most human women -- and men, actually -- at 75 inches.
Constructed from two retrofitted machines, the bespoke design allows baristas to pull 8 shots of espresso simultaneously during high-volume hours. Why? Because luxury. Romance. Lifestyles of the highly caffeinated.
That's Cafe Intermezzo, all right.
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But, let's start with what it is not. When you step into this corner shop, formerly a Bachendorf Jeweler, you won't find pastel tones, overstuffed couches or college rock piped through overhead speakers. It's not a "coffee shop" as they have evolved in America.
Neither is it a fine dining restaurant, though it may at first appear so, thanks to white table linens, intricate Baroque fixtures and antique chandeliers. Instead, it's an interpretation of an artsy, centuries-old Old World tradition: the Europäische Kaffeehaus.
"It's an environment where people go to do whatever they want," says founder and president Brian Olson. "We cultivate a relaxing experience away from the commercialism of American business life."
Cafe Intermezzo's menu features hundreds of options. There's a full bar and a full menu serving breakfast (all day), lunch and dinner until late at night (the Plano shop stays open until 1 a.m. on Thursday-Saturday). You can order absinthe or Turkish coffee; there are Brie and honey crêpes, charcuterie platters and smoked salmon pasta entrees. The daily pastry selection, prominently displayed in a brightly lit case, is served with a side of Schlag.
This place is a handful.
Eccentric? Sure. Over the top? Absolutely. But, that's arguably what makes the sum of its dazzling parts so likable. Cafe Intermezzo believes the finer things in life shouldn't be reserved for special occasions. It's ornate, yet casual. You can walk in with a messy bun or a bit of stubble. What matters most is that you walk out feeling relaxed.
So, about that massive machine perched behind the bar like an altar. Olson says he believes it's actually the largest "true" espresso machine in the world; a machine in L.A. claims the title, but Olson says that one brews rather than extracts coffee. His daughter Grace is currently petitioning the Guinness Book of Records to refine the distinction.
In fact, you might say that's Cafe Intermezzo as a concept: refined. It also seems like a way to describe Olson's hands-on leadership; he has personally ruminated over every tiny detail from coffee bean sourcing to the decor in an effort to distill his vision.
The idea began percolating in the 1970s when Olson, just 23 at the time, traveled to Europe to explore his ancestral roots. He was an all-American kid, but some members of his mother's large extended family still spoke German on their dairy farm in Minnesota. His curiosity led him to visit relatives in Germany and then on to Austria.
"That's where the seed was planted," Olson says. "It was so unique to me in 1971, when America had gone bonkers for fast food and big portions."
There, he discovered traditional coffee houses where people who lived nearby would gather to relax, talk about culture and enjoy a pause from their day. Some of the cafes had stood for more than 100 years, fostering what the United Nations today calls an intangible cultural heritage.
"There was an elegance, with classical music and beautiful displays, that just titillated a passion in me for the European coffee house," he says of his first trip abroad.
Back home, he had been working in restaurant management. When he returned from Europe, he took on a second job selling espresso machines and continued researching and learning. Soon, he was selling them full-time and chose to settle in Atlanta, where he could focus his business on a virtually untapped market: the United States' southeastern region.
In Atlanta, he opened the first Cafe Intermezzo in 1979. Almost 40 years later, the original location has expanded twice and is now seven times its original square footage. Its popularity allowed him to grow the business to three other locations in Georgia.
The new Plano shop is the company's first out-of-state venture; that is, until a Nashville location opens later this summer, around Labor Day.
Cafe Intermezzo feels a perfect fit for Plano's Shops at Legacy. It's a romantic, but not too romantic, first-date spot for singles. Shoppers can duck in for a drink between stores. Commuters can zip in from the adjacent Dallas North Tollway for a hot meal or happy hour on their way home. With all its pomp, the cafe still feels accessible and cozy.
It's as if Olson has worked out a magic calculus that makes gilded crown molding feel intimate and welcoming. It's a respite from emails or texts. Sure, you can plug-in to one of the abundant, strategically-placed outlets, but why not put a pause on spreadsheets and meet a neighbor or get lost in a novel?
Better yet, ask for the Beverage Book.
The cafe's "compendium of hundred and hundreds of beverages" spans 40 pages, but it's not merely a list of offerings. In it, you'll find meticulously detailed historical contexts, titillating facts and provocative quotes from writers, artists and renowned coffee-hounds from across the ages.
Like almost everything else about Cafe Intermezzo, it's easy to lose yourself in the book's finer points.
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