My Ballard

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New coffeehouse opens in town

March 4th, 2008 · 7 Comments

The new cafe Aster just opened its doors on Saturday, right across from the new NoMa condos on 24th and 57th. It’s owned by an eight-year Ballard resident, Beth Scribner. I stopped by this morning, and I have to say, the coffee is very good. And Scribner was quite to point out that she’s the only coffeehouse in Ballard to have a Clover, which is a single-cup coffee brewer that’s all the rage these days (and it’s made right here in Ballard. Well, Frelard.) Aster also serves beer and wine, and the WiFi (which is getting installed today) will be free.

As people move into NoMA and the new “Ballard on the Park,” which is under construction nearby, I think it’s a safe prediction to say Aster will become a popular Ballard hangout. (Thanks, Mazz for the tip!)

Tags: Ballard

7 responses so far ↓

  • 1 John Eddy // Mar 4, 2008 at 12:14 pm

    “a Clover, which is a single-cup coffee brewer that’s all the rage these days (and it’s built right here in Ballard. Well, Frelard.) ”

    … I didn’t know that they were made locally… can ballard residents get a discount? =)

  • 2 joe // Mar 4, 2008 at 12:58 pm

    it’s $11,000 list price, at least according to this site:

    http://www.bornrich.org/entry/what-makes-clover-coffee-machine-worth-11000/

  • 3 Jean // Mar 4, 2008 at 1:35 pm

    Ha! $11k - I’d need about a 98% discount to get one.

  • 4 Fellow Ballardite // Mar 4, 2008 at 9:12 pm

    I tried that coffee today. Actually tried the decaf. Best cup of drip I think I have ever had…and it was decaf!! Nice clean space, pastries from Upper Crust Bakery in Magnolia. And it was kind of nice to see your own specially brewed cup…and NOT coming out of a Starbucks. Glad this place is here. Also they have beer and wine, and plan on having cheese/meat plates eventually.

  • 5 John Eddy // Mar 5, 2008 at 8:39 pm

    Ok, this is going to sound haughty, but…

    Between the fellow ballardite above and a review I read on yelp, I have to ask…

    Have you people tried Cafe Fiore (two ballard locations)? Cafe Verite (downtown ballard)? Java Bean? Why does everyone make it sound like Ballard has been Starbucks Central?

    I won’t mention Bambino, because I didn’t like their coffee, or Mr. Spots, since it is primarily chai…

  • 6 Fellow Ballardite // Mar 6, 2008 at 7:42 am

    Hi John Eddy,

    Being inundated as we fortunately are throughout Seattle with numerous non-Starbucks cafes, of course I’ve tried many of them, whether in Ballard or outside of it. The only one you list that I haven’t tried is Bambino.

    All of the others are quite good. (Aside: the only reason Verite is as good as it is, IMO, is because they serve Portland’s Stumptown coffee. Have you stopped by Stumptown in Capitol Hill? Goooood stuff.)

    My point is, it’s a NEW independent cafe in a new building. What I see a lot of are new Starbucks cafes going into new buildings. That was kind of my point…that thank goodness here is literally a new kid on the block and she’s got a great product, or shtick, to set her apart.

    No matter how you look at it, everyone wins!

    Shoot, 24th avenue is becoming quite something when you think about it. It has Aster, Java Bean, Tall Grass Bakery, and the stellar Cafe Besalu (which serves Lighthouse coffee by the way). Now if only we still had a grocery store….

  • 7 Joel // Mar 12, 2008 at 12:56 pm

    Yeah, no kidding Fellow B. I remember when the highlight of 24th was the grocery story on the SE corner of 24th and 65th, with the Milk Barn across the street! Oh, and the Copper Gate, of course. The original one.

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