By By Sarah Moomaw, News Correspondent
When considering what to order at The Natural Bean, a cafe at 250 Newbury St., the staff starts on an organic spiel, which includes interesting facts:’ The plastic cups are made from corn and the utensils are made from potatoes.
‘I don’t know how they do it, but they do, and the forks are sturdy,’ said Julia Callahan, a sales associate and cashier.
Some food trends, like organic, eco-friendly grub, stick around long enough to find themselves on cafe menus.
The Natural Bean specializes in United States Department of Agriculture-certified organic products.
From the coffee beans to the milk, pastries and chocolates, it is all organic.
The atmosphere of the cafe is relaxed. It is located below a Newbury Street shop and has a cozy basement feel. The walls around the counter are painted a shade of red, which accents the exposed brick on the other walls.
One thing that sticks out is the distiller, which Natural Bean employees use to distill the water in order to ensure their coffee’s quality.
‘We are an emergency water supply for Boston because of our distiller,’ Callahan said. ‘So you can come here and drink our water if there is ever a need.’
A sign next to the distillation tank reads, ‘Distilled water is the purest water on the planet.’ The distillation system removes 99.9 percent of all impurities including pesticides, pharmaceutical, microorganisms, heavy metals and other organic compounds to ensure the coffee and teas’ quality, according to the sign.
On a daily basis, they brew a dark and a light roast for Boston’s drip coffee drinkers for $1.65 for a small cup, $1.85 for medium and $1.95 for large. The dark brew is strong, but employees can mix a ‘half and half’ drink.
The coffee is strong, has a bold flavor and is piping hot. Usually, a cup of coffee this bold and flavorful carries a high acidity level with it, as any cup of coffee does, but this cup differed. Maybe it is the distilled water or maybe it is the fact that the beans are locally roasted.
‘Everything is fairly local,’ Callahan said. ‘The cookies and truffles are vegan, but you won’t know it, and come from various parts of Massachusetts and Vermont. Mainly New England.’
The cookies, $2.50 each, are soft, organic and a few are vegan.
The biscotti, $1.50, which goes well with a latte, $2.80 to $3.65, is not break-your-teeth hard, and instead has a crunch that is almost airy.
The lattes are not heavy, like some can be, and employees ask about milk preference. Their syrups actually carry a flavor and are not overpowering nor too sweet;’ one is still able to taste the espresso through flavorings.
The Natural Bean, 250 Newbury St., is open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day.
