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Friday, Jul. 31, 2009

Blackbird Café shines with coffees, desserts

Most coffee shops worth their beans can make a great cup of coffee. For me, it’s often the other stuff that sets a place apart or turns it into one of my favorites.

If I lived or worked in Milledgeville, the Blackbird Café would definitely make that list.

Located downtown just off the Georgia College & State University campus, the Blackbird Café has a lot to like.

I spent time at the shop on two summer days, once mid-afternoon and once at lunchtime. Each time, the atmosphere was mellow and fairly quiet, which I enjoyed. (I’m guessing it gets pretty busy and more crowded in the mornings.) It was great for studying or a little conversation.

I love the décor. The walls are exposed brick, with a skylight near the front of the café. Black-and-white pictures dangle from the ceiling. There are a few bookshelves, some couches and coffee tables, and a ton of tables and chairs. The background music is a mix of genres and not too loud.

And the coffee? It’s good. Blackbird roasts its own beans. I had the Colombian roast (both the hot and iced versions), and both were strong, flavorful and not too bitter. Regular coffee is $1.47-$1.87, while iced coffee is $2-$2.25.

A friend had a cup of decaf and agreed that it had a nice flavor.

Another friend ordered an iced mocha ($3.50-$3.80) and said it had a good balance of chocolate and coffee.

Blackbird also offers the standard lattes and cappuccinos ($2.80-$3.50), but also has chai, milkshakes ($3.75-4.25) and smoothies ($4.25-$4.85). I tried some berrypom lemonade ($3.05), which was sweet, tart and perfect for summer.

The desserts ($1.50-$4.75) were mostly wonderful. The chocolate cheesecake was incredible: chocolate crust, chocolate cream cheese filling and dark chocolate top. Heaven! I also had a big, chewy triple chocolate chip cookie that was very tasty.

My friend really liked the pecan pie. She said it had a hint of bourbon/whiskey flavor and that the filling wasn’t overly sweet. On another visit she was disappointed by the key lime pie. She said it had a nice flavor with the right amount of tartness, but the filling was kind of tough and it didn’t taste really fresh.

I also tried a couple of their pre-made bagel sandwiches ($3.75-$4.75), which were average at best. I had a turkey sandwich and a veggie sandwich (roasted peppers, carrots, lettuce, hummus). My friend ordered the chicken salad bagel sandwich and said there wasn’t much chicken salad and the lettuce was wilted.

Bottom line: Get your lunch grub somewhere else, but go there for the coffee, dessert and comfy surroundings. Milledgeville has a gem in the Blackbird Café.

Blackbird Café

Three stars

Address: 114 W. Hancock St., Milledgeville

Phone: (478) 454-2473

Hours: 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Wednesday; 7 a.m.-11 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday

Payment: Cash, credit cards

Smoking: No

Alcohol: No

Kids menu: No

Noise level: Low

Health rating: 97