It’s ironic that Cricket & Fig is located in one of Tulsa’s most quaint shopping destinations, London Square. The café, mostly known for its gourmet chocolates and desserts, also makes some of the best Italian coffee Tulsa has to offer.
Randy Page, owner and chef, started out creating hand-crafted chocolates. “I knew from the beginning when I opened the café, I wanted to sell products you may not be able to find anywhere else in town. It was also important that whatever I serve, it’s of the utmost quality.” All chocolates begin and end with Vairhona chocolate, often considered by many chefs to be the finest chocolate available.
When Page decided to add a coffee bar, quality and taste were his top priorities. Illy coffee comes from Trieste, Italy, and the gentleman who founded the company in 1933, patented not only the method of packaging coffee in cans using inert gas to keep it fresh, but also the way coffee is brewed by forcing hot water under pressure to brew coffee, which is basically an espresso.
The result? The cappuccinos and lattes have an aroma that could allure even the sleepiest out of bed. But what is so different about Illy coffee? “There are two types of coffee beans, arabica and robusta. Illy only uses arabica beans, which is what give the coffees such a full taste,” explains Page. Besides the traditional hot coffee drinks, cold brew and nitro are great choices for even the most discerning of coffee drinkers. And while nitro coffee has become increasingly popular over the last couple of years, you might be surprised by its unique taste. Nitro is a cold coffee on tap that’s infused with tiny nitrogen bubbles that give it a light, foamy, almost creamy texture. “Nitro really brings out the natural sweetness and creaminess of the coffee,” states Page.
Whatever your coffee pleasure, visit Cricket & Fig at 5800 S. Lewis Ave., in London Square. Visit the website at CricketAndFig.com for hours and menu.