Review: Foam Coffee and Beer in St. Louis

When it comes to bars and/or restaurants, I’ve always been an advocate for simplicity. Choose a concept and go with it. Find the one or two concoctions you can serve up exceptionally well and stick with them. Don’t gum up the works by offering a myriad of choices and trying to be all things to all people. Such would most likely be the case, I thought at first, with Foam, a new establishment on the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Cherokee Street billing itself schizophrenically as a coffeehouse and bar, two options it straddles with unconcerned ease. Foam is what I can only describe as a wonderful paradox, both simple and sophisticated, common and unique, part stimulant and part depressant. But somehow, it works.
 
Foam is the fledging first business venture of entrepreneur Mike Glodeck, who, after laying the money down for the commercial space in May 2007, started drawing up plans, tearing down walls and designing a destination unlike any other on Cherokee, an area known primarily for its variety of antique shops and Latin eateries. In late October 2009, when all the dust settled, Foam was born. Since then, it has been drawing a steady clientele, who have spread the positive word about Glodeck’s unique house of cool that has played host to an array of acoustical and rock groups as well as performance artists and poets. Foamculture, another unique draw, meets to do wine and coffee tastings.
 
In terms of the décor, unique is most definitely the word. Christmas lights and various mismatched lamps dangle from the green tin ceiling, throwing light on a collection of barstools, tables and retro chairs that rest on a slick, whitewashed pine floor. On one side, underneath a huge window dotted with flyers and band announcements, sits an antique waist-high Coca-Cola cooler. On the wall opposite hangs a row of pachinko machines, old-school Japanese pinball devices. Additional seating is available in an adjacent back room, similarly decorated and nicely lit. 
 
Much like Foam itself, the drink options, though seemingly confused, are in fact deceptively simple. Customers can make their choice: coffee, beer, wine. Fortunately, Glodeck and Co. have figured out how to serve up all three exceedingly well. And while there aren’t many options, what is offered is stellar. Caffeine fans will appreciate that Foam imports its beans from Northwest Coffee Roasting Co. in the Central West End; a stiff regular cup, thick cappuccino, espresso and even whole beans are available. Draft beer – Guinness, Acadia Nut Brown Ale and New Belgium Ranger – is poured up in 16-ounce, 20-ounce and pitcher-sized servings, ranging from $5 to $17.50. Bottles, handed out with frosty glasses, range from $3 to $8 and include Hitachino White Ale, Magic Hat #9, Shiner, Pabst Blue Ribbon, New Belgium Fat Tire, Tin Mill Hefeweizen and Hoegaarden. Wine selections vary, but on several visits customers were enjoying glasses of Pinot and Sauvignon Blanc at $5 a pop. “Adult Drinks,” as advertised on a chalkboard behind the bar, include Hot Whiskey Toddy, Irish Coffee, Fragile Baby and Best Hot Chocolate. 
 
Definitely not your average bar scene, Foam is more casual, more subdued. It’s a sip-your-drink type of place where patrons mingle, read books, surf the Web, flirt at a back table, share a pitcher and enjoy the night. Don’t be surprised to see a graduate school professor holding session. Weekend crowds (still a bit thin as word continues to spread) vary from 20-something hipsters with PBRs in hand to smartly dressed baby boomers laughing over a few glasses of Pinot. Intellectual without being too pretentious, Foam is an inviting and smart addition to the neighborhood.  
 
STL AFTER DARK
Check it: Artsy décor, indie soundtrack, smooth beer.
Suds or ‘Tinis: Stop in for a coffee on your way to work and grab a Hoegaarden after dark.
Hipster or Hoosier: A hipster paradise that’s anything but pretentious.
Where: Foam Coffee and Beer, 3359 S. Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314.772.2100
When: Mon. to Thu. – 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fri. and Sat. – 8 a.m. to 1 a.m., Sun. – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.