Barista Banter: Andy Shulz at De Luxe

You see them every day, but how much do you really know about your local barista? This morning, we stopped in to say hello to Andy Schulz at De Luxe (410 7th Avenue).

Where are you originally from? I was born in Piqua, Ohio.

Do you live here in the neighborhood? No, I live in Brooklyn Heights.

How long have you been in South Slope? One year on December 13.

Do you have a favorite coffee? I like espresso. We pull a roast done by DOMA Coffee out of Idaho, and technically speaking, we like to pull what’s called a double ristretto. It’s almost 3 shots worth of ground espresso coffee, pulled out into just less than a double. It’s a very tight proper Italian ristretto.

How about a favorite restaurant? The pizza over at Toby’s (686 6th Avenue) is fantastic. I had a nice meal over at Sweetwolf’s (492 6th Avenue), and Fonda, obviously. Fonda (437 7th Ave) kills it every time. Talde (369 7th Avenue) was fantastic. That was the last place we ate, over at Talde. From start to finish, that meal was exceptional, but I think everyone knows that.

Favorite places to shop in the neighborhood? The Homebody Boutique (449 7th Avenue) further down 7th has great, fun little stuff. The owner is a sweetheart, too.

De Luxe is celebrating their one year anniversary this week, so be sure to head over to Bar 4 (444 7th Avenue) on Sunday, December 16, from 5pm to 8pm, and help owners Andy and Tina ring in their first South Slope birthday. Congrats, guys!