Upon entering Rush Espresso located in Ballantyne Village, you feel the vibe of owners Jenny and Paul McConachy’s roots in Australia andtheir love of professional bike racing. The space is sleek and modern with white leatherbenches mixed in with cozy tables and retro, white chairs. Lots of chrome with splashes of red add to the decor with touches of bike racing memorabilia.
Rush Espresso serves Illy Coffeewhich is described on their website as a “blending of nine varieties of 100% sustainably-grown Arabica beans, meticulously selected from different growing regions around the world to create a consistent, distinctive and perfectly balanced flavor cup after
cup.” The Buzz ordered a cup and it was smooth with no bitter after-taste.
But espresso is not all Rush Espresso serves: Cappuccino, Lattes, Mocha’s, Teasand Iced Beverages, including a drink called Affogato described as vanilla ice cream with espresso and whipped cream – perfect for a hot summer day in Ballantyne! Plus Rush Espresso serves breakfast and has a lunch / dinner menu including paninis, salads, pasta& chili. Paulexplained all items are made from scratch in their kitchen; and, he is especially proud of the Australian Meat Pie – a
must try!
The walls in Rush Espresso have pictures of bikers in the past with one in particular catching my eye portraying a biker passing a cigarette to another biker. According to Paul McConach back in the 1930’s when this picture was taken, it was believedthat smoking a cigarette opened up your lungs for better performance…can you imagine?
You will quickly realize there are lots of regulars as they were called “Darling” and “Mate” with Paul’s charming Austrailian accent. Ironically, Cadel Evans, won the Tour De Francewhen the Buzz was there on Sundayand he is the first Australian to ever win. I think there was at least one coffee barrister in Ballantyne doing a little celebrating !
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