Alyssa
French pastries have arrived to Alamo Heights. CommonWealth Coffeehouse, located at 118 Davis Court, across from the University of the Incarnate Word, bakes croissants and brews coffee as if the coffeehouse sat alongside other bakeries on the streets of Paris, France. When we visited on a cold afternoon, there were only two things on our mind- coffee and soup.
Yes, that is a cat mug. I must admit that I have a tendency to lean towards the positive side whenever cats are involved, but the cappuccino inside the adorable cat mug was fantastic.
Jacqueline ordered the tarragon salad croissant. The homemade chicken salad was served on a bed of greens inside a handmade croissant. When we said that French pastries arrived to Alamo Heights, we were not exaggerating. The two main chefs at CommonWealth are both from France and every croissant that comes out of the kitchen is homemade and you can tell with every single bite you take. On Saturdays, CommonWealth has begun baking 200 croissants for the morning rush, and even that is not enough. We completely understand why.
My french-insired tomato and basil soup was life changing. I say life changing because I love tomato soup, and whenever it’s on a menu, I order it immediately. Before my meal at CommonWealth, my favorite tomato basil soup came from La Madeline, but my tomato basil life has changed. The soup was so flavorful that every bite caused me to smile out of pure joy. Writing this now I know I must’ve looked like an insane person, but that is now invalid. After devouring the soup, I moved onto the tomato mozzarella sandwich- fresh mozzarella and tomatoes on a handmade, viennois bun with a side of vinaigrette. The smile never left my face.
After enjoying our French-inspired lunch, we had the pleasure to talk with Jose Campos, owner of CommonWealth, and learned that this authentic coffeehouse we were sitting in was once a mere mirage.
CommonWealth has been open for a little over a month, and before opening, the location of the coffeehouse was nothing compared to what it is today. The house that stood there had no value, but Campos saw potential in the forgotten house and transformed it into an amazing coffeehouse for the community.
Everything inside CommonWealth captures your eye. You can truly tell it was once a house and there’s an immediate comfort that sets in once you walk through the door. Art hangs on the walls and books lean against the windows; miniature mannequins from the University of the Incarnate Word fashion department decorate tabletops.
With an espresso machine imported from Italy and art by students from the University of the Incarnate Word, CommonWealth Coffeehouse truly blurs the lines of international and local.
Have you dined at CommonWealth yet? Or do you want to? Leave us a comment!