Ron Mendoza and his team at Ad Astra Bread Co. refuse to be bound by convention. Although convention demands they dole out pumpkin spice—being a bakery and coffee shop—they choose instead to rebel.
“We have no rules,” Mendoza says with an edge of insurrection.
Well, perhaps there’s not so much defiance in his voice than a desire to stand above the norm, and have fun with it at the same time. So in place of the ubiquitous coffee drink, the downtown Monterey bakery prepares the Not Quite Pumpkin Latte.
A combination of espresso, roasted yams, brown sugar and cloves, the Not Quite is not as intrusive as the commonplace spice blend. Clove brings a warm and familiar clasp—a holiday embrace. Yet there is a stoic, bitter note brought forward by the dark roast coffee, developing from the nutty, fruity puree.
Roasting the yams brings a toasted comfort to the finish. At no point, however, does the Not Quite Pumpkin Latte lose its identity as a coffee drink.
Call it a respite from pumpkin spice, if you will—although in our romp through the flavor imposed on October by the pumpkin spice overlords, Ad Astra’s creation is a clever departure: right for the season, but a thumbed nose at the rulebook.
“That’s the idea,” Mendoza explains. “It’s not all just spices. It has a deeper flavor.”
Indeed, there’s a welcome reserve to the seasoning, and to the idea behind it. Yams are a reasonable autumn substitute—venturing, but not too far. Cloves offer a suitable holiday spirit, without piling on.
So rather than a celebration of spices, the Not Quite Pumpkin Latte becomes a moment of contentment, a drink that is grounded and bittersweet, calm and creamy all at the same time.
Mendoza credits his barista for coming up with the idea, and It stands apart from the more spice-forward lattes. The drink has quickly found a following (including the owner of Ad Astra himself, who points out, “I had one earlier today”). But is such a thing allowed by the laws governing pumpkin spice season?
“I was never tempted to do typical stuff,” Mendoza says. “There’s enough pumpkin spice lattes to go around.”
Ad Astra Bread Co. is at 479 Alvarado St., Monterey. adastrabread.com.
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