Genoa Coffee & Wine – Where Style Meets Food, Drinks & Music

By Chris Pepper-Yowell
When it comes to elegance and good taste, Genoa Coffee and Wine knows exactly what it means to provide their customers with a chic, laidback experience of classic Italy. Located at 2614 South Timberline Road, Genoa has been around for over six years. It changed ownership in 2009, and Michael Burns and his family currently manage it. It has become a local hotspot for good food, great coffee and a low-key, easy-going atmosphere.
“A lot of the cafes in Italy focus on bringing smooth coffee and wine to their customers, so we decided to continue that model here in Fort Collins,” says Michael Burns.
Genoa offers around 18-20 different wines, generally an equal selection of white and red, but they primarily feature one brand of coffee.
“Lavazza is our main coffee – we import it from Italy. It took us several months to find it, but we love it because of how smooth it is,” says Michael. “This coffee is completely different to what some people experience…espressos are no longer bitter.”
Genoa has a lot of offer as far as food and beverages go, but a first-timer should take a bite out of their appetizers and order a superb coffee drink. Pizzas, one of the most popular food items, are all made from scratch and offer a variety of classic combinations (such as Chicken Pesto, Margherita, or Sausage and Basil).
“Our unique cheese plate is another favorite. We try to keep things interesting and different at Genoa, so our cheese plate rotates with cheeses from all different countries. Once we run out, we move onto something else,” says Michael.
Even with their decadent dishes and incredible beverages, Genoa has one more thing to offer: excellent live music.
“Music had always been something we wanted to do from when we first bought Genoa,” says Robert Burns (Genoa’s primary booking agent). “So we put sign-up sheets around and asked some of our friends to play. What we didn’t realize was how many talented artists were here. Now we have people coming in here not just from Colorado, but Washington, Oregon and Vermont. It’s just incredible.”
Genoa currently has live music Tuesday through Saturday, between 7pm and 9pm. Though their music is primarily acoustic and easy listening, Genoa is looking for artists that play anything from bluegrass to jazz to Latin.
“It’s like someone is playing in your living room,” says Michael. “We try to keep it low-key so that people can enjoy conversation, but that does not limit the kinds of music that we want to bring in here.”
So whether you are looking for a great bite to eat, somewhere to grab a quick cup of coffee or a place to sit back and listen to some good music, Genoa is the place to be.
“Some of the most amazing music comes through here, but sometimes goes unheard. We do not offer musicians anything to play here besides food and drinks, but they can put out their CDs and tip jars. We aren’t a tough crowd to please.”
Check out genoacoffee.blogspot.com for more information. Genoa Coffee & Wine is located at 2614 South Timberline Road. Head on down to check out their food, coffee & wine specialties, and catch live music every Tuesday-Saturday from 7-9pm.