NY Ristrettos [edited]

I recently did a little tour of New York coffee shops:

Gimme Coffee in Ithaca
Cafe Grumpy in Chelsea
Ninth Street Espresso (on 9th St!)
Joe the Art of Coffee on Waverly


It struck me that there seems to be a convergence among these diverse shops. To my taste buds at least, they all prefer small, thick ristrettos that are pretty similar in style: a tangy beginning, a mellow or fruity middle, and a sweet, syrupy finish.

Of course there were differences in texture and flavor. Gimme was the thickest and the smokiest of the bunch. And the ristretto that Felice (who always cracks up when I point the camera at him) pulled for me at Grumpy was fruitiest and, at the end, extraordinarily sweet.

But still, it appears that ordering an "espresso" at these third wave shops gets you a very small, ristretto-ish drink. Unless it's an experimental single origin shot, it will be very short, made from a Brazil-heavy blend, and won't be too bright or too fruity.

It is remarkable how, in the last two or three years, the quality that these shops make available to the public has risen spectacularly. But, as a change of pace, does anyone offer a lighter, less restricted beverage, more along the lines of a "traditional double?" Apparently customers aren't asking for it, or else the shops would meet the demand.