Diedrich’s got a keen sense of coffeehouse style

You could be thinking: Another coffee store on Westcliff Drive? The Newport Beach road, which turns into 17th Street when it hits the Costa Mesa line, is home already to a Starbucks, Peet’s, and two Diedrich’s.

But when you walk into Kéan Coffee, you’ll quickly realize that it’s not just another coffeehouse. Your first clue: The man hand-roasting the coffee beans. If he looks familiar, that’s because it’s Martin Diedrich, the entrepreneur who helped launch the coffee craze in Orange County and whose original store still sits just down the street.

Diedrich, 47, took his namesake business public in the 1990s, was roughed up in the corporate world and left the company nearly two years ago. Now the third-generation coffee roaster has gone back to his roots with a sophisticated and cozy coffeehouse named after his 7-year-old son.

“It resonates well with me,” said Diedrich, who can no longer use Diedrich as a trade name. “It also reflects my future, taking coffee conceptually to the next level.”

At Kéan Coffee, Diedrich goes upscale, and treats the coffeehouse as art. Kéan’s interior reflects his meticulous approach. He designed every last detail of its décor.

“I arduously labored for months and months,” Diedrich said. “It’s that zeal and drive I have for quality.”

It shows. He chose exquisite Fortuny silk lamps in spiral and Ottoman shield shapes; light, genuine teak from Southeast Asia, and beautiful Brazilian granite counters. A true labor of love was the Venetian plaster wall where Diedrich reveals a portion of his collection of coffee burlap bags.

“Each bag represents a coffee farm in the world that I visited,” Diedrich said. “Or a highly-thought-of coffee.”

Diedrich’s deep burgundy and black masterpiece roaster was built by his brother, Steve, who owns Diedrich Coffee Roasters, a premium roaster that yields high-quality flavors in coffee. With his background, Diedrich has access to some of the world’s best coffee.

“It’s my extreme forte,” Diedrich said. And it’s his life’s work. Diedrich fondly recalls growing up on his family’s small coffee farm in Guatemala, picking coffee berries. And he finds it ironic that two decades ago, he sat by his late father’s side, just across the street, hand roasting coffees. “I’ve come full circle.”

Don’t ask Diedrich to name his favorite coffee. That’s like asking someone, “Who is your favorite child?” He hand roasts Kona, Panama Estate, Columbia Bella Vista, Brazil organic Biodynamic and Kenya AA Top (from $6.65 for a 6-ounce bag to $12.25 for a 12-ounce bag). Like fine wines, the unique coffees have distinct rich, full-bodied, well-balanced, creamy, buttery and even fruity flavors. Kéan Coffee will offer coffee tasting classes in a few months for coffee enthusiasts.

For Kéan, Diedrich has developed an adventurous line of coffee lattes, including an unforgettable Turkish caffe latté with pure cane sugar and freshly ground cardamom ($3.25 to $4.25); a minty Grasshopper laced with vanilla ($3.25 to $4.25); or Caffe Borgia that pairs the wonderful flavors of sweet chocolate and citrus orange ($3.25 to $4.25).

Also, don’t miss Kéan’s latte art. The top of each latte will have an artistic creation -- a swirl or flower-like design formed from the velvety texture of ultra fine steamed milk bubbles combined with coffee.

There are also coffee-free lattes, including a pick-me-up green tea latté, aromatic lavender steamer, and malted caramel steamers ($2.50 to $4.50). Chocoholics will appreciate the chocolate bar menu with nine chocolate-based drinks, including a Mayan spiced mocha and a white chocolate steamer ($2.75 to $4.50). Or shoot the moon with a straight chocolate shot, a 5-ounce chocolate drink made from cocoa beans grown in Venezuela, Madagascar, or Ecuador ($1.95). Kéan also has a cool children’s “monkey bar” menu that features a not-too-hot milk and honey steamer, a Mexican hat dance cocoa and Hibiscus jungle punch ($1.55 to $2.50).

Even the bakery items are special. The local Pacific Whey Bakery provides fresh bakery treats for Kéan including an old-fashioned chocolate cake ($4.95); a chocolate butter cream cake ($4.95); a brownie walnut square ($2.50); a flaky buttermilk cheddar biscuit with egg ($4.95), and crème brulée bread pudding ($4.95). There are also cinnamon crisps ($3.50); chocolate pinwheels ($3.50); and a perfect cinnamon custard croissant ($3.25).

Diedrich is confident that his independent business will fill a void produced by coffeehouse chains. He cites the Pacific Northwest as the model of this new diversity and future of competition in the coffee industry. In Seattle, the birthplace of Starbucks, Diedrich says there are more independent coffeehouses than in any other city in the country. “It hasn’t yet caught on down here,” Diedrich said.

Here’s guessing that it will. There’s room for competition, even in a market saturated with ubiquitous, cookie-cutter, albeit quality, operations. Local coffee shops are the best places to huddle over a warm latté, enjoy a pastry, meet friends, and even get online.

And having someone of Diedrich’s legendary status roasting the coffee beans on the premises, ringing up a sale or even serving customers gives the independent coffeehouse an entirely different vibe than its corporate competitors.

Diedrich is putting in 16-hour days at Kéan and seems to enjoy nearly every minute.

“Just like in my early days of business, I get to apply my craft,” he said. “I have passion, and can see the fruits of my effort.”

Having seen the highs and lows generated by corporate life that relentlessly tries to increase the bottom line, Diedrich appears to have once again found a little slice of java heaven near his Eastside Costa Mesa home.

“This is not a publicly traded company. There’s no corporate executive,” he said. “I’m truly enjoying myself.”

A special note to Daily Pilot readers: This is my last dining review for the newspaper. I’ve had a wonderful time the past two years highlighting more than 100 restaurants in the Newport-Mesa community. During that time, I’ve met some of the nicest and most dedicated restaurateurs you’ll find anywhere, and the Pilot readers have always been a great support team for me, giving me new tips and providing insightful feedback. Thank you everyone. For those of you interested in the next phase of my career, you can reach me at greerwylder@yahoo.com.

IF YOU GO

* WHAT: Kéan Coffee

* WHERE: 2043 Westcliff Drive, Suite 100 in Newport Beach

* WHEN: Open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily

* INFO: (949) 642-KEAN (5326) or www.keancoffee.com

20060210iug1qtnc(LA)Karen, son Kean, 7, and Martin Diedrich of Kéan Coffee in Newport Beach.