Cusco (or Cuzco), Peru, one of the main hubs of the Incan Empire, is also the name of a new cafe in Ballard. The converted house looks like a clean, model-home living room, only with extra dining-room tables, free Wi-Fi and a huge TV, placed for the sole purpose of sport. Not sports, sport: soccer.Cafe Cuzco serves vacuum-press coffee in scientific-looking, hourglass glass pots ($3.50); they produce a coffee that’s smooth and clean because unlike French press, there is no sediment. If you’re used to French press, though, the coffee resulting from vacuum might seem a little thin to you. Fans of vacuum press laud it for the fact that you can’t overextract. Caffeinated nerds are the cutest. On the weekends, the owner serves a short menu of Peruvian specialties (noon until close). Get the huacatay — a black-mint and queso fresco sauce over potatoes.Cafe Cuzco, 5701 15th Ave. N.W., open daily 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., BALLARD
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