Mugged: Ferris Coffee

Subject: Ferris Coffee and Nut
Coffees Mugged and Rating [see key]:
- Costa Rica Sumava 5+

- Guatemala San Sebastian 6+

- Ethiopia Misty Valley 6+

Most coffee roasters older than disco do not produce coffee worth coffee drinking. Whether one attributes it to a fear of change or the stubborn fortitude of old habits, most coffee purveyors that predate Alfred Peet still usually purvey subpar coffee. Thus in light of the disappointing odds for old coffee roasting operations, it's pretty amazing that Ferris Coffee and Nut, having been around for nearly a century, delivers some pretty amazing coffee.

The Sparrows

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: The Sparrows
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Growing up in a newspaper-reading household in the Philadelphia area, my family always had a need for the morning paper. During periods where weekly subscriptions weren't in the budget, it was often my task to head to the local newspaper stand to grab the Sunday paper on the weekend. For suburban NJ, we had a decent options like delis and WaWa, but none as great as The Sparrows.

Rowster Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Rowster Coffee
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Until recently, I did not know that Wealthy was a female first name. Yet it turns out that Wealthy Street in Grand Rapids is named for Wealthy Davis, a woman that was married to Kent County’s first probate judge. Fortunately for Ms. Davis, her namesake avenue is home to some great coffee from local coffee purveyor Rowster Coffee.

Madcap Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Madcap Coffee
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

These days, few coffee companies seem to have as many fans as Madcap Coffee. Whether it's their colorful designs or their excellently-roasted coffee, one usually hears many cheers of affirmation when Madcap is on the table (both topically and literally).