CC: Kava Cafe [NYC]

Subject: Kava Cafe
Locations: Lower and Mid Manhattan, NY
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

UPDATE 3.13.14
Finding a NYC coffeehouse with a beautiful courtyard full of outside seating is a rare find. Sure, outside seating is only worth something half the year in the fair land of Manhattan, but every time I find such a cafe owning the novelty, I still find myself wanting to take full advantage of it (unless it's deluging, but otherwise I'm outside).

Stumbling upon once such coffee joint that not only sported a great courtyard but also slings Annapolis' Ceremony Coffee, I found some lower Manhattan gold in Kava Cafe. Located off Washington St, I trotted in from the bright morning sun inside to the mood-lit cafe that gave off a vibe of a swanky rendezvous fit for 007. The cafe doesn't have a ton of room for sitting inside (it's Manhattan) but as I mentioned, if the weather is with you there happens to be plenty of seating on their back patio.

As for my coffee that day, I had an espresso of Destroyer and a drip of a Brazil Daterra. The Destroyer, pulled short with a brown crema, sang of vanilla, lemon, whole milk, cola, a little soy sauce and a touch of kale encapsulating a well-balanced, scrumptious spro. The Brazil also proved spectacular, with notes of nuts, birch, pear, a little almond butter and a smidgen of beef stock in a medium body.

If you are in need of some great coffee and an airy respite in the Meatpacking District, head on over to Kava Cafe.


UPDATE 3.13.14

Made it out to the midtown cafe on 42nd Street recently. Same great coffee in a much more spacious and gorgeous spot, with the same vibe and a full bar.

CC: Kava Cafe

Subject: Kava Cafe
Location: Breckenridge, CO
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 4+ [see key]


There's something about old wood buildings that makes me chipper. Maybe it's my love of spaghetti westerns or maybe it's the rustic feel of days past, but no matter my impetus, it is also quite the trend in many places to set up shop in old barns or bungalows.

One town that is full of such spiffy-looking digs is Breckenridge, Colorado. Walking down and around the main thoroughfares you are bound to see some intriguing constructs, ranging from salons to outfitters. One particular establishment that caught my eye for it's character also drew my gaze for the contents: a small shop slinging small donuts and coffee called Kava Cafe.

Though I had heard word about their great small donuts, I had not heard anything of their coffee. Looking inside their shack, I noticed they purvey Coda Coffee out of Denver, and having had fair experience with them prior, I gave Kava's coffee a try. For espresso, I had the Harmony blend and for the drip I had their Sumatra. The espresso, pulled somewhat long with thick blondish-brown crema, held potent notes of pepper and cinnamon within a bitter dark bite with not much else for flavor (alas, not the best espresso I've ever had). The Sumatra on the flip side was one of the better Sumatran coffees I've sampled in recent memory, with notes of honey, apple juice, caramel and nutmeg amidst a smooth, well-balanced, medium body.

While I can't boast of the espresso service that I had, it's plausible I hit the barista at a bad time. But even so, Kava still seems like a great spot on the main drag of Breck for a good cup of drip and some great, freshly-made donuts. Give it a try if you're in town.