Showing posts with label Northampton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Northampton. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 05, 2016

SIP Cafe and Coffee Bar




Subject: SIP Cafe and Coffee Bar
Location: Northampton, MA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

There are few things that rival a beautiful, sunny drive through the hills and mountains of western Massachusetts. While the wilds still remain largely unexplored to me, I have had the pleasure of venturing into many of the towns around the area, with one of my favorite being Northampton. Its dapper shop-lined streets and surprising number of coffee establishments has consistently brought me in town whenever I'm passing through.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

CC: Northampton Coffee

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What's does "CC" mean?
Location visited: Northampton, MA
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]


E
very time I pass through central Mass, I get to unearth something pleasant. This trip, I got a chance to explore the lovely town of Northampton amidst some beautiful fall foliage. The nice weather amidst the flowing streets and unique stops (like Thornes) really made my day boom.

On top of all that, there's Northampton Coffee, a coffeehouse that turns out to be the sister/parent coffeehouse of lovely Amherst Coffee. After a hearty lunch with some colleagues at the Northampton Brewery, we waltzed down to Northampton Coffee's doors and inside, I found a cafe layout very similar to Amherst's (so maybe more like a twin sister), though Northampton had no alcohol and more seating.

The coffee comes from Massachusetts's own Barrington Coffee, a roaster that has shelled out tasty coffee in my several experiences. I had the Sumatran, a nice sweet cherry nectar with a little nutmeg and a bit of darkness. The espresso was a quality short pull that smacked of almond, cocoa, mango and had an overall velvety mouthfeel. The tea is free leaf.

Much like Amherst Coffee, Northampton proved to be a wonderful coffee stop. When in town, try to land thyself at Northampton Coffee.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

CC: Rao's Coffee


What's does "CC" mean?

Subject:
Rao's Coffee
Location visited: Amherst, MA
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 4+ [see key]



For a good part of my life, I've only really looked at the coast of Massachusets as a place worth visiting, such as Boston and Martha's Vineyard. Then recently, I've had the distinct pleasure of traveling through the other 90% of the state for various reasons and have found many groovy locales.

Though an obvious pick, Amherst still towers as one of my favorite spots mid-state (though a colleague of my contends Northampton as superior). Aside from nearby U Mass, the town boasts a pretty cool spread with decent parking and seemingly plenty to do.

One such happening destination proved to be the decade-old coffeehouse, Rao's Coffee. The place sits a little off the center streets which gives it a nice secluded ambiance with more than plenty of outside seating amidst a beautiful courtyard and patio. Once you walk inside, the place grabs a lot of natural light from its windows as well as their huge globe lights and has two rooms with more than enough seating.

Rao's roasts their coffee at a seperate location in nearby Hadley and had a good variety available at their cafe. That fine morning of my visist, I had the Tanzanian Peaberry, roasted a little dark for drip, which had a flare of char that added a little spice as well as nice grape presence (not endemic of the roast). The espresso was pulled in two medium shots, had decent crema, a little lime up front, a nice chocolate milk flavor and a tinge of pretzel on the caboose. The tea I noted but right now, I cannot read what I wrote.


Given the cool location and the fair coffee, I would say that Rao's adds a nice facet to the town. If nearby, give Rao's a try.