Showing posts with label counter culture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label counter culture. Show all posts

Monday, October 28, 2013

Thrillist Coffee Roaster Ranking


Check out this Thrillist Coffee Roaster ranking of 11 top US roasters as voted upon by "super-serious coffee nerds." It looks like it was a pretty solid consensus and I was happy to be a part of the nerds contributing.
 

Monday, May 18, 2009

CC: Abraco Espresso

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What's does "CC" mean?


Location visited: Manhattan, NY
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]


Getting back to the basics really makes me appreciate the simple flavors of life. Sure there are times when I want an ice cream sundae with 17 toppings rolled on a cold marble slab, but more often than not I really just want a cone of good vanilla custard.

Fortunately, there many establishments have gone the route of the bare bones basics, including a few coffee bars with the philosophy that it is better to do a few things spectacularly than produce a menu of mediocrity.

One such place is Abraco Espresso in lower Manhattan. Located in a building with enough standing room for about 5 people (apparently Abraco means "hug") and some intriguing outside furniture, the building definitely gives a minimalist look to complement their "no nonsense" menu.

I ordered an individually dripped coffee called A41 from Counter Culture (Abraco's coffee supplier), which displayed smooth and tangy like fruit punch and produced nice nuances of almond. The espresso also blessed my tongue with a pair of short, velvety shots with a bright acidity and a sumptuous sweetness of a lemon bar. There is no tea but there exists an enticing selection of local and in-house fare.

Needless to say, Abraco really gave a great showing with their drinks and seems to have a lot of wonderful potential. If you're anywhere in the area, definitely make a stop by Abraco for a simple yet amazing cup of drip or espresso.

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

CC: Perk on Main

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What's does "CC" mean?


Subject:
Perk on Main
Location visited: Emmaus, PA
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]



While I understand the history and necessity for turnpikes (roads use to be privately owned and hence, tolls were collected to manage upkeep; states now do the same to balance costs), oh how do I despise them. Especially ones with 3 exits over 7 hundred miles, like Rt 476 (i.e. the NE Extension of the PA turnpike) drive me nuts, as with normal highways you can get off at local towns as you go in order to grab refreshment and nourishment. Not with 476.

But occasionally, I decree (with the wife's consent of course) to go off course to grab some local coffee, with the most recent stop being a place called Perk on Main. The joint sits on the Main St of the cute little town of Emmaus, in a cute little store outfitted with a substantial porch and chic outside seating. The inside is a medium-sized room with peripheral seating and large serving area.

The coffee comes from Counter Culture Coffee out of North Carolina, a great roaster and purveyor of coffee (also becoming more and more common in the Northeast). I had the La Golondrina via drip, a wonderfully chocolaty and orange-ish coffee with low acidity and a creamy texture. The espresso was also a refreshing beverage, as the barista definitely knew what she was doing and hence pulled a smooth and bright shot with strong flavors of bittersweet cocoa and a nice cranberry tang. The tea is freeleaf and also from Counter Culture I believe.

While the sidetrip took me about 45 minutes out of the way, it was well worth it to find a gem like Perk on Main. If you're in the nearby area or even driving on 476, take a stop by Emmaus for the Perk on Main.

Monday, June 09, 2008

CC: Spruce Street Espresso

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What's a Coffee Commentary?

Subject: Spruce Street Espresso
Location visited:
Philadelphia, PA
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]



*UPDATED 1/29/14*

Location is CLOSED

Like a spoiled, sugar-driven child that impedes normal social interaction, so was the heat this past weekend. Lots and lots of soupy steaming air sure made me thankful for air conditioning (though I'm not at the point yet where I wish it was winter again). But as it was one of the free weekends in June, the wife and I made sure to utilize the most of it despite the oppressive heat by meeting up with some friends to grab lunch in Philly.

We found reasonable parking north of Market and after some brief indecision, settled on Profi's Creperie at the Reading Terminal Market (my one friend seems to love crepes almost as much as she loves her husband, but that's another story). The market was bustling with patrons but no matter the volume, it's always lovely to stop in. My crepe was by far one of the better I've ingested, though I felt the sauce in mine just a touch too rich.

After lunch, we logically decided to go get coffee. I suggested a new place that had sprung up a few months ago called Spruce Street Espresso. My compatriots agreed to go only if they had iced coffee, so I assured them if for some reason the place lacked that I could acquire them some speedily (the area has a good deal of coffeehouses).

When we arrived outside of Spruce Street Espresso, I realized that I had been to the spot a year prior when the space was another coffeehouse called Mochasmo or something like that. The exterior was much more inviting then it had been, with a nice blue sign and open blue-trimmed windows complimented with four tables to recline at amidst the heat. Walking inside, the place was well-organized and decorated for such a tiny space, though at the time an air conditioner would have made the place a little slice of heaven (I guess they get good cross breezes).

They serve Counter Culture (what seems to be a growing trend in Philly) and seem to be sticklers for the basics (i.e. they have a small traditional menu and take cash only). Given the extreme heat and the barista's recommendation, I ordered an iced coffee instead of the usual drip (also because I've had Counter Culture several times; I don't need another cup of drip to assure me it's good coffee). The iced brew was definitely made a la Japanese, a method I had just tried a couple days before in my own kitchen with similar positive results. The coffee was bright with a tinge of earthiness and proved very refreshing.

The espresso was also a wonderful beverage. The espresso was pulled well, provided a super-sweet chocolatey crescendo, and was served with a glass of water (usually one must ask for one). The tea is of the free leaf variety.

Looking back on the day, Spruce Street Espresso provided a wonderful accent to the day. After we left, we took at leisurely walk through LOVE park where we encountered an old friend of mine who told me about an event she was spearheading called Swing for the Cure (swing dance with a live band to support breast cancer research) that sounds like a wonderful time. We parted ways (she gave me a million fliers to pass onto friends) and the wife and I made our way to my sister's graduation party. Now that I think of it, Spruce Street Espresso made the rest of my day possible (my family still buys pre-ground grossness).

If you're in the area of Spruce and 11th, give SSE a stop.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

CC: Octane Coffee Bar and Lounge

What's a Coffee Commentary?

Subject:
Octane Coffee Bar and Lounge
Location visited: Atlanta, GA
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]



While I love unearthing shops unheard of, it's always delightful to visit places that have already attracted a good bit of credible attention. The promise of good coffee comes as a welcome change when traveling to far distant lands (such as Georgia).

The promise of good coffee also makes a 2 mile walk a little easier to rationalize in one's head, which happened to be the distance between my hotel and the exposed gem of Octane Coffee. The small operation has received a great deal of hype (
such as this lovely write-up here) and made for a suitable finish line during two different outings with some of my colleagues.

The exterior of the building is a low brick structure to the west of the Georgia Tech campus. There's a nice array of outside seating and what appears to be a club house on the roof (I don't know if it's theirs or even functional but it looks nifty). The interior of the place was quite large with concrete floors, a seemingly large amount of seating (most of the seats were taken on my second visit), and lots of local art.

The coffee hails from Counter Culture, almost always a great cup of coffee in my experience. I had the La Trinidad as it was their french press on tap (they brew large quanities and put it into a pump pot, a strategy I've only seen in Crescent Moon in NJ) which turned out to be very smooth and sweet, though a bit underwhelming/tad watery. To sum up the espresso, it embodied a pleasant euphoria; good pull by the barista resulting in a beautifully sweet taste and full lucious body. I recall the tea being free leaf but not much else. Might I add they also have an extensive beer selection complete with several on tap.

While I definitely earned a blister in the 4+ miles of walking to and fro, I really felt it worth it. Octane seems to have a great following and a qualified staff. I'm convinced by what I've read and witnessed firsthand that this is a coffee company that could go places. When in Atlanta, definitely give them a visit.

Monday, March 03, 2008

CC: Bonte


What's a Coffee Commentary?

Subject:
Bonte
Location visited: Philadelphia, PA
[visited 922 and 1315 Walnut]

Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 3+ [see key]



When waffles hit my eye (not literally), I usually think breakfast. Sure there's the occasional late night craving for chocolate chip waffles covered with whipped cream, but I can count on one hand the times I've yielded to such gastro-hankerings. So aside from a trip to Brussels, where else would you go to get a Belgian waffle around dinnertime? Well, if you live in Philadelphia or other select PA or NJ towns, you can head to Bonte.

Bonte is primarily a wafflerie but what caught my eye is that they also professed to serve quality and locally roasted coffee. So over the years, I've stopped in a couple times to try out the chain. The place displays a very optically sensual experience with some really beautiful color coordination and nice interior design (they like blue and brown).

One of the odd things is that they espouse to use "locally roasted" coffee and yet they serve Counter Culture coffee which to my knowledge is roasted deep in North Carolina (maybe they consider East Coast local?).

Regardless, I was a bit excited to get my coffee as Counter Culture has a pretty good reputation. And yet, I was somewhat disappointed. The coffee in my experience is decent yet most recently, the brew was definitely stale (too long in the pot). The espresso is generally mediocre; my shot of late was pulled fairly well and had a nice sweet acidity, but conversely possessed a noticeable hint of cardboard.

Being that their real passion is waffles, I decided in my most recent visit to give one a whirl. I had a blueberry waffle to go (wrapped up like a pretzel) that proved to be a tremendously tasty treat. How close it comes to a true Belgian waffle, I couldn't tell you.

As an overall chain, it seems that Bonte could use a little refinement with their espresso and coffee practices across the board. With a little bit more hard work and a freak movement of American waffle infatuation, the place could really take off.