Amity Coffee Co.

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Amity Coffee Co.
Location: Penn Yan, NY
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

For the three long years my wife and I spent in Syracuse, we tried to make the most of our geography and visit all of the nifty towns in the area. Looking back, we failed quite deplorably, as we only went for the crowd favorites like Ithaca and Watkins Glen. Now I look at the map of New York and see so many intriguing spots we've had to make up since we moved south.

CC: Finger Lakes Coffee Roasters

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Subject: Finger Lakes Coffee Roasters

Location visited: Farmington, NY
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 3+ [see key]


Little detours for coffee on common routes can really add the necessary pizazz to make it a worthwhile expedition.

One trip in need of such spice was a small day trip to Letchworth State Park. I-90 can suck the moisture out of your eyes with boredom, so I managed to isolate a possible decent place called Finger Lakes Coffee Roasters. Since I had sampled their coffees in other locations with varying stats, I traveled with a tinge of promise of a good stop.

This location of FLCF exists in a strip mall right off of 90. The bright red letters on white exterior overshadow a basic exterior with three nicely shaded tables. Upon entering the cute, high ceiling-ed store, I noticed first the assaulting aroma of vanilla-flavored coffee and then more subtle details such as the many coffee vats along the wall and the overall mountain lodge feel.

I chose their Peru La Florida, an attractive single origin available via pump pot. The coffee didn't do much for me, as it held a nice sweetness but otherwise was too saucy, stale and seemed fairly bleh. The espresso didn't start off well as the small/medium pull came to me in a paper cup; it threw out some cranberry and deep cocoa as well as some strong bitterness on the end. The tea was Numi.

Fortunately, Letchworth balanced out the trip with some wonderful vistas (though it never ceases to disgust me at how NY truly left little pristine to their State Parks. I mean who thought iron gates all over the trails was a good idea?!). If you're looking for fair coffee, stop into one of Finger Lakes Coffee Roasters many locations.

CC: Creekside Books and Coffee

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Subject: Creekside Books and Coffee
Location visited: Skaneateles, NY
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 4+ [see key]


Some would say that with every breathtaking vista one visits, it takes less and less breath away. To a degree, I would have to agree as the Appalachians seem small and lowly compared to seeing the Rockies, yet on the other side of the coin I do believe it's all about the way you look at it.

Thus, when I first made a trip to the wealthy picturesque finger-laked town of Skaneateles I can't say I was too impressed. Sure the main street was bustling with folks, the lake beautiful, and some of the houses breathtaking but the majority of the shops were not of much interest to me and there was not one decent coffeehouse in sight. Consequently, after that trip I didn't think much of the locale.

But recently, I had a few conversations with a friend who knew the area and so when I was there the other day, I had a few recommendations as to what do and see in town including a coffeehouse off the main stretch called Creekside Books and Coffee. From what I understood, the coffeehouse/bookstore combo was a bustling haven for locals and actually served decent coffee.

Pulling up to the transformed house-now-coffeebookstore, I was surprised to see a spacious looking structure with two entrances and a parking lot on the non-street side. Walking in, you enter a foyer with the books to the one side and the coffeehouse to the other. The bookstore area reminded me of a library; a little too sterile for my tastes. The coffeehouse conversely was a beautiful loft-ish space with a nice stone tile floor, tan walls, and even a balcony-like second floor.

The coffee is roasted in-house in an odd looking Java Master roaster (the model 2002 air roaster). They roast a variety of different coffees, from blends to single origins. That particular morning, I had the Papua New Guinea which had a mildly earthy taste with shades of char; a good cup of coffee yet it had room to improve. The espresso was pulled of average quality. It had moderate crema and some heavy oil, but it did demonstrate a noticeable sweetness and fair body. The tea was Republic of Tea.

So in the end I did enjoy my visit to Skaneateles more this time; besides the enjoyable trip to Creekside, I had a good breakfast and was able to relax from the business I had at hand that day. I do hope Creekside continues to thrive (and possibly also grease some of their rusty facets). If you're in town, make sure not to waste your time on lesser coffee on the main drag but make a stop a little further out at Creekside.