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.

6 comments:

Jason Coffee said...

I could not agree more with getting back to the basics. Many coffee shops have gone in the direction of giving customers what they want. Which in and of itself is not a bad thing. But when you start venturing away from the primary focus of the business, in this case coffee, it becomes something different. There is a place for this but I personally, being the coffee lover that I am, love the atmosphere of a shop dedicated to the bean.

A Coffee Shop should be about Coffee. IMHO :)

the dad said...

If you want to get back to the basics, I would recommend roasting your own coffee. I started doing this and have found that it's really pretty fun. It's a great way to experiment with different green coffees and I love the way it makes my house smell. If you interested I would encourage you to check out the site I use -
www.chicancoffee.com

I've found pretty much everything I need there and it's pretty reasonable.

Respect the bean! : )

Anonymous said...

Great espresso! Another one very godd is the mokaflor.it but it's a little difficoult to be fond around north america...

Hal said...

I liked your comments about espresso especially saeco espresso machine the most recent ones.

Hal said...

liked the blog

Thom Holmes said...

Update: Abraco remains the wonderful, small, espresso shop you reviewed in 2009. However, owners Jamie and Liz now roast their own coffee and espresso blend after spending maybe two years perfecting it. It comes in a variety of flavors named, so it seems, after their lovely daughter and a few regulars at the shop. You meet the most wonderful people here; artists, actors, musicians; clothiers, hair dressers. Twelve people can stand inside the shop in the winter. And NO mochas ( Jamie once told me he just "didn't get the whole coffee and chocolate thing.") This is my favorite espresso shop--the one by which I measure all others.