Friday, March 15, 2019

High Voltage Cafe




Subject: High Voltage Cafe
Location visited: (Downtown) Asbury Park, NJ
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

It was about twelve years ago that I made my first visit to Asbury Park. Given the occasion, it was more of a truncated stop than a true visit, and until a few years ago I really never made it back.

But now every time I stop by, I find a new reason to return. My latest siren's call was a coffee shop and market with a strong reputation called High Voltage Cafe. Complete with both a downtown and boardwalk location (not to mention a Catskill location for treks into the mountains), I finally managed a detour to their gigantic, red-fronted market on Springwood Avenue one cloudy afternoon.

Inside, the two-storied space truly dwarfed my prior expectation, with a ceiling complete with skylights that made the space brilliant and tranquil. The shop offers a top notch aesthetic, with a superb layout full of well-matched furniture and tons of plants.

Despite the myriad of options regarding groceries and delicious meal items, my heart went right for the coffee. Utilizing modcup and Maiden Coffee Roasters, I settled upon an espresso of modcup's Secret Affair and also a cup of their Humble Jefferson via batch brew. The espresso, pulled medium with brown crema, tasted of chocolate, a little pepper, lemon, some romaine, vanilla and buttered cracker, proving thick, deep and solid. The drip coffee also fared well, with bright, sumptuous notes of vanilla cream, apple, corn, plum, bran and bib lettuce in a medium body.

All in all, High Voltage proved to be the electrifying establishment I had hoped. Whether you're in Asbury Park or the Catskills, definitely stop into one of their beautiful shops for a good cup of coffee. 




These wonderful folks made this visit possible in part. Make sure to check them out!


 

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