Showing posts with label Ceremony Coffee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ceremony Coffee. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Lorca



Subject: Lorca
Location: Stamford, CT
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

If there's a state in which I started off on the wrong foot, it was Connecticut. As one of the first states to grace my youthful eyes, the land debuted as merely a glorified series of congested interstates. No sooner had I entered into Connecticut did I wish to be rid of it on the other side, destined for tourism in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and other points north. Now older and wiser, I have realized how many gems I have missed in the many towns of CT. To make up for lost time, I recently began retracing old road trips but using time-tested logic of seeking local dining establishments instead of truck stops and coffeehouses of repute versus caffeinated drive throughs.

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Function Coffee Labs




Subject: Function Coffee Labs
Location: Philadelphia, PA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Nine years ago, I visited a vibrant cafe in the Bella Vista section of Philly that resulted in an experience that provided little to no fanfare. Due to the mediocre experience, I soon forgot about the shop and can honestly say that despite driving the area frequently, I never really gave that location a second glance, letting it fall into relative obscurity.

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Constellation




Subject: Constellation
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Astronavigation is a skill severely lacking in our robot-dependent world. I recall many times as a child staring up at the night sky, trying to use the stars for directions. As a young adult, I remember my first unobstructed night sky while camping in the New Mexico desert, a sight that instilled a divine awe of the majesty and enormity of the universe. And thus, after lots of star gazing, I've learned that looking for dependable basics is key, like using the Big Dipper to find Polaris so one can head north. Similarly with coffee, a few key signs in a coffeehouse, like their roaster and reputation, can provide a directive beacon for some great coffee.

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Philter




Subject: Philter
Location: Kennett Square, PA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

The Philadelphia area possesses quite a few great holiday attractions. Yet if I had to distill them down, the two must-see stops are definitely the Christmas Light Show in Philadelphia's Old Wanamaker Building and nearby Longwood Gardens. Both have been a long-standing fixture in my life and if the mobs are any indication, their popularity has done nothing but grow over the years.

Wednesday, September 02, 2015

Filter



Subject: Filter Coffeehouse and Espresso Bar
Location: Washington DC [Dupont Circle shop]
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

There always exist a few coffeehouses that take me forever to reach. Whether it be a conflict of hours or simply an inflexibility in my travel plans, I sometimes wait years to get to some places. It's even more frustrating when such a cafe resides relatively close by amidst the crowded throngs of Washington DC. I speak of a multi-location shop called Filter Coffeehouse and Espresso Bar.

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Baked and Wired



Subject: Baked and Wired
Location: Washington DC
WiFi?: Yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]


In my many trips to DC, I nearly always park in the outskirts and pipe in via the Metro. For the most part, I depend on the train solely to get around (unless otherwise necessary) and thus, I have definitely left out a few spots in DC from my explorations. The most notable in my mind was the Georgetown area, since the Metro has no stop in the area, and as such I have literally passed over the area in my excursions to DC, choosing convenience over checking out this fabled neighborhood.

Monday, February 10, 2014

CC: Menagerie Coffee



Subject: Menagerie Coffee
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Old City Philadelphia for years has been a bit of a coffee wasteland, with but a few spots of decent rapport slinging coffee in a 3-4 block radius of Independence Hall. Fortunately, the times are a-changing and visiting history buffs need no longer schlep long distances for a great cup.

The brightest of new coffee establishments in the Old City arena is Menagerie Coffee. Located on 3rd St a few spots south of Market St, this coffeehouse not only boasts a great location, but a beautiful space as well. Decorated in sleek woods and pleasant lighting, there's a spot for everyone in this well-designed shop. The coffee of course is what adds the majestic, TGI Friday-level flair, with beans from Annapolis' Ceremony Coffee AND Minneapolis' Dogwood Coffee, both roasters not seen enough in this region.

Sauntering in, I ordered an espresso of Dogwood's Neon (I love that it's literally labeled "neon" on the menu instead of "espresso") and a pourover of Ceremony's Ethiopia Worka. The espresso, pulled short with brown crema, offered up notes of lemon, cherry soda, cocoa, basil and arugula amidst a full body and a velvety mouthfeel. The Worka pourover was a heavenly uppercut of fruit, specifically strawberry jam and passion fruit, with supporting flavors of maple syrup and shredded wheat amidst a light body.

To state the obvious, Menagerie Coffee offers a menagerie of great coffee options. Let not another moment delay your arrival.
   

Monday, August 05, 2013

CC: Kava Cafe [NYC]



Subject: Kava Cafe
Locations: Lower and Mid Manhattan, NY
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

UPDATE 3.13.14
Finding a NYC coffeehouse with a beautiful courtyard full of outside seating is a rare find. Sure, outside seating is only worth something half the year in the fair land of Manhattan, but every time I find such a cafe owning the novelty, I still find myself wanting to take full advantage of it (unless it's deluging, but otherwise I'm outside).

Stumbling upon once such coffee joint that not only sported a great courtyard but also slings Annapolis' Ceremony Coffee, I found some lower Manhattan gold in Kava Cafe. Located off Washington St, I trotted in from the bright morning sun inside to the mood-lit cafe that gave off a vibe of a swanky rendezvous fit for 007. The cafe doesn't have a ton of room for sitting inside (it's Manhattan) but as I mentioned, if the weather is with you there happens to be plenty of seating on their back patio.

As for my coffee that day, I had an espresso of Destroyer and a drip of a Brazil Daterra. The Destroyer, pulled short with a brown crema, sang of vanilla, lemon, whole milk, cola, a little soy sauce and a touch of kale encapsulating a well-balanced, scrumptious spro. The Brazil also proved spectacular, with notes of nuts, birch, pear, a little almond butter and a smidgen of beef stock in a medium body.

If you are in need of some great coffee and an airy respite in the Meatpacking District, head on over to Kava Cafe.


UPDATE 3.13.14

Made it out to the midtown cafe on 42nd Street recently. Same great coffee in a much more spacious and gorgeous spot, with the same vibe and a full bar.