Showing posts with label Java Master. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Java Master. Show all posts

Friday, August 22, 2008

CC: Creekside Books and Coffee

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What's a Coffee Commentary?

Subject: Creekside Books and Coffee
Location visited:
Skaneateles, NY

Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 4+ [see key]


S
ome 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.