The Freedom Cafe

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: The Freedom Cafe
Location visited: Durham, NH
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

It's amazing how ten years can elapse between the first visit of a place and getting there again. Many times it's a matter of distance, other times it's circumstances and most often it is because I have not found a way to make it fit into the schedule.

Revelstoke Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Revelstoke Coffee
Location: Concord, NH
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

While I have driven around the perimeter of New Hampshire quite a bit, I never had an occasion to traverse it until recently. The state is beautiful and while any number of stops could have been interesting, I am a sucker for capital cities and made my way over to Concord. But before seeing the sights, I first made my way to a local coffeeshop called Revelstoke Coffee.

CC: Port City Coffee Roasters

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Subject: Port City Coffee Roasters

Location visited: Portsmouth, NH
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 3+ [see key]


When at conferences, the prospect of finding good coffee even moderately close by is low. But nonetheless, I have to search (it's in my blood).

Traveling the city of Portsmouth didn't offer much hope as I had received no recommendations amidst the beautiful city, but I still clung to hope. Finally, I ended up settling on a cozy-looking place called Port City Coffee Roasters located in a shopping center a little off my beaten path.

Strolling in, the cafe struck me as a basic place and somewhat deli-esque in feel (flourescent lights, not much seating, etc). I ordered their Bed and Breakfast blend, a smooth medium roast with the flavor of Ovaltine and in totality, not a bad cup. The espresso was pulled long (almost a tiny americano), served in a paper cup and possessed little else besides a milkshake-ish head and a bitter bite. The tea is Tazo.

Getting out into Portsmouth proved nice but Port City Coffee Roasters did not add as much to the trip as I had hoped. If you're looking for a fair coffee in Portsmouth, stop by Port City.

CC: Breaking New Grounds

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Subject: Breaking New Grounds

Location visited: Durham, NH
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 4+ [see key]


In a time where people trust web content over verbal endorsements and a useful web page can be created by a toddler, it still amazes me that many companies and organizations lack websites. This realization becomes even more frustrating for me when I seek good coffeehouses on the web and a coffeehouse holds no legitimate web presence.

The lack of a website would be one reason why I passed over Breaking New Grounds in my initial New Hampshire research. Fortunately, I met a coffee-savvy local soon after rolling into town and he pointed me back to the NH coffee shop.

Breaking New Grounds' Durham location resides on a cute main street outside the University of New Hampshire. With their simple-yet-sharp outside furniture and proximity to a good bike rack, I really thought the spot perfect for a soothing read on a warm day. Inside, the venue is long in orientation, with seating in the front and back of the shop (even right in the front window) and lots of local art.

Breaking New Grounds roasts their own coffee, with many to pick from on their back wall. That morning they had their El Salvador available so I sipped on the lightly-roasted coffee with flavors of of sweet pear, flowering grass and caramel. The espresso was pulled short/medium with fair crema, a milky texture and flavors of sugar cane and chocolate; a decent pair of shots that with a few tweaks could have been amazing espresso. The tea is free leaf.

Once again, experience has retaught me not to rely purely on coffee operations with decent websites (no matter how easily everyone could have one). If you're in Durham or near the other location in Portsmouth, consider Breaking New Grounds for a short stop.