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What's does "CC" mean? Location: Philadelphia, PA
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]
My cousin moved to South Philly a couple months ago and while I envy not her daily hunt for street parking or the inconvenience of grocery shopping, I do covet the fact that she lives within walking distance of several great coffeehouses.
One coffeehouse newcomer is as new as my cousin's lease, a corner cafe called Shot Tower Coffee. The coffeehouse has made a local splash as Philly's newest Stumptown Coffee slinging operation bent on quality. I made my way over one Saturday to the corner of 6th and Christian to find them in a brick building with olive trim around large windows. Inside, the space is spiffy, with nice decor, seating along the windows and a massive table to the right of the door.
I ordered an espresso of Stumptown's Colombia Los Gauchos and a drip of their Burundi Kinyovu. The espresso, pulled short with marbled crema, sang of spicy cherry, chocolate cake, salt, ginger snap and jasmine (delicious!). The drip held notes of straw, caramel, butter, spinach, apple, sassafras and a subtle earthiness amidst a nice body (also delicious). The tea is Rishi.
Thus, while I will probably not be moving into South Philadelphia any time soon, I have a few good reasons to visit my cousin, with Shot Tower standing at the top of the list. If you're in the city, give Shot Tower a try.
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What's does "CC" mean? Location visited: Milwaukee, WI
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]
My final stop in lovely Milwaukee was a place called Roast Coffee Company. Having need for a good coffee stop for the road, Roast seemed like a fitting final stop for my short time in Milwaukee, as they have displayed their yearning for excellence through hosting numerous Barista jams over the years.
Roast occupies a street-corner cafe near the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus. Inside, the cafe possessed a very mellow atmosphere, with lots of earth tones, a copper ceiling, an older tile floor and oodles of seating.
I ordered a cup of Rwandan 100% Bourbon (from Anodyne Coffee Roasters) via pump pot. The coffee proved sweet, like a honeycrisp apple with hints of grain, caramel and a medium body, though it also had a stale quality that reduced the cup to less than wonderful. The espresso, a quality short pull with nice crema, smacked of dark cocoa, a little lemon, sugar, cinnamon and chocolate milk on the end. The tea is Rishi free leaf.
Despite the older drip, the experience at Roast seemed to be splendid. I left a happier man then whence I arrived. Give Roast a swirl if you're nearby.
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What's does "CC" mean? Location visited: Towson and Baltimore, MD
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]
*Updated 3.25.11
I never thought that I would pass by an alleged amazing coffee stop three times before I finally stopped at it. But sure enough, several trips brought me past Jay Caragay's Spro Coffee in Towson, Maryland with either circumstances that demanded I push on with no rest or with promises that we'll hit it on the way back (which we didn't).
Finally, on the way home from a great trip in Baltimore (great, except for my coffee fortunes that is) I got to stop into the Towson Library where Spro's initial flagship store resides (there's another one opening in Baltimore soon). Parking proved interesting but on a slow side street my steed came to a rest and my wife and I walked over.
The Towson Library is a gargantuan public biblioteca in a very oddly-shaped building. Spro itself sits on a bridge off to the left when you first enter the main portion. Spro's set up is definitely minimal and a little bland (but there's little that can be feasibly done in such a space). Spro is basically a long counter and a group of tables off to the side in a spot where one couldn't ask for a better visibility.
Spro Coffee definitely seems to have a nice rotating selection of various coffee roasters (just check out the list for their new Baltimore location under the 12/12/09 post on Jay's blog) but they seem to stick pretty close to Origins Organic Coffee. Despite the option of vacuum pot, I ordered a filtered cup of Java Kali Bendo from Origins, a smooth coffee that demonstrated milk chocolate, a bit of blood orange and a tinge of nougat; a good coffee to pair with a dessert as I really had a hankering for sweets while I ingested the brew. The espresso, pulled short and expertly, had flavors of sugar cane, a bit of a lemon, cocoa and a nice flavor of cloves. As for tea, they use Rishi.
While I could see the downsides of operating in a public venue such as a library, I can't help but think how much more reading I would do if there was such a splendid coffeehouse in my library. If you're in Towson, especially if you are looking for a great place to have some coffee while you read, make sure to bookmark Spro.
*Update 3.25.11
I made out to the Baltimore location and I must say I was further impressed. There were many options for coffee infusion (I believe there were 6) and the coffee and espresso were delightful. The cafe is also cozy and a nice addition to the Spro name.
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What's does "CC" mean?Free WiFi ? : yesRating: 3+ [see key]
Baltimore is a lovely city but it strikes me silly that I cannot find a single recommendation for decent coffee in the city limits with the exception of an upscale restaurant called the Woodberry Kitchen. Thus in an effort to increase my pool for a recent trip, I decided to try out some places that were off the radar but looked promising.
And that's how I landed at Spoons Coffee Cafe in the Federal Hill area on a bustling Sunday afternoon before a Ravens Game. The cafe seemed to have some promise, as they roast their own coffee as well as some decent latte art on the website. And since I found nothing better around the harbor, my beautiful wife and I bounded for the door of Spoons amidst the masses of Raven fans.
Given the game, Spoons was plenty full that day. The interior is a warm, multi-level structure that accomodates quite the dine-in crowd. Looking only for the usual, I made my way to the front counter. The drip was their East Timer blend, a bright coffee with the flavors of grape, chocolate milk and a subtle hint of sweet grass; a fair coffee. Not so much fortune did I find with the espresso, as it was a decent pull that had decent crema but I was hit with a really bitter, dark taste with flecks of pepper. The tea is Rishi Tea.
Even though I can't say I'm surprised I didn't find a hidden gem in Baltimore (coffee geeks mine them out well), Spoons Coffee Cafe wasn't a half bad spot. If you're in Baltimore, try Spoons out for yourself.
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What's does "CC" mean?Location visited: Philadelphia, PA
Free WiFi ? : yesRating: 6+ [see key]
Urban planning has become something I've grown tremendously interested in over the years. I love taking a retrospective look at how a city formed and than trying to gaze ahead to the many possibilities for its future.
Marrying my love for coffee with my interest in city evolution, I occasionally like to postulate the role of a coffeehouse in a community. One (relatively) new place that I find quite intriguing is coffeehouse called Ultimo Coffee. Located in South Philadelphia, Ultimo sits in a section of the city that attracts far less visitors than the sections to the north. Plus the coffeehouse exists in what seems largely residential, a plus if the neighborhood likes you and a death knell if not.
But regardless of the why, I was personally drawn by the what; a coffeehouse receiving some strong acclaim for their attention to quality.
One sunny afternoon, I pulled up to their corner establishment with its big open windows, including a big glass garage door (they probably open it on warm days). Within, the place held a lot of character: a simple decor, plenty of vintage wood furniture and a bunch of supermarket fridges that house a nice array of beer to go (an unorthodox but genius facet to the traditional coffeehouse model).
Ultimo offers Counter Culture Coffee, a more and more common coffee around Philly. I ordered a cup of Finca El Puente via pourover, which featured a buttery and saucy cup with hints of cigar, dark cherry and a heavy taste despite a light body. The espresso, shots of Espresso Aficianado pulled well, proved bright with touches of bittersweet chocolate and blackberry, complete with a velvety sweetness on the end. The tea is Rishi.
Given the lovely experience, I'm very curious as to the future (and hopefully success) of Ultimo. Good coffee can do great things.
If you're passing by, I would recommend making the detour for Ultimo.
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What's does "CC" mean?Location visited: Washington DC
Free WiFi ? : yesRating: 6+ [see key]
Not commonly do good things come of poor decisions, at least not entirely. Silver linings do exist in the heavens and a negative happening can often be seen as just the necessary action to spark a greater good, but it's usually the sad or negative that catches our eyes.
So when Murky DC went down, there seemed little promise for a replacement. Yet it turned out that this particular cloud had a silver coating, as a former Murky employee decided to snatch the place up and open Peregrine Espresso.
Many days elapsed since Peregrine opened to cosmic acclaim and finally, I found some time to visit. The cafe sits in a line of stores and cafes near the Eastern Market with a nice gated patio full of patrons buzzing away on their laptops. The cavity inside is a long cafe with a beautifully calm decor with nice green and wood tones.
The coffee is Counter Culture Coffee, an obvious pick given the owner also used to work with them. I had the La Goladrino via a pourover. The brew possessed a sweet asian pear taste with a light body and a tinge of honey. The espresso, pulled short by trained hands, lent a tart, sugary and bittersweet flavor with flecks of cherry and nutmeg as well as solid crema. It should also be noted that on top of their traditional coffee drinks, they had a nice array of cool specialty drinks (my friend ordered one with coriander which was amazing). The tea is Rishi.
Overtly pleased was my level of satisfaction with Peregrine and I couldn't help but think how fortunate DC is to have such a stellar coffeehouse. Needless to say, stop at Peregrine Espresso if you're in the Capitol.
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What's does "CC" mean?Location visited: Washington, DC
Free WiFi ? : yesRating: 6+ [see key
*Update 6/22/11Large crowds have a power that few other mediums can harness. Many books have been written on mob mentality, the power of large third party movements (like blogging!) and even the fickle nature of popular opinion. The crowd always demands at least an inspection of what it lends its attention to.
Hence when I came upon the small mob congregating at the Big Bear Cafe in Bloomingdale, I could not help but be a bit more intrigued by the apparent popularity (a local cafe with bustle usually means they do something right). The cafe sits in a nice tan brick corner space off R Street with a beautiful garden, a spacious patio as well as beautiful doors and windows. The crowd as well as the asthetic appeal continued inside, with a nice wood floor, plenty of tables (all packed) and a nice stream of natural light.
The coffee comes from Counter Culture, a common staple of the DC area these days. I had the Ethiopian Shakisso via drip, a nice grassy coffee with hints of granny apple and a smooth light body. The espresso had a nice tang of raspberry, the sweetness of chocolate milk, a pleasant acidity and a nice finish of honey. Overall, a great pull of espresso and splendid drip. The tea is Rishi.
While the crowd might have been there for a host of reasons, I would like to believe that many of them were there for the superb coffee (but since I didn't do any qualitative collection, I can only guess). If you're around DC, lumber into Big Bear Cafe.
Update 6/22/11
After looking over this review again, I realized I underscored this place as a 5+. It was definitely a 6+ visit (i.e. I had no real hang-ups with it).
What's does "CC" mean?
