Grounding

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Grounding
Location: Red Lion, PA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Every now and then in my travels, I come across a gorgeous coffee shop. But every once in a great while, I meet a cafe that has iconic aesthetics. One of my most recent finds was a shop nestled in an old factory furnace in Red Lion, PA with much of its old construction still intact, a place called Grounding.

Revolver

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject:  Revolver

Location: Vancouver, BC
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

I have been to Vancouver once before, but my first visit was very much a small foray. After many years, I finally was able to allot some time to give the city a proper tour and boy have I been missing out. From the city's water taxis to it's very alluring neighborhoods, the city truly lived up to its vibrant reputation.

Hey Happy

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Hey Happy
Location visited: downtown Victoria, BC
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

I have longed to visit Victoria, British Colombia for almost half of my life, and I was finally able to make a pilgrimage happen. I've been nearby in Seattle and Vancouver a dozen times, but the lack of roads to Vancouver Island paired with my east coast apprehension of ferries kept me at bay (pun intended). Finally, after cementing some intentional recreational plans, I was able to experience the beauty of this island gem one sunny weekend. 

Devocion Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Devocion Coffee

Location visited: downtown Brooklyn, NY
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

If people had told me a decade ago that a roaster could have a steady, dynamic roster of excellent coffee from only one country, I would have thought the roaster overly ambitious and foolhardy. But where some roasters have fallen short, Devocion Coffee has succeeded. 

Elm Coffee Roasters

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Elm Coffee Roasters
Location: Seattle, WA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Seattle remains one of my favorite cities to wander. Whether it's the heart of the city or one of the nearby suburbs, the city is full of little curious nooks and unique small businesses to explore. 

Buzzsaw Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Buzzsaw Coffee
Location: Williamsport, PA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

If you look at life in America one hundred years ago, one thing that really stands out is the industrial landscape. Factories and mills used to populate the landscape, much like our current strip malls. But now, it seems that only the ruins and bones of these past edifices remain. 

Realfine Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Realfine Coffee
Location visited: 35th Ave, West Seattle, WA
WiFi?: sure
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Nothing compares to the feeling of getting back to a place you missed. This feeling proved to be a profound experience in returning to Seattle recently. Back in 2019, I had last been in Seattle right before the COVID lock downs, and now that much of that was behind, I was jubilant to return to one of my favorite cities. 

Black Fox Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Black Fox Coffee
Location visited:  550 Madison Ave, Manhattan, NY
WiFi?: not sure actually
Rating: 6+ [see key]

For all of the traffic nightmares I have getting into New York City, I genuinely love the cafes that the city fosters. There are postage stamps espresso bars, old print-shops-now-coffee-shops and sometimes coffeehouses so pretty and idyllic, their existence defies belief.

Decibel Coffee Works

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Decibel Coffee Works
Location: Tucson, AZ
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

As someone who grew up within the grip of the New Jersey winter, the concept of a coffeehouse with only outside seating is a foreign concept. I have seen a few places make the concept work over the years, but one of the best iterations I witnessed exists in Tucson at Decibel Coffee Works.

Camellia Coffee House

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Camellia Coffee House 
Location: Lansdowne, PA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

These days there seems to be more and more coffee shops opening, but not a lot of good ones. A lot of shops are quick to open heavy on aesthetics yet low on the quality of their coffee. Fortunately, there's still great shops to find, as I some time ago found the delightful oasis of Camellia. 

Minch Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Minch Coffee
Location: Clermont, FL
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

Everyone loves the idea of interacting with animals, even if only in certain ways. Cat cafes definitely seem like a great idea for the subset of humanity that enjoys hanging out in a closed environment with cats. I always had a hard time reconciling the concept until I visited Minch Coffee and the Orlando Cat Cafe. 

The Kitchen Table Cafe

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: The Kitchen Table Cafe
Location: Callicoon, NY
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

The land along the northeast edge of Pennsylvania that borders New York is both a pretty and curious area. Dotted with many quaint towns, I found the region to be an odd mix of bucolic scenery juxtaposed with herds of day-trippers (mostly) from the surrounding metropolitan centers. 

Boonton Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Boonton Coffee
Location: Boonton, NJ
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

There are lots of towns in New Jersey and New York I don't get to a whole lot purely because my trajectory rarely leads me northeast these days. But sometimes, the busy thoroughfares of northeast NJ must be traversed, and on my most recent such romp I found myself in a charming town at the threshold of Boonton Coffee.

Infusion Coffee and Tea Crafters

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Infusion Coffee and Tea Crafters
Location: Tempe, AZ
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Trying to get to an off-site coffee shop between business conference sessions is often like a leg of the Amazing Race. Half the time, the targeted cafe is just far enough away that you only have enough time to grab the coffee and get back before you are poignantly missed. 

XO Coffee Shop

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: XO Coffee Shop
Location: Kissimmee, FL
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

There exist many combinations of services I have seen with a coffee shop, but a tattoo parlor would be a first for me. 

Pressed Coffee & Books

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Pressed Coffee & Books
Location: Pottsville, PA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

People say a lot of things are the perfect ying to the yang of coffee, but for many of the world that grew up before Amazon destroyed bookstores, books have a special place in the evolution of coffee culture. There's something about flipping through a fresh brook while sipping on a hot cup of coffee that just makes one pine for simpler times. 

Sagebrush Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Sagebrush Coffee Shop and Roastery
Location: Chandler, AZ
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

It certainly is no indication of good coffee, but there's something about giant coffee shops. There are precious few in the northeast but once the region of super high rents begins to fade in the rear view mirror, the landscape starts to blossom with shops the size of houses. One recent visit to Arizona turned up a fine specimen, a gorgeous, large footprinted cafe slinging out good coffee called Sagebrush.

Persimmon Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

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

I traverse Northern Liberties much less than I used to, but it's always good to see quality coffee shops when I do get over there. One seasonal day, I had some time to squander so I made over to a shop I had heard much good of, a cafe called Persimmon Coffee.

Lit / Monocacy

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Monocacy Coffee Co / Lit Coffee
Location: Bethlehem, PA
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

I have fabulous memories of Bethlehem, PA. I recall visiting a distant cousin and going to a Christmas market as a child, stopping by for numerous respites while passing through and recently, a long-overdue tour of the silent steel mill. Sadly not many of these visits had a great coffee stop but that fortunately changed on my most recent visit.

Yellow Brick Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Yellow Brick Coffee
Location: Tucson, AZ
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

While wandering through Tucson on my last trip, I found myself in a business park looking for great coffee. While this location is no longer present (see the new storefront pictured from their website above), I found myself at the (old) roastery location for Yellow Brick Coffee.