Showing posts with label kaffe magnum opus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kaffe magnum opus. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

CC: The Sweet Life Bakery

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What's does "CC" mean? Location visited: Vineland, NJ
Free WiFi ? : no

Rating:
4+ [
see key]


Albeit coffee and sweets are natural friends, I have not seen many bakeries that serve good coffee, never mind good espresso. Usually, it's just an aging pot of coffee sitting next to heavily-iced cakes.

Yet things seem to be swinging around at some confectioneries, places where the coffee quality has begun to take an appropriate spotlight.

One such example would be the Sweet Life Bakery in Vineland, NJ. The bakery has received some decent acclaim for their baking exploits (apparently they have the best muffins in South Jersey) but it was a trusted friend endorsing their coffee prowess that made me stop by on a recent trip through the deep south of NJ.

The Sweet Life sits on a side street off East Landis Ave (despite having the address of said street) in a small yellow building next to a very convenient public parking lot. The inside of the bakery is cozy and simple; a few tables right near the front counter where all of the baking and making happens.

The coffee comes from nearby Kaffe Magnum Opus, a decent local South Jersey roaster. I ordered their featured drip, the Havana Nights blend, a coffee that offered a fairly bright and balanced cup, featuring hints of pear, a slap of bitterness and a trailing sauciness (overall, not bad). The espresso, a quality short/medium pull from a one group Nuova Simonelli, displayed a buttery, bitter flavor with flecks of cocoa and a nice milky aftertaste; an overall pretty good espresso. The tea I did not catch.

While I definitely could see this little bakery ascending to great heights, I can say that they at least stand ahead of many bakeries due to their coffee aspirations. If you are looking for a good cup of coffee in Vineland, stop by the Sweet Life.


Thursday, June 11, 2009

CC: The Ground House

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What's does "CC" mean?

*Closed
Subject:
The Ground House
Location visited: Pitman, NJ
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 3+ [see key]



*Closed*

Often when I wander the streets of large cities, I relish the fact that by simple probability, a good coffeehouse could be nearby. Granted, my luck has not led to many random finds but the numbers still tell me that hope still exists.

Yet when I'm in small towns where I've already pegged two or three coffeehouses, I'm not really on the lookout for another (the probability does not exactly thrive). And on those exact moments where you look not for something, you often find it (such as in love and in suffering). So was the case in my most recent trip to Pitman, a small town in NJ that already sports two coffeehouses (one decent, one fair) where I was pointed to a third coffeehouse called The Ground House.

Naturally, I ventured over. The exterior is but a tan and maroon flat face with a window having the appearance of what I would deem a jazz club. The interior is a two room venue that reflected quite the dichotomy; the main room (the one with the food) holds a reddish decor with nice mood lighting while the adjoining room with their substantial stage is bright white and green with rather bleh fluorescent lighting.

As per the barista's heavy discretion, the coffee comes from "Millville," which from my basic powers of deduction means either they get their coffee from Kaffe Magnum Opus or a secret roaster untold (Millville isn't that big either). Either way, their house coffee (an Ethiopian) was concocted on a hot plate brewer and had some bright notes with some smoothness, but overall it proved boring and not too savory. The espresso lent similar effects, as it held some enjoyable elements of acidity though overall it lent more heavy char and made for only a fair cup. The tea comes from David Rio.

To say the least, I was happy to find the place even though some of the facets of their coffee seem to warrant small improvement. No matter, give the Ground House a try if you happen to wander the streets of Pitman looking for coffee.

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

CC: Progressive Coffee House

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What's does "CC" mean?

Subject: Progressive Coffee House
Location visited: Glassboro, NJ
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 4+ [see key]



*CLOSED as of 7.29.10*

Alma maters, no matter how aggressive their alumni office is for money, will always carry a spot in an alumnus' heart. The same I would say would go for the location of the school (with a few exceptions I'm sure).

Recently, I had the pleasure to visit Glassboro, NJ where I spent much of my young adult life at college. While I was there, the town sadly had not a single coffeehouse of worth (though there were a few tries) but now that the town is trying to revive the downtown, a new coffeehouse named the Progressive Coffee House decided to open their doors in the place of an old bakery on High Street.

When I first heard of it, I kind of had my doubts as to their motivation, mainly I wondered what did "progressive" mean (was it politically tied, environmentally entrenched, or just a coffeehouse that plans to move forward?) but upon further investigation, I saw no evidence of any of my guesses except that they liked their name (soooo much merchandise).

The exterior preserves the original look of the place, using an old marquee-looking projection to display their sign and they kept the windows simple and big. The interior was quite different from the old bakery, as it was awash with bright reds, oranges and yellows surrounding a spacious counter and a sea of red leather couches (they had tables too).

The coffee comes from Kaffe Magnum Opus, a coffee roaster out of South Jersey that I've had mixed experiences with (I also become suspicious of roasters that sell more flavored coffee than not). But putting all past experience aside, I gave Progressive's House Blend a try and found it, to my delight, to be a bright, smooth and earthy coffee. The espresso proved a fair pull, with char sadly overshadowing a citrusy-cocoa flavor (drinkable). Their tea is Mighty Leaf.

Given the future plans for the town of Glassboro, I am happy that the town finally has a coffeehouse of decency. I think with a little work, Progressive could progress very well but for now I think their challenge will be getting Rowan University students to walk off-campus (in my day, it didn't really happen). If you're in the area, I would recommend a stop.