No. 7311

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: No. 7311
Location: Ventnor, NJ
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 4+ [see key]

*Update 2.26.19*
They stopped offering light roasts and George Howell. Coffee has become a tad more lackluster (though the baked goods are still amazing).

One of the things I don't enjoy about the Jersey shore is the seasonal nature of many communities. Naturally summer boasts huge crowds, merriment and thriving beach islands full of life. Yet the fun ends in autumn when most shore businesses close up and the once-thriving towns become a place for polar bear plunges and boardwalk exercise. I do not deny that this might be the natural order of the universe, but I find no greater disappointment than knowing that I must wait until May for the next funnel cake or block of fudge.

Cafe Volan

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Cafe Volan
Location: Asbury Park, NJ
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

There are two things all Jersey residents agree upon: a deep loathing for the NJ Turnpike and a noticeable respect for the musical heritage of Asbury Park. Once recognized only as a quiet beach resort, the town now tightly holds a landmark reputation for producing stellar rock acts. Today many triumphant musical acts still frequent its bars, and thankfully a similar thirst for excellence has finally spilled into the local coffee community, specifically at a joint called Cafe Volan.

Endgrain Coffee Bar

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Endgrain Coffee Bar
Location: Pitman, NJ
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]


Update 11/16/2022: Coffee roasting and bar skill is definitely worth a visit.

Update 11/14/17:
In the past two years, Engrain has started roasting their own coffee and offering a growing line of different coffees, ranging from light to dark. 


It's no secret that small towns on the east coast have a devastatingly small amount of great coffee. Chalk it up to the high cost of real estate, or to the low patronage from the give-me-drive-thru-or-give-me-death majority. Whatever the cause, it remains a daunting task to find a quality brew outside of major city limits.

Modcup Coffee Co

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Modcup Coffee Co
Location: Jersey City, NJ
WiFi?: Yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

If you've ever sought a beautiful vista of the Manhattan skyline, Jersey City Heights is the place to get it. And while many a bustling NYC tourist won't go out of their way just for a photo opportunity, now one can completely legitimize the stop since Modcup Coffee sits nearly a stones throw from the edge of the palisade.

Mugged: Sumatra, Rwanda, Tanzania and Ethiopia [Royal Mile]

Subject: Royal Mile Coffee Roasters
Coffee Mugged and Rating [see key]:

- Sumatra Toba Batak Peaberry 5+

- Rwanda Coffee Villages SWP Decaf 5+

- Tanzania Peaberry 5+

- Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Cheffe Dumerso 6+

It's always a welcome surprise when an area with few great coffee options gets another one with some promise. Such is the case with New Jersey, the land I call home. For its population density, there are precious few coffee operations that roast or brew quality coffee.

Bloom Coffee and Tea

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Bloom Coffee and Tea
Location: Northfield, NJ
WiFi?: Yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

*Update 2.27.19*
This place has long since closed and the area still has not found a suitable replacement :(.

The wonder of summer often conjures up glorious images of sandy beaches, cerulean skies and refreshing ocean water. I know the mental slideshow well, as I have spent many a summer visiting the gorgeous towns of the southern NJ coast. Yet for all the summer magic that the coast brings, it still largely lacks great coffee.

CC: The Warehouse Cafe

Subject: The Warehouse Cafe
Location: Jersey City, NJ
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Jersey City used to confuse me. When I was a wee lad, talk of JC came up between two adult relatives and as they bantered, Jersey City was conveyed to my spying ears as the NJ version of New York City (I don't recall what caused this dot connecting; it just happened). My young mind thought that it was amazing that there were two huge metropolises right across from one another. But then again, at that time I was also convinced that there was a live dinosaur buried in the backyard of my friend's house. 

Years later, my perspective on Jersey City has changed for the better and my love of this Jersey haven has grown. Not only is it a city full of history but it's got a lot of little nooks worth a visit. One particular operation to catch my eye as of late was the Warehouse Cafe, a coffeehouse located on the lower level of a historic warehouse that now contains some swanky lofts. The space is actually above street level, providing a nice patio, and with the aid of their large windows, it all seems to blend beautifully inside to the cozy, well-outfitted interior. 

The coffee comes from Intelligentsia, consisting primarily of a custom house blend and Black Cat. With my decision predetermined for lack of choice (sometimes a good thing), I had a cup of the house via drip and an espresso of Black Cat. The drip served notes of tomato, shortbread, lime juice, nougat, cider and a bit of bay leaf, making a for a medium-bodied, well-balanced coffee. The espresso, pulled to a medium volume with brownish-tan crema, held notes ginger, coriander, cocoa and a little spring mix salad; all together a good infusion of Black Cat. 

As for places I will probably refrequent, I can add the Warehouse Cafe to the short list of NJ establishments serving coffee worth drinking.  Next time you happen to be in lovely Jersey City, take a stroll over to the Warehouse.

  

CC: Harvest Coffee Roastery

Subject: Harvest Coffee Roastery
Location: Medford, NJ
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 4+ [see key]

Route 70 runs like a meandering asphalt creek across the great state of New Jersey, connecting Cherry Hill in the west with Manasquan on the coast. Sadly, for such a long road there are few worthwhile coffee stops along its entire stretch, leaving the weary traveler often bereft of delicious options.

But improvement is on the rise; recently in the past year, Harvest Coffee Roastery opened its doors in the old town of Medford. A small batch father-and-son operation, they opened a small shop to  not only peddle their beans but also to give the area a local coffee watering hole. Stopping by one gorgeous afternoon, I found their Bank St shop with a quaint rustic shop, with lots of wood and a peppering of tables in the cozy space.

As for coffee, I got a drip of their Brazil Cerrado and an espresso of their Espresso Blend. The espresso, pulled to medium/long volume with light brown crema, smacked of unsweetened cocoa, milk, poppy seed, slight pound cake and a tinge of lemon towards the last few sips; a fair infusion, with a smattering of pleasant notes surrounded by a noticeable astringency. The Brazil proved a much better beverage, singing of honey, biscuits, cracked wheat, apple, caramel and dry red wine, opening up substantially as it cooled into a smooth, flavorful coffee. 

As a blossoming microroaster, Harvest Coffee Roasters definitely has some skill in the manipulation of coffee. With some growth in the espresso area, this coffeehouse could easily be the crown jewel of Route 70. If you're traversing through Medford, definitely make a pop in.

Mugged: Deep Red, Ethiopia and Guatemala [Booskerdoo]

Subject: Booskerdoo Fresh Roasted Coffee Co.
Coffee Mugged and Rating [see key]:
  - Deep Red Bells 5+
  - Guatemala Huehuetenango Rainforest Alliance Cert. 4+
  - Ethiopia Sidamo Peaberry (City Roast) 3+

For a state that borders two major metropolitan areas, NJ finally seems to be capitalizing on the large swaths of thirsty coffee drinkers meandering its roads and alleys. I've seen several new roasting faces pop up in the past year (some upcoming posts on some of them) but also current companies continuing to grow their reach.

Booskerdoo of Monmouth Beach is one roaster that seems to be evermore on my radar. Recently, I had the pleasure of trying out three NJ-roasted coffees from Booskerdoo Fresh Roasted Coffee Co in my home lab: their Deep Red Bells blend, Guatemala Huehuetenango and Ethiopian Sidamo Peaberry. Except for the Guatemala for which my vacuum pot malfunctioned and went down for over a week, I sampled each coffee via pourover, french press and siphon.

The Deep Red Bells blend is a seasonal coffee that consists of two different roasts of an Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Worka Coop Unwashed Organic blended together, a method I usually don't see pulled off well, but Deep Red Bells proved the exception. Via drip, it displayed blueberry cobbler, nougat, rosemary and limeade bubblegum, proving bright and juicy with nice sultry notes of cocoa. The french press smacked of blueberry, semisweet chocolate chips, hibiscus, almond croissant, slight vanilla cookie, rosemary and a touch of sour cream in a light/medium body; a multifaceted and bejeweled coffee. The siphon serenaded me with blueberry, nougat, apple juice, rosemary and cream, making for a smooth and silky coffee full of juicy and succulent flavors.

Next up was the Guatemala, a Rainforest Alliance coffee marketed as nutty and rich coffee. The pourover tasted of molasses, pecan pie, ginger snap, pear, skim milk and pizza crust within a medium body. The french press leaned more towards plum, sarsaparilla, sweet potato, blue corn chips and dandelion greens in a malty, medium body with a cake-ish sweetness. While I found the coffee sweet and a touch nutty, their were a few heavier flavors that kind of weighed the coffee down. 

The Ethiopian, last up, made for a mildly intriguing cup. The pourover held white toast, merlot, a pinch of pepper and slight cocoa in a medium body. The french press drummed out blueberry, merlot, pepper, cloves, brisket, med body and smoother and bright with a nice complexity. The siphon detected notes of blueberry, rye, cloves, lemon pepper, brisket and red pepper within med body. For an Ethiopian coffee, the beans had some bright and pleasant facets, but all were a bit overshadowed by a spicy body and a flat, slightly astringent aftertaste

In a short synopsis, I would definitely order two out of the three coffees again (the Ethiopian Peaberry was not my favorite). If you seek some beans, take a gander over to the Booskerdoo, whether you live near Monmouth Beach or you just seek its local flavor.


note: coffee was provided free of charge and the above review is objective feedback.

CC: OQ Coffee

Subject: OQ Coffee
Location: Highland Park, NJ
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

In my younger days, I used to have some friends in New Brunswick attending school at Rutgers. During visits to their abodes, we would go out and feast at the grease trucks then walk about campus. Sadly, in that day, no coffee establishments worth frequenting existed, so coffee was never a source of excitement during my visits.

But now the New Brunswick area much like a lot of the central NJ area is starting to spurt out some decent establishments. One gem that has been a long time in the works is a local roaster that in the past year finally opened their own cafe, a fine establishment called OQ Coffee. Located across the river in Highland Park, OQ has a cozy shop and roastery off the main drag of Raritan Avenue/Route 27. In the area one dreary afternoon, I made a stop by their skylighted lofted space for a cup of coffee and espresso.

The espresso was their Espresso Archimedes and the coffee a pourover of an Ethiopian. The espresso, pulled short with marble brown crema, expressed raspberry, pink lemonade, some yogurt and a little basil; all around a bright and delicious spro. The Ethiopian sang of cocoa, blueberry, sweet corn, rye bread, roasted peanut and beef broth, a hearty and succulent brew.

Thus, especially compared to my former years in the area, OQ Coffee provides a beacon of gloriously great coffee in an area typically overrun with chains and sludge. Whether you're shopping nearby or you're attending classes at Rutgers, drop by OQ Coffee for some quality beverages.

Chick-fil-A and Thrive Coffee

There's nothing like a stop at a top-tier coffeehouse for a cup of fresh, quality coffee. But sadly, this luxury is often something restricted to city centers and random caffeinated oases. Suburbia is all but devoid of good coffee outfits.

Thus, many a coffee geek has often been stuck in a bind where fast food or gas stations are but his/her only recourse for a cup of joe, a choice that often results in settling for "meh" coffee at best and, barely digestible swill at worst.

But how the tide seems to be changing. Chick-fil-A, a fast food eatery barely known to even carry coffee, recently began a partnership with Thrive Farmers Coffee and S & D Coffee to bring direct trade coffee through the chicken-driven giant. Apparently working also with a few big names in the coffee industry like Tracy Allen, it seems Chick-fil-A was actually doing their due diligence to make sure that well-sourced coffee didn't end up losing the battle in the roasting and brewing processes.

Only launching this new coffee today in a few test markets throughout the country, I was fortunate enough to live in one of them (Philadelphia/NJ) and hence, I got a call from a local marketing director to try out the coffee before it hit the streets. Showing up one afternoon, my eye caught a Wilbur Curtis pot brewer (was either a CBHS or ThermoPro G4) set up with digital timers set to expire after an hour of brewing (at which point, they dump the old coffee, clean and rebrew). While any tool can be misused, the equipment at least has potential to continually make good coffee.

Center stage in this roll out is Chick-fil-A's new drip coffee. There was little information on the specifics of the origin that comprise the blend (region, farm, etc) but the fact that it's all Thrive Farmer beans at least narrows the scope. Coming piping hot in a sleeved paper cup, the drip coffee (after it cooled a bit) smacked of chocolate nibs, Oreos, sugar cookies, heavy cream, pretzel and slight basil, all within a medium body. The brew surprised me exceedingly, as it was bursting with sweet, luscious flavors and barely had any bitterness or displeasing aftertastes (a firm 4+ in my book).

In addition, they are offering a cold brew iced coffee. Coming pre-concocted, simply needing to be diluted, the concentrate can be made with adding water or adding milk. Only wanting to try out the coffee black, I asked they just use water in making my iced coffee. Once again, I found myself impressed. Prominent notes of malt, vanilla and cream dominated this brew, with only a slight offset of romaine lettuce, proving overall smooth and rich.

At this time, Chick-fil-A is leaving the question of espresso to another day, a move I find admirable, given the flippant attitude most other fast food giants give to the art of 'spro. And with the rich quality and flavor that they have in their new drip and cold brew coffee, I think they need not rush.

Thus, starting today, if you're in one of the test markets for this new brew, you can add Chick-fil-A to your list of places that serves decent coffee. Sure my preference is always for a cup of joe from a local, highly-reputed coffee establishment (i.e. those would be the 5+ and 6+ on my blog) but it's comforting to know that when I wander the coffee deserts of the country, Chick-fil-A has my back with responsibly-sourced and actually enjoyable coffee.


note: coffee was provided free of charge and the above review is objective feedback. 

CC: Jersey Java

Subject: Jersey Java and Tea
Location: Haddonfield, NJ
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]


Haddonfield contains tons of rich history, ranging from it's gorgeous colonial architecture to the discovery of the first almost complete dinosaur in 1858. And with the manner in which New Jersey constantly seems to wreck and redevelop, the town has fortunately maintained a picturesque stratigraphy of the past few centuries.

In regards to coffee history, for as long as I can remember, the town has always had a local coffee spot on Haddon Avenue, just outside the main street. In elder days it was called 3 Bean, but for the past five years it has been known as Jersey Java and Tea. The building itself is a gorgeous single-level establishment with a fantastic patio, huge bay windows and a cute fireplace, but Jersey Java has also made excellent use of the space, equipping it with a fancy array of furniture and color.

The coffee comes from Square One Coffee out of Lancaster, a roaster becoming more common in the regional coffeehouses. In my most recent trip, I ordered an espresso (I believe it was a custom blend) and a drip of Burundi Teka. The espresso, pulled short with a light brown crema, distributed notes of ginger, beef bullion, birch beer, a little sage and some pipe tobacco, proving to be hearty, bright and a touch sour; overall not a bad pull. The drip blasted out blueberry, caramel, slight minestrone and nutmeg amidst a medium body, proving to be a lusciously rich and juicy coffee. 

Jersey Java has certainly been a coffeehouse growing in forward progression, having developed greatly in quality through the past five years. As one of the only good coffee spots of the southern portion of NJ, definitely make a stop in when you're in the area.

CC: Turnstile Coffee Roasters

Subject: Turnstile Coffee Roasters
Location: Belmar, NJ
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Sandy sure did do a number on the Jersey shore. If you haven't had the horror of seeing it first hand, I can tell you that the experience is surreal. Picture perfect places that spawned so many memories are now forever changed.

But fortunately, some aspects of the shore were not totaled and some were barely hit. One encouraging sight for me was a place called Turnstile Coffee Roasters in Belmar. Planted a bit away from the beach itself, Turnstile is located in a gorgeous grey shopping center off Route 71. The interior emanated a classy charm that made one feel fancy and at home simultaneously, with an array of wood tables, a leather couch and superbly pleasant lighting.

The coffee available comes from both their in-house roasting operation as well as some outside roasters like Stumptown and Counter Culture. That day, I had a pourover of Turnstile's Ethiopian Yirgacheffe and an espresso of Stumptown's Hairbender. The pourover doled out notes of vanilla, cocoa, berry, a little black tea and buttered croissant; a sweet and creamy coffee with lots of potently delicious facets. The espresso, pulled short with brown crema, tossed me notes of lemon syrup, cocoa, curry, caramel, whole milk and a tinge of sage, proving to be a great pull of Hairbender.

While NJ coffee has been improving (especially along the Jersey Coast Line; here's even an ongoing feature from the Anchor on some local baristas), Turnstile is definitely a rare sight still in these parts. They hold many torches, exemplifying a roasting operation, superb skill, great coffees from other great roasters and a nice location. If you're in town for vacation or just passing through, stop by Turnstile for some great coffee.

CC: Cubby Hole

Subject: The Cubby Hole
Location: Moorestown, NJ
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 4+ [see key]


In the eastern part of the US, it amazes me that whole swaths of counties and states exist without a single coffeehouse that can serve a decent mug of coffee. I could draw mammoth circles on maps of NJ alone that encompass still bereft lands that have yet to possess an establishment that offers beans worthy of brewing.

Take the lovely town of Moorestown in southern Jersey. Voted one of the best towns to live by Money Magazine in 2011, this cute town of Quaker roots still seems to have a main street only barely holding on. As someone who grew up close by, I've always seen this main street as an opportunity waiting to happen, but of course the right stimuli also need to happen. One thing needed in my humble opinion is a great coffeehouse, a flower that still has yet to blossom. Oddly, the closest thing the street has to great coffee is a little eatery called the Cubby Hole.

Situated in a small, bland store front with a pair of outside tables, I actually had never wandered into the Cubby Hole's doors until my father mentioned they had good coffee. Not necessarily trusting my father's palate but at the same time owing him the respect to try out his recommendation, I took a visit one day. The interior proved not much too look at (a very muted decor with a space that actually has some potential for pizazz), the first sighting of their coffee took me by surprise. Sitting by the door were a couple of pump pots of One Village Coffee out of (somewhat) close-by Souderton, PA. Holding onto the hope that the coffee was brewed correctly and was fresh, I grabbed a cup of their Ethiopian. To my express delight, the brew packed a fruity punch along with some vanilla cookie, sassafras, english muffin and rose petal amidst a smooth, medium body; a flavorful and tasty African coffee.

While there was not an espresso machine in sight and an examination of the menu spoke of a simple eatery, I was still impressed with their coffee. Oddly enough, were this little eatery to take it to the next level with at least their coffee (never mind the other menu options), I think they could do some killer business. But for the time being, stop by the Cubby Hole for a good cup of drip coffee.

Mugged: Diner and Peru [Booskerdoo]

Subject: Booskerdoo Coffee
Mugged: Jersey Diner and FTO Peru SO
Rating: 4+ for Diner, 3+ for Peru [see key]


Until this past year, it seemed that NJ would never have a high concentration of decent coffee operations. For as long as I have sipped coffee, shops that were able to dole out fresh, not-disgusting beans were spaced out usually too far to go from one to the other without making it a small road trip.

But in traversing the central Jersey beach area, it seems more and more good coffee options are appearing. One such place is Booskerdoo Coffee of Monmouth Beach. Having never been, I was intrigued to receive two pounds of their coffee one recent day; their Jersey Diner-style Blend and FTO Peru. I sampled each via pourover, french press and siphon.

For the Jersey Diner-style, the drip produced notes of buttered toast, apple, Corn Pops, a little lemongrass and cola, capping off a medium-bodied coffee with sweet, wheaty notes. The french press held a similar body and notes of granny smith apples, toast, sweet corn and a little cola. The siphon had a more wheaty kick, with notes of graham cracker, toast, apple, cola and a little sweet corn within a medium body. 

The Peru drip delivered flavors of french toast, maple, cloves and unsweetened cocoa within a heavier body, that overall, while flavorful, was a little too dark. The french press produced a similar profile, with notes of cloves, unsweetened cocoa, maple syrup and a heavy body that seemed almost espresso-esque. The siphon proved a tad sweeter, with chococlate, maple syrup, cloves and oatmeal within a heavy body.

Overall, both coffees sampled decently. While I thought the Jersey Diner blend was better, as it embodied a flavorful brew that I would covet with a nice breakfast, I found the FTO Peru not bad for a darker coffee but little too bitter for a light roast.

If you're in the area or you're looking to try out one of Jersey's coffee roasters, give Booskerdoo a try. 


note: coffee was provided free of charge and the above review is objective feedback.

Mugged: Coffee Bean Direct

Subject: Coffee Bean Direct
Mugged: Ethiopia Yirgacheffe and Nicaragua Organic Fair Trade SHG

Rating: 3+ for both [see key]

A lot of enamor is placed on hand-made products. The fascination with getting a product produced by actual human limbs provides that artisan touch that many consumers love. But from a business perspective, that extra labor only pays off when you can price your products at a higher rate. If you want to get a great product at a lower price, mechanization needs to get involved.

Which brings us to the folks at Coffee Bean Direct who have grown to a point where they chose to take steps to keep their production more efficient and their coffee still affordable. Thus, they have opted to use Kickstarter to help them get a "pouch monster," an $80,000 upgrade to their coffee production. 

To better help paint a more accurate picture of what they have to offer and why you the consumer should pitch in to help this company expand, the folks at Coffee Bean Direct decided to send me out two of their coffees to review: their Ethiopian Yirgacheffe and their Nicaraguan Organic Fair Trade SHG. Both coffees I reviewed via drip, french press and siphon infusions.

The Ethiopian overall produced a coffee with notes of apple, corn, strong cigar, malt and grass, with small differences in each infusion. The drip held strong apple notes with a light lime zest amid a medium body, the french press more corn and caramel with similar body and the siphon was more overt in chocolate notes and with sweeps of vanilla. Overall, a decent coffee though the notes of cigar and akaline elements made this only a fair African coffee.

The Nicaraguan embodied a malty and salty brew across the board, with particular shades of pretzel, pecans and cola. As for minor differences, the drip was thickest with minor notes of spinach and caramel; the french press begot similar notes as the drip though with a lighter and broth-ish flavor; and the siphon held tinges of sassafras and nutmeg. Also a good coffee though it was a little too malty for my liking and the salty aspects didn't pair as well as I would have hoped. 

Thus, while I can't say that their coffee was the best ever, I can say it is substantially better than most coffees you would pay a similar price for at the market. Give Coffee Bean Direct a try and if you feel compelled, help them realize their Kickstarter goal. 


note: coffee was provided free of charge and the above review is objective feedback.   

CC: Three Fish

'

What does CC mean?

Subject: Three Fish

Location: Ocean City, NJ

Free WiFi ? :yes

Rating: 4+ [see key]

As the summer came to a close last week, I finally got around to posting about another summertime coffee venue in lovely Ocean City. Though it will probably be too late for this season, it will hopefully give folks something to look forward to for next summer. 

Three Fish is a coffee stand on the Ocean City Boardwalk on the 1300 block. Taking up the footprint of about 3 photo booths, the place has a beautiful simplicity to it in both name and menu. In chatting with the owner and barista, he mentioned he was just getting started and that he had hopes of improvements.

The coffee is the Avanti Blend from Vista Clara Coffee Roasters and the espresso blend is from Red House Coffee Roasters. The espresso, served in a small paper cup, held notes of bittersweet cocoa, lemon, ginger, salt, sesame seeds, a little spinach and rock candy amidst a brown crema and a short/medium pull. The coffee, though a tad dark, held bitter tobacco, apricot, bran, cinnamon, slight sassafras and a medium body. I did not note any teas.

While I did find the espresso pleasant, I felt the drip was not all that great (the coffee was masked by darker oils) but easily fixable with a quick switch of the beans. Maybe next year will prove better; only time will tell. Stop by Three Fish if they are still open or put them on your agenda for your next NJ beach vacation. 

Mugged: Toarco AA [Old Queens]

'

What does Mugged mean?



Subject: Old Queens Coffee
Coffee Mugged: Toarco AA, Indonesia
Rating: 5+ [see key]





I always thought New Brunswick, NJ would be a good home for a great coffeehouse. And while the folks at Old Queens Coffee don't have a retail location yet, they do the town proud by pumping out great coffee to local cafes and coffee drinkers from their local roastery.

Just recently, I had the pleasure of trying out their Toarco AA a wet-processed coffee from Sulawesi, Indonesia. As I've had OQ coffees in various coffeehouses, I was truly intrigued to try out this one in my home coffee apparatuses. I brewed the coffee via drip, siphon and french press.

The drip birthed a brew of milk chocolate, pear, almond, buttery cracker and a hint of clove. The body was surprisingly heavy though it went down smoothly and sweetly.

The french press had more of wheat and sugar as well as cocoa, pear, almond and minute ginger amidst a medium body.

The siphon more resembled the drip, with milk chocolate, pear, butter, a nice nuttiness and sugary black tea.

While I can't say for sure, these beans were possibly some of the best Indonesian coffee I've sunk my proverbial teeth into. If you're looking for a great coffee from Oceania, give OQ's Toarco AA a go.


note: coffee was provided free of charge and the above review is objective feedback.

CC: Locals Coffee and Smoothies

Subject: Locals Coffee and Smoothies
Location: Ocean City, NJ
Free WiFi ? : no
Rating: 5+ [see key]

The family resort town of Ocean City has been a frequent facet of my life for as long as I can remember. For various reasons, my family loved the place and I can often recall having summer vacations in town or nearby.

These days, the town still holds a lot of great memories but it still lacks a few things. Until recently, one of them was a stellar coffee operation. Sure, there was the Ocean City Coffee Company (local roaster and purveyor of coffee) but in years past, they never really impressed me (granted, my 2006 review needs serious redoing as some of my early posts were a little rusty). But this year, there opened up a small coffee bar in the arcade next to the 7th Street Surf Shop; a coffee bar that local food sage Craig LaBan gave a thumbs up to; a place dubbed Locals Coffee and Smoothies.

Walking the boardwalk, it was plainly located between 6th and 7th Streets in the front right corner of an arcade. The tiki bar with a few bar stools gave a decent summer vibe though it was not nearly enough to counter the not-so-soothing sounds of video games. The coffee comes from Rojo's Roastery all the way from Lambertville (first wholesale account I’ve seen of theirs).

Inquiring of their drip coffee, they informed me that they offer their house blend called Midwive’s Moonshine, a “bold” coffee more akin to a dark roast. As there were no other drip options aside from decaf (I tend to defer on dark roasts; not many are pleasant), I ordered a cup of the moonshine and an espresso. To my chagrin, the house blend actually turned out pleasant. While the coffee was more darkly roasted then most specialty coffees, it was still well below the threshold of most dark roasts, demonstrating notes of strawberry, shortbread, spinach, cracker, bran and honey amidst a medium-bodied coffee with only minor bitterness.

The espresso also boded well, despite receiving it in a paper cup after thrice articulating to the barista that I would drink the espresso there. The ‘spro embodied notes of lemon, sweet cocoa, a strong saltiness and a little nutmeg amidst a short/medium pull with lackluster crema (it was greatly disturbed in the transfer from shot glass to paper cup).I did not note the tea.

While I think some of their practices (paper cups for espresso) and philosophies (having a dark roast as your house) could improve, Locals Coffee and Smoothies definitely made good on their claim to be the best coffee on the boardwalk. If you happen to be in the vicinity, give the place a visit.

CC: Lazy Bean Cafe

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What's does "CC" mean?

Subject: Lazy Bean Cafe

Location visited: Teaneck, NJ
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 4+ [see key]



Driving around the choked land of the coffee chain, the northeast seems to occasionally daunt my hopes of finding a decent place in my travels. But even when the skies seem the darkest, a good place is always just over the horizon.

In the land of Teaneck, I learned of a local outfit who sported a Clover ("they" don't have them all...yet). Granted, I heard little about Lazy Bean's roasting or skills, but a place willing to put out close to $10K for a coffeemaker hopefully has something to showcase.

So with a little navigational trouble (when the letter "R" is dashed on the back of a street number, it means it is located in the rear), I found the cafe on the back end of a supermarket. Inside, the cafe is rich in purples and grays, sported a nice wood floor and all together, had a pleasant atmosphere.

Lazy Bean roasts their own coffee, leaning towards a darker roasts as evidenced by their beans on display. I ordered an espresso as well as their Panama (a medium roast) via Clover. The Panama produced flavors of natural yogurt, caramel, a bit of grass, bran and cinnamon. The brew proved smooth and overall, a delicious coffee.

The espresso unfortunately wasn't as pleasant. The shots were pulled short but the crema was really milkshake-ish, headlining with a strong bitterness and a burnt flavor up front, followed by notes Dr. Pepper and tobacco. Looking at their grinder, the beans were a little too dark and combined with what seemed like less-then-optimal preparation, the espresso had little to offer. The tea is Tazo.

In the end, it seemed like Lazy Bean has decent potential (and the right equipment) to become a mighty coffee contender; just a few tweaks in a couple of areas could be all the difference. But who knows what the future holds.

Regardless, if you are looking for a decent coffee in Teaneck, give Lazy Bean Cafe a whirl.