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What's a Coffee Commentary?
Subject: Burlap and Bean Coffee
Location visited: Newton Square, PAFree WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]
Periods of extensive work almost always go hand-in-hand with lots of good coffee but there are a few occasions (such as in this past month) where I have so much to do that getting out to get some good coffee becomes a challenge.
So after going about a week without a stellar cup of coffee, I made sure to make a couple stops that included a visit to a long-time favorite Crescent Moon Coffee as well as to a new place west of Philadelphia called Burlap and Bean Coffee.
Burlap and Bean has been a coffeehouse that I have heard bits and pieces of praise of over the past few months. Word was that they knew what they were doing with roasting and that they've caught the attention of some credible people, but overall I had nothing conclusive. So when I drove into their small strip mall after dinner one evening, the bustling droves of people outside of their big storefront windows proved a welcome sight. Walking in, the inside proved packed and beautifully decorated; gorgeous wood furniture, art mounted on burlap, and a nice color scheme all demonstrated an aesthetically pleasing location to sip some coffee.
The coffee is roasted in-house, varying in single origins and blends. I sampled their house blend, which surprisingly blew me away as usually house blends prove normal, but this one had a hopsy fruity mellow flavor that really made me smile. The espresso emanated a floral sweetness and a nice tang, and all in all definitely appeared to be pulled by trained hands. The tea was Republic of Tea.
In the end, Burlap and Bean left me a chipper man. Not only was I able to make stops at two good coffee establishments (Crescent Moon was pleasant as usual) but now when I'm in Upper Darby or along I-476 I have a good spot to stop at (probably sooner then later). If you are in the area, make sure to give Burlap and Bean Coffee a go.
What's a Coffee Commentary?
Subject: Higher Grounds Cafe
Location visited: Philadelphia, PA
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 3+ [see key]
Of all the areas of Philadelphia, the Northern Liberties must have been one of the last places I've explored. Growing up, I had never heard of it and assumed the neighborhoods north of Center City were just boring residential areas. That was until about two years ago when I heard of the many coffeehouses and up-and-coming eateries housed within the area. So one recent wintry day, I utilized some hang time with a good friend to check out Higher Grounds, the first coffeehouse I had heard of in the area. My friend and I were in heated yet friendly conversation on theology (which I will add, continued through the whole experience) that made finding parking in the very narrow streets a challenge. After some time, we finally found a spot somewhat close by and made our way over. The exterior displayed an eclectic multi-colored front with an inside to match in creativity and clever space usage. Personally, I really liked the decor and bohemian use of the historical architecture. The coffee actually comes from an Alabama organic coffee roaster with a very similar name, Higher Ground Roasters. I had the Mocha Java (from the geographic area, not the flavor) which tasted fairly good (my notes failed to expound further as I was busy explaining a point when I wrote it down). The espresso was pulled averagely and delivered a so-so experience, with a noticeable char and an overall bland flavor (it was my buddies turn when I had the espresso). The teas were loose and seemed to consist of a good variety. And on a random note, they make a delicious hummus and cucumber bagel (they had other lunch/snack options as well).
With my first coffee experience in the Northern Liberties down, I hope to explore the other coffee establishments soon enough. As for Higher Grounds it seems to be a decent coffee establishment but as I was slightly preoccupied that day, I would like to return to better solidfy my opinion.
What's a Coffee Commentary?
Subject: Beauty Shop Cafe
Location visited: Philadelphia, PA
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]
Don't you love it when you stumble across something you wanted to do, but had forgotten all about it until the second you tripped over it?
Recently my bride and I were trying to piddle away a bit of weekend free time before meeting up at the Franklin Institute with my family. The day was sunny and as we headed up 20th St, my wife caught sight of a cafe. Naturally, we pulled over and went down to sniff it out. Turns out it was a shop that I had caught wind of months ago, the Beauty Shop Cafe.
On the outside, the shop is red brick with clear windows peeking inside. Walking in, the place is fairly small with a few tables, a bar along one of the windows, and some vintage (not in use) salon effects. The entire space was alive with people reading, working, and ticking away on their laptops.
The coffee was the reason I had heard of Beauty Shop, as they were "announced" to be the first Center City place that served Chestnut Hill Coffee. Having only had the coffee at the source, I was curious how it would fare off the premises. Beauty Shop served up their own house blend, which embodied a bit of a dark bite yet sampled mostly smooth. The espresso really impressed me, as the barista not only had the decency to re-pull my shots (the first one twas a dud) but the espresso tasted like sunshine (bright and sweet) complete with a decent hang. The tea came from House of Tea, a local Philly company that looks promising.
Aside from the somewhat off-the-beaten-path location, Beauty Shop offers a fairly refreshing change in quality to many other city shops. The major things are to make sure to give yourself time for parking (unless you want to be on Parking Wars) and time in case the limited seating is full.
What's a Coffee Commentary?
Subject: Bonte
Location visited: Philadelphia, PA
[visited 922 and 1315 Walnut]
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 3+ [see key]
When waffles hit my eye (not literally), I usually think breakfast. Sure there's the occasional late night craving for chocolate chip waffles covered with whipped cream, but I can count on one hand the times I've yielded to such gastro-hankerings. So aside from a trip to Brussels, where else would you go to get a Belgian waffle around dinnertime? Well, if you live in Philadelphia or other select PA or NJ towns, you can head to Bonte.
Bonte is primarily a wafflerie but what caught my eye is that they also professed to serve quality and locally roasted coffee. So over the years, I've stopped in a couple times to try out the chain. The place displays a very optically sensual experience with some really beautiful color coordination and nice interior design (they like blue and brown).
One of the odd things is that they espouse to use "locally roasted" coffee and yet they serve Counter Culture coffee which to my knowledge is roasted deep in North Carolina (maybe they consider East Coast local?).
Regardless, I was a bit excited to get my coffee as Counter Culture has a pretty good reputation. And yet, I was somewhat disappointed. The coffee in my experience is decent yet most recently, the brew was definitely stale (too long in the pot). The espresso is generally mediocre; my shot of late was pulled fairly well and had a nice sweet acidity, but conversely possessed a noticeable hint of cardboard.
Being that their real passion is waffles, I decided in my most recent visit to give one a whirl. I had a blueberry waffle to go (wrapped up like a pretzel) that proved to be a tremendously tasty treat. How close it comes to a true Belgian waffle, I couldn't tell you.
As an overall chain, it seems that Bonte could use a little refinement with their espresso and coffee practices across the board. With a little bit more hard work and a freak movement of American waffle infatuation, the place could really take off.
What's a Coffee Commentary?
Subject: Premium Steap
Location visited: Philadelphia, PA
Free WiFi ? : no
Rating: 3+ [see key]
Tea has always been a second love (drink-wise of course; overall it's fourth as God and wife obviously trump coffee and tea) and for many people, a first. Yet it isn't often that you run across a tea establishment, at least not in the Northeast.
Thus, Premium Steap was a lovely surprise to stumble across one night while meandering around Philadelphia. The shop from afar blended in with the rest of the 18th St venues but when one stood in front of it, the store displayed a beautiful storefront complete with a very sharp awning. At the time it was closed, but I could see that the shop had numerous canisters of tea and from what it looked like, a bar from which to sample the tea.
But it wasn't until about a month ago that I actually got to stop in and try it. It was a blustery afternoon and I was with friends who graciously allowed me to stop in real quick to check the place out. The interior was nice, a bit messy, and the woman (the owner) was definitely amidst a flurry of activity. Also while browsing the teas, for the first time I noticed the complete lack of places to sit and realized the shop was more of a tea and accessory emporium then a sit-down-and-sip-your-tea shop (plus the website touting the former name of the "Wayne Tea Salon", definitely seems to spell out "store").
The owner was helpful (though I couldn't help but feel like she was vibing the "buy something or get out" message as I browsed). She showed me a handful of teas and I ended up taking a cup of black tea to go (which sampled wonderfully; not too tart and with a beautiful body).
While I do want to go back and give some of the other teas a go and maybe take some home, I really can't say I had a great experience (in taking a moment to think about it, I really have to attribute it to the owner's flustered countenance as well as the slightly messy interior). But given the product had nothing to do with the negatives, for now I'm going to chalk it up as a bad day for the owner. The next time I make a stop in will hopefully be a better time; either way, I'll write about it.
What's a Coffee Commentary?
Subject: Joe Coffee Bar
Location visited: Philadelphia, PA
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 3+ [see key]
Car trouble has a whole lot of negatives but every now and then it has a noticeable silver lining. Recently, my faithful steed (car) decided to stall near Jefferson Hospital in Philly and instead of getting upset, I decided to park my car and take a walk. Lo and behold when I turn the corner onto Walnut, I glimpse one of the coffeehouses on my list to try; Joe Coffee Bar.
I remember first seeing it and initially pegging it as a cafe that served as a watering hole for those needing a quick cup of mediocre coffee. But then I had heard some positive things from people who worked in the area and ever since, had scribbled it onto my list. The interior has a very open feel and decent ambiance, complete with a nice array of local art adorning the walls and their very own ATM. Not to mention they have quite a unique niche (as advertised on the website) that you can rent out the store for 2 hours during their off-hours (wonder what the fee is given the location...).
My initial assumption of their product angle was a strong emphasis in fair trade and organic products, which was pretty well-confirmed by their coffee offerings from Equal Exchange and Torreo (both I've had experience with and neither wows me). The coffee sampled was a medium-roast Guatemalan that tasted decent yet left me feeling very one-dimensional. The espresso was pulled decently and had a nice crema, but at the same time was stiff and presented nothing grand. Didn't catch the tea.
In the complete experience, it seemed Joe Coffee Bar has a lot of the right stuff not very well utilized. Seems like they'd be sitting pretty if they tweaked a few things behind the counter, gave the shop a good spit shine, and spruced up the website. For now, yet another Philadelphia coffeehouse to add to the long list of average coffee establishments.
While I have occasional skepticism of most food critics' knowledge of coffee-related things, as I've seen foodies recommend some pretty rough places and products, Philly food critic Craig LaBan just put out a really nice article on the purchasing of a home espresso machine. He definitely did his homework and the article is worth the read even if you're not in the market for an espresso machine.
As far as places he recommends grabbing an espresso, I hands down agree with Chestnut Hill Coffee and have put Osteria (apparently a fancy pizza joint on Broad) on the "try" list.
Give the article a gander here.
