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.

Mugged: Ethiopia, Kenya and Guatemala [Black Oak]

Subject: Black Oak Coffee Roasters
Coffee Mugged and Rating [see key]:
- Kenya Kabatha AB 5+

- Ethiopia Konga 5+
- Guatemala San Diego Buena Vista 6+

California wine country is renowned for its many great vineyards, but up until recently, the sea of grapes harbored little else of such high quality. Fortunately the area is growing even more appealing, with quality specialty coffee slowly gaining a stronger foothold in the land of vino. Take Black Oak Coffee Roasters in the town of Ukiah right off the 101; what more could you ask for than a coffee roaster that takes as much care and love in their beans as the best vineyards surrounding put into making their wine?  

Shortwave Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Shortwave Coffee
Location: Columbia, MO
WiFi?: Yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]


If you were to tell most people that greatness lies in a basement down a Missourian alley, you may be met with a skeptical eyebrow. But as true as the road is full of autumn construction, some alley basements sport some pretty spectacular haunts.

Mugged: Brasil, Colombia and Ethiopia [PHCR]

Subject: Passion House Coffee Roasters 
Coffee Mugged and Rating [see key]:
- Brasil Sertaozinho 5+
- Colombia Matambo AAA 6+
- Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Kochere 5+

I always love getting revisits from great roasters, especially ones from Chicago, as the windy city seems to be home to some of the warmest coffee folks in the industry. Some months ago I got my first real interaction with Passion House Coffee Roasters (a tremendously pleasant one) and as a recent follow-up, I got a full taste of their Ambient-Mainstream-Experimental spectrum with three coffees each championing a genre: their Brasil Sertaozinho representing Ambient, Colombia Matambo volunteering as tribute for Mainstream and Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Kochere standing up for Experimental. I brewed each coffee via pourover, french press and siphon.

Sunergos Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Sunergos Coffee
Location: Louisville, KY
WiFi?: Yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]


Louisville is a city I have been longing to go back to since I last left. I had rolled into town one New Years holiday weekend back in 2004 and found the town almost completely shut down. I distinctly remember using all of my the power at my disposal to locate some decent coffee, but no matter where I looked or where I begged, I could not locate an open coffeehouse. It was a weekend of despair and anguish only eclipsed by the company of good friends and a great conference. And ever since I left town on a cold morning in early January, my ears have only filled to the brim with the great wonders of Louisville.