CC: Stagecoach Coffee

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What's a Coffee Commentary?

Subject: Stagecoach Coffee
Location visited: Cooperstown, NY
(31 Pioneer St # 5)
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 3+ [see key]


Baseball never really was my favorite sport. As a child, I had poor eye-hand coordination and hence, didn't really succeed in hitting or catching in the game. As a teenager and now adult, I would say I like going to baseball games to get out and see a game, but baseball never really captivates me like a good game of football or soccer.

But I do loooove history so I was quite pleased when I finally was able to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. It was a beautiful day and the hall proved very interesting, full of ages passed and "better days" where things were honest and people were decent. But I digress.

On top of the baseball history, Cooperstown is a chic little place that boasts a lot of nifty little boutiques and eateries. Fortunately for me, one of those eateries was a coffeehouse called Stagecoach Coffee. I had stumbled upon it in normal researching but typical of my travels lately, I only knew of its existence before I arrived.

The exterior is a plain white shell of a shop accented with neon in the windows and sports a spacious patio in the back. The interior illustrates a long shop, with the counter on the left and a decent array of seats in the front. The shop has lots of wood/wood tones and even had some local holiday art on the wall.

Stagecoach apparently roasts their own coffee as first evidenced by the coffee bins to the back right. I sampled the Stagecoach blend which came across a little sharp but had subtle earthiness and hints of sweetness (i.e. decent coffee). The espresso demonstrated a fierce bite and strong char that proved none too wonderful; not much of a surprise since espresso was last on the menu (seems they focus more on the sweeter and more milk-based espresso drinks). The tea was free leaf.

All in all, I felt that Stagecoach was a decent place for the little baseball haven of Cooperstown but in the grand scheme of things, I think they could use a good bit of improvement.

If you're in town or nearby, give Stagecoach Coffee a try and evaluate for yourself.

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CC: Main Street Coffee Works

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What's a Coffee Commentary?

Subject: Main Street Coffee Works
Location visited: White Haven, PA
(408 Main St)
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 3+ [see key]



Camping must be one of my favorite activities. The (somewhat) pristine outdoors, the talks around the campfire, and the raw ingenuity in doing such simple tasks as rigging your overhead tarp system to protect your lot against impending showers all make this primordial recreation an international favorite.

But it seems that these lovely thoughts completely crowded out the idea of grabbing decent bedding on my most recent trip. With only a wee pillow to rest my head on and a thin sleeping bag and a tarp separating me from the ground, it was at some point during the evening that I realized that the next day I would benefit greatly from a good cup of coffee to compensate for the sleep potentially lost.

And I was right. Fortunately the wife, siblings-in-laws, and I were headed to go white water rafting the next morning and had some time to swing by a little town called White Haven for coffee at a little place called Main Street Coffee Works. Knowing little of it besides its existence, I wasn't sure what to expect.

We arrived in town and parked right across the street in a spacious parking lot. The exterior of MSCW reflected a tiny local operation as the building itself was a small, one-story shop with a single large front window. Walking inside, it proved quite cozy with four tables and a seemingly huge counter occupying most of the space, and a number of other items taking up most of the other room save a small aisle bordering the counter. The wall boasted lots of signs and the shop was bustling with lots of people.

The coffee came from Ellis Coffee Company, a large scale coffee provider of the Philadelphia area that one would usually find within gas stations and catering businesses. Not having the best of experiences with the company (coffee tends to be drinkable but mostly lackluster), I tried to remain objective when ordering. I sprung for the Kona Blend (which doesn't appear on the website) and while it definitely didn't deliver a Kona experience, it remained a fair cup of coffee.

The espresso proved to be enigmatic. The barista seemed to have a decent knowledge of what he was doing but the shots came out pretty blah, with a mediocre taste and hints of cardboard. While I would say there was an error or two in performance (like not enough pressure in tamping the coffee), I would blame it mostly on the blend of coffee, Caffe Leone.

The tea was Novus.

In the end, the coffee did compensate for my lack of sleep but I can't say I was too impressed with this local coffeehouse. Knowing the region fairly well and it's complete absence of decent coffee, I would say this place has lots of room for growth and plenty of people to pull in.

If you're around the town for either outdoor pursuits or indoor adventures, give MSCW a try.

CC: Sacred Grounds Coffee

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What's a Coffee Commentary?

Subject: Sacred Grounds Coffee
Location visited: Scranton, PA
(3 W Olive St # 108)
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 2+ [see key]



Old friends coming to visit from far away not only provide a nice respite from the normal routine but also a wonderful chance to catch up. And if you're a friend is a coffee lover, it's also a good chance to take them by a few favorite spots.

So when my wife and I met a good friend in Scranton, we made sure to factor some good coffee into the equation. We had a nice cup of coffee from the Clover at Zummo's Cafe despite one of the employees having quite a cranky demeanor about telling us it was closing time (and what's up with the weird hours as of late?). So since we were thus driven from one coffee spot, we decided to try out another down the road called Sacred Grounds.

After a little seeking, we found the coffeehouse in a bland looking shopping center off of Olive Street. The coffeehouse boasted a fluorescent sign with a California Raisin/Coffee Bean hybrid accompanying the name. The interior was a bright mix of orange and black accompanied by tropical plants and a decent amount of seating.

The coffee comes from a roaster called Barrie House though the day I stopped by, they were brewing a different coffee (I believe it was Mayorga but the barista was very quick in flashing the bag). The coffee was smooth and none too harsh, but I can't really say it had any distinct flavors to it. Still, not bad.

The espresso proved a little disturbing, as it resulted from the barista only adding enough coffee to fill a fraction of the portafilter and was then pulled so long that my doubleshot was about 8 ounces (it filled half a large mug!). Needless to say, it proved to taste like a bitter cup of strong coffee.

The tea was Wagner's Tea.

Though the experience at Sacred Grounds proved somewhat off, the day was still well spent with a good friend (she was very thankful for the two stops too). But given the level of training and seeming lack of coffee passion, I don't think I'll be going out of my way to stop in again. But if you happen to be in the shopping center or the adjoining ice rink waiting for someone, give a go for yourself.

CC: Freedom of Espresso

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What's a Coffee Commentary?

Subject: Freedom of Espresso
Location visited: Syracuse, NY
(various locations)
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 4+ [see key]



Giant corporations bullying small businesses seems to happen so often, especially in the coffee world. One prime example was when a small coffee business opened in Syracuse, NY called Federal Espresso. The story goes that soon after Federal Espresso's inception, package goliath Federal Express takes them to court basically because their name sounds similar and after extensive litigation, Federal Espresso changes to Freedom of Espresso.

So for anyone who's heard or read of this debacle, it's only natural to visit Freedom of Espresso when in Syracuse. FOE has several locations (three in Syracuse and one in nearby Fayetteville), all of which I've had the opportunity to visit. The Franklin Square location is by far my favorite, set in a lovely location with decent parking and a sharp dual level loft-ish interior (though the purple-ish ventilation pipe looks way out of place). The other three locations either possess a somewhat drab interior or challenging parking/exit options.

FOE roasts their own coffee and seems somewhat bullish on blends (not a bad thing if done well). Of the many blends, I've had the House Blend and the African Blend most often. The African tends to be darker with a nice sweetness while the House demonstrates a subtle bright smoothness overshadowed by darkness. Neither are a favorite but better then mediocre. On a side note, they do have a few single origins such as the ever popular Ethiopian Yirgacheffe.

In my experience, the espresso usually delivers somewhat disappointing. My most recent visit produced the best doubleshot to my recollection; the shots were pulled decently, tasted fairly sweet, and possessed a velvety texture but the back end had a good deal of char. Overall, nothing fantastic. Of their tea, they serve a variety of bagged teas.

Overall, FOE does a decent job as a local coffee operation but with all of the initial Fed-Ex publicity and multiple locations, it really seems like the business could be so much more of a quality and cutting edge coffee operation then it is (I mean, they don't even have a website!). Maybe I'm missing something, but I can't say that I'm too impressed.

Whether your curious to try some coffee from the coffeehouse that took on Federal Express or your looking for a halfway decent place in Syracuse to grab some coffee, give Freedom of Espresso a sampling.