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Subject: It's A GrindLocation visited: Paoli, PA
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 3+ [see key]While I do understand the need for people to take the day off, it's quite a blow when there's not a single coffee place open for miles. The situation becomes even more interesting when it's a national holiday (like Thanksgiving) and you're driving several hours in the early hours of the morning.
It's on days as this that I will look to acceptable chains, the few that do exist (*bucks = I'd rather fast instead). Fortunately, there was a smaller chain open called It's A Grind that popped up this past year in Paoli near the paths of my Turkey Day travels.
It's A Grind rests in a quaint brick shack right on Rt. 30 with a nice array of stores within walking distance. The interior is arrayed in a nice lounge fashion, accented with portraits of music legends such as Bruce Springstein.
To my surprise, their coffee actually is quite varied and had quite a few brews available (only about 2/5 were flavored). I picked the Kenya AA hoping that it had some character and to my pleasure, it displayed some cherries and a smooth brightness; a modest coffee. The espresso was actually pulled from a semi-manual espresso machine (no automatic juggernaut here) and while it had noticeable oils, it also had hints of vanilla and caramel. I didn't observe the tea.
For a Hail Mary coffee pick, It's A Grind actually turned out to be a decent place. If you happen to be in the area, especially on a holiday, give It's A Grind a taste.
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Subject: Progressive Coffee HouseLocation 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.
I recently was sent the documentary Coffee Culture USA, what looked like an insightful look into the coffee culture, and so I hunkered down recently to see what they had constructed.
On the positive side, the film really captured a lot of small coffee-based businesses across the US, several of them with some very noble motives (to support positive teen interactions, keeping the family legacy alive, etc). Overall, the film seemed to accurately portray the commonly construed coffee culture of the US. And that dovetails right into why I didn't like the film.
The shared theme throughout the whole film seemed to be that people largely get into the coffee business for all kinds of reasons EXCEPT to serve amazing coffee (one coffeehouse actually went into business to lure people in using a cooperative bail bond business!). Sure the film also featured a (seemingly) bona fide Kona company as well as some pretty interesting thoughts from Alfred Peet, but everything else seemed to shove the coffee quite far from the point of the culture. Don't get me wrong, there can be other motives to starting/running a coffeehouse but you have to also serve a quality product (Alfred actually made a similar remark somewhere in the middle).
I gotta say this film made me sad. Maybe it's because the film captured a lot of what bothers me with the coffee world. Maybe it's also because it actually does somewhat accurately reflect the sad current state of the US coffee culture. Whatever the reason, I still stick to my hope that a lot of these troubling facets of the coffee culture will soon shape up.
Thus, check out Coffee Culture USA if you're looking for a taste of the current state of affairs in the coffeehouse realm. But if you're one deeply enamored with quality coffee and you're easily depressed, you might want to hold off.
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Subject: Kahawa Coffee HouseLocation visited: Toronto, ON
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 4+ [see key]Kona coffee definitely sits in the mythological realm of coffee popularity. It seems that every person I get into a "what's your favorite coffee?" conversation, those that aren't as deeply obsessed as myself always play the Kona card. And while most of those Kona lovers have really never had true cup of Kona (most usally say they had a Kona "blend"), it just goes to show the effective publicity that Kona has laid down over the years.
Hence, whenever I see a coffee company or product with Hawaiian ties, I am skeptical. My most recent interaction with such doubt was with a coffeehouse up in Toronto called the Kahawa Coffee House. Located a bit northwest of Kensington Market, the quaint little coffeehouse not only sounds Hawaiian (maybe more Polynesian) but it also sports a very North Beach logo complete with a hyacinth flower. But I soon found out that the similarities halted there.
The exterior of the joint was nothing elaborate; just a bench, large window, and a very spiffy (and clean-looking) storefront. Inside, the coffeehouse was ablaze with orange and yellows amidst a handful of tables and a cute counter.
Kahawa actually roasts their own coffee in a compact homeroaster on the back counter. Knowing that small does not mean poor, I dove right into my Papua New Guinea drip (not literally of course; I'm too big). The coffee was a light roast, with a nice sweetness complimented by citrus and a tinge of grass; overall pretty good. The espresso on the other hand didn't bode as well, having a minute sweetness overshadowed by a strong dark bitterness. The tea is from Tea in the Sahara.
Finding the place very comfortable and not in cahoots with Kona mythology, I was content to leisurely take in Kahawa. Sure it seems that they could use some more skill in the barista skill realm but coffee-wise, they at least seem to have a fair foundation for the roasting. If you're in the area and looking for a vibrant place to sit and have some decent filtered joe, skip up to Kahawa.
Note: I have nothing against true Kona coffee, simply the blind love that people express having never had actually quality stuff. That's all really...
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