CC: Overflow Coffee Bar

Subject: Overflow Coffee Bar
Location: Chicago, IL
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]


Staring at a map of Chicago, there are very few paths to get from the McCormick Place Convention Center to a decent coffeehouse. The closest I've found to date is a funky place on State St called Overflow Coffee Bar. Set in a very wide store front, the voluminous cafe seems to be home to many students during the course of the year, as there are a few institutions of learning close by and Overflow has a lot of tables, not to mention a slight, unique aura of a school bookstore.

Sauntering up to the centrally placed counter, I ordered an espresso of Ipsento's Wildfire and a drip Coffee Ambassador's Brazil. The espresso, pulled to a medium volume with light brown crema, blasted out notes of cocoa, cherry, oregano, sweet wheat and fig, proving in totality to be a smooth, chocolatey espresso. The Brazil dictated triscuit, apple, prune and a little basil, composing a bright and hearty coffee that made for many a delightful sip.   

Quite thrilled with my experience, I take heart that a mere 20 minute walk stands in the way between decent coffee and the endless halls of McCormick Place. If you're in town for a conference or for different strokes, meander over to Overflow.

Mugged: Peru and Malawi [Greyhound]

Subject: Greyhound Coffee Roasters
via BrewPony
Mugged: Peru Rainforest Alliance Organic and Malawi AA
Rating [see key]: 4+ for both


Coffee subscription services seem to be exploding out of the woodwork these days and it's getting harder and harder to find one worth the time. Having tried my share, I can say that though pricy, they hold a lot of promise for the wearied coffee fanatic looking for quality, regular shipments. 

The newest coffee subscription to my tongue is BrewPony, a company based out of Portland that seems to use a lot of local Oregon roasters. I was fortunate to try out their April shipment of Greyhound Coffee Roasters, a nifty operation that gets their name from their love of the noble greyhound (not to mention that a portion of their profits go to greyhound causes). Of their many coffees, I was sent the Malawi AA and the Peru Rainforest Alliance Organic, each I cupped via pourover, french press and siphon.

Leading off with the Peru in my pourover, the cup consisted of cola, molasses, fig, a little sage, minor wheat and some honey within a medium body. The french press held similar notes with the addition of some buttermilk, cracked pepper and pear skin, proving deeper, complex and a little bitter. The siphon finished off the least bitter of the three, with flecks of cola, wheat, pepper, fig and peanut in a medium body. Overall, a decent coffee with malty and hearty qualities.

The Malawi followed next. The pourover sang out notes of sesame, raisin, fresh rye bread, sunflower seed and a little honey, consisting largely of a sweet, seed-ful coffee. For the french press, the seed-y qualities seemed to vanish, proving more full of caramel, black tea, apple, anise, root beer and minor tobacco. The siphon seemed like a fusion of the last two infusions, with a balanced merge of rye bread, raisin, toasted almond, caramel, fig and a little tobacco. Summarized, a sweet coffee smacking of nuts and juice, backed with some astringent facets. 

All together, I can't say that these two coffees were my all-time favorites given their bitter and/or deep flavors, but at the same time they weren't half bad. Try out Greyhound Coffee Roasters and Brew Pony if you're looking to add a kick of Oregon to your coffee repertoire.

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

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: The Cup

Subject: The Cup Espresso Cafe
Location: Boulder, CO
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]

A coffeehouse that does not encourage congregating is one doomed to failure. Sure places like drive-thrus survive solely as a grab-and-go, but that seems to be the exception. Even if people rarely sit and talk, all folks desire access to an inviting cafe to gather for friendly discourse.

In the lovely town of Boulder, The Cup Espresso Cafe seemed to be the prime spot for the hordes to meet. Open 7 AM - 10 PM daily, the place was genuinely hopping the night I swung by. As the air was warm and the patio doors wide open, both the inside and out were abuzz with patrons. Inside, the many high top tables sat amidst a very brightly lit room, with laptops and small posses dotting the landscape.

The coffee comes from Conscious Coffees, Roast's 2011 Roaster of the Year. For my evening beverages, I ordered an espresso of the Espresso Mantecca and a drip of their Ethiopian Sidamo. The espresso, pulled short with brown crema, held notes of curry, cocoa, vanilla, pound cake, nutmeg and a little rosemary, proving pleasantly sweet, full and spicy. The Ethiopian smacked of raspberry, malt, licorice, marble rye, sage and sunflower seeds, demonstrating a medium-heavy body with a thick, malty flavor dominating.

In the end, I found The Cup to be a nice spot for an evening meet-up or a late cup of joe. The only detraction I found was that I found my drip of Ethiopian a bit to thick and astringent for my tastes, but even that minor aspect did little to dampen an otherwise ticklish overall coffee experience. Delay not in giving The Cup a visit at their lovely Pearl Street location.

Update: La Mill Coffee

In trying to keep visits to different cafe locations in the same post, I recently updated my La Mill Coffee post with a visit to their newer Baltimore location.

Enjoy!