I am not the biggest fan of Winter. I think my genetic disposition requires me to crave warm places, much like the rest of my people who tend to migrate during the cold months to places like Boca Raton Florida. But for … Continue reading
Last week I spent a few hours in New York City’s West Village. The neighborhood is distinguished by streets that are “off the grid” — set at an angle to the other streets in Manhattan. It’s still Colonial in feel and very residential. In my fantasies when I dream of moving back to the city my first choice is a brownstone in the West Village. A few years ago while getting into my car I saw Gwyneth Paltrow exiting her home on one of these charming streets and the idea of her as one of my neighbors cemented my decision.
Street Fair, West Village
I only had time to check out two coffee shops, Prodigy Cafe and Whynot. Prodigy is a great space for a quiet respite from the tourists clogging Bleeker Street just around the corner.
About six months ago the two owners started roasting their own coffee in Brooklyn at the Pulley Collective and they do a great job. They offer both their signature Brooklyn Blend as well as single origin selections.
Just a few blocks away, Whynot Coffee and Wine on the corner of Gay and Christopher Streets is where the monied cool locals hang out. Toby’s estate is the house offering and the music is all vinyl. After 5 the coffee shop becomes a wine bar. Hang out here (make sure you dress the part…NYC cool) and you’ll most likely rub elbows with a screenwriter, photographer or a local artist.
Whynot
Dinner was spent in Chinatown…a bit of Szechuan followed by some bubble tea.
Chinatown fish market
Links
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Last week I showed slices of city life in Philadelphia I found intriguing but didn’t fit in a longer blog post. This week I feature Mud Coffee and Think Coffee in New York, and briefly have a cup of La Colombe … Continue reading
Best Pizza Want a fantastic slice of brick oven “Brooklyn style” pizza? Then head over to Havemeyer Street where two slices and a soda is all you’ll need . The perfect ration of cheese, sauce and dough. Naruto Ramen The … Continue reading
To the first time visitor, the city of New York is large and difficult to manage. But to a resident, NYC is a city made up of many smaller towns or neighborhoods each with its own character. For example, on … Continue reading
A few weeks ago one of my Twitter followers @AstoriaCoffeeNY asked if I’d like some coffee beans. Who could refuse so of course I said yes. While I waited for a sample of their coffee from roaster Cafe Brioso based in Columbus Ohio, I learned more about Dennis Lee and his girlfriend Liz Wick’s journey and challenges in their quest to open their own coffee shop.
Dennis and Liz moved to Astoria, Queens in 2009. They had met in Ohio working in a coffee shop opened by a mutual friend. Noticing that their Queens neighborhood had only a few places to get a decent cup, they began discussing opening a place of their own.
So far it’s been a challenge opening a brick and mortar. Finding an affordable lease in a great location and obtaining financing hasn’t been easy. In the meantime Dennis and Liz started a neighborhood whole-bean coffee delivery service and were just awarded a $10,000 business start-up grant through the Queens Economic Council.
I asked them why they picked Cafe Brioso over so many other options closer to New York such as Toby’s Estate and Stumptown. One reason is their connection to Columbus and its burdgening coffee scene. In addition Dennis and Liz work directly with Jeff Davis the owner/roaster at Brioso and prefer that to working with a sales rep.
So how does Cafe Brioso’s beans compare to other roasters? Tomorrow I’ll publish the results of a comparison cupping against beans from Heart, Toby’s Estate, and Square Mile.
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