With Starbucks taking over the world, I thought it would be interesting hearing about anyone's favorite local place. I would like to emphasize that it's COFFEE; that means I'm putting less weight on decor, service etc.
PieInTheSky
Apr 11, 2002 12:27PM
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I love Reunion on 57th between 8th and 9th I think. Good coffe, nice people!
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I like Manon Cafe, which uses Illy beans. It is located in the Leonidas Belgian chocolate store in Hanover Square. Also, great pain au chocolat! And a free chocolate praline with your coffee. I had a triple espresso today.
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Where is Hanover Square??
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Off Front Street in the Financial District.
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Hanover Square is near Broad St. & Beaver St. downtown in the Financial District.
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the mud truck, parked outside of the uptown 6 station on astor place weekday mornings. especially if they're playing tony bennett. the friendliest barristas around and pretty good coffee with the added bonus that when you you ask for milk in your regular coffee, they use steamed milk.
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I too have been pleasantly surprised with the coffee at the Mud truck - not my ideal perfect cup but pretty good. I am VERY appreciative of the cheeerful service, decent prices, and the steamed milk (and the dog treats for when I walk by with a dog in tow!). During the colder months, they sometimes stayed until late in the evening, but now they're giving their spot up to the ice-cream truck once again. It's a shame.
--Joanna
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For a little bit more of a specific request: where can one get lightly roasted whole beans. I want to find some lightly roasted Java or Sumatra. With Charbucks and all the places that follow them, I have not had a good cup of either Sumatra or Java for years.
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For whole roasted beans (and tea), I like Porto Rico on Bleecker off Sixth; there's also a second place at St Marks and 2nd. The orginal store has been around a long time or at least well before the Starbucks/Seattle coffee thing.
I have had good luck with getting fresh beans there. Don't know about the degree of roasting; it works for me and is lighter than Starbucks.
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I like both the java arabica and sumatra mandeling (beans) from Porto Rico Import Company. You may prefer the Sumatra as the arabica is a little more bitter.
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Oren's Daily Roast definitely roasts their beans lighter than 'buck's and many other places (i'd been buying some beans from Peet's on the web.) They have at least 7 locations around Manhattan. There's an interesting article on French roast coffees in the new issue of Cook's Illustrated, btw...includes a tasting where the top rated nationally available brand is Chock Full o' Nuts - who'd a thought it?
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When I was in Chicago, my hostess and I bought a bag of whole-bean Chock Full o'Nuts at a supermarket. I must say, the coffee was EXCELLENT. But here, I haven't found any whole-bean bags of Chock for sale-- only the tin cans of already ground, which to me doesn't make a very good cup of coffee.
Has anyone seen this brand in whole beans? Where?
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They have recently started to sell whole bean chock full o' nuts at the Stop and Shop Supermarket near Flatbush and Beverley Road in Brooklyn, so I imagine it is in many other supermarkets around the city.
I like the Vietnamese coffee (iced or hot) at New Pasteur on Baxter street below Houston. They serve it in a little mini-press that drips into your condensed milk-filled coffee cup right on your table.
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Vietnamese restaurants tend to use cajun coffee (w/chichory) in those presses. Thought you might want to know.
The sweetened condensed milk might help too. :)
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Really? Is that a French connection -- Viet Nam and Lousiana both having been under French control at different times?
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Oren's Daily Roast: I second the motion.
Best coffee in NYC? I think so.
Check 'em out at:
31 Waverly Pl. (near Wash. Sq.)
33 E. 58 St.
434 Third Ave.
985 Lex.
1144 Lex
1574 1st Ave.
Grand Central Market
Web site, too:
http://www.orensdailyroast.com/index.asp
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I was in philly two weekends ago and I read a fantastic article about two guys who run a coffee roasting business out of Philly. It's called La Colombe Torrefaction. Has anyone ever ordered their coffee? They apparently supply coffee to some of the best chefs in the country including our very own Jean-Georges.
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I like La Rosita's Cafe Con Leche, at 108th street and Broadway.
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Black and hot from Grey Dog on Carmine in the Village.
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Uncommon Grounds on 35th / 3rd Ave. does a fantastic job. Great snacks too.
JM
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we're talking brewed coffee, right? I go several times a week to get a cafe au lait at Antique Cafe (25th St and 6th Ave). They steam the milk long enough for it to get super-frothy, and the coffee is rich and delicious.
I also like the coffee from Cucina & Co. in a pinch-- there's a location in ROck Center and one in Macy's Cellar.
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Bileve it or not I go for Me Li Wah...
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If you like it sweet, try the cafe con leche at (where else?) Cafe Con Leche (couple of them on the Upper West Side). On hot days, get it iced. yum yum.
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