320704 Fri Aug 25 17:38:38 -0700 2006 5 18 Manhattan 0 1833052 I just read on Eater that Joe (The Art of Coffee) has opened a branch in the Alessi showroom at 130 Greene St. I have heard great things about their lattes. How is their regular coffee? Any other recs? Thanks in advance. Fri Aug 25 17:38:38 -0700 2006 14880 Desidero 1 1833368 I think Joe's coffee is ok. Their lattes are pretty, but taste average. There's an "empty" feel to them. It's far, very far from the Seattle Zeitgeist, which is my ultimate reference in latte. In New York I would recommend trying a latte at Zibetto ( http://www.foodcandy.com/PlaceView.aspx?id=271 ), Cafe Pick Me Up ( http://www.foodcandy.com/PlaceView.aspx?id=182 ) and most definitely Casa Cupcake Cafe ( http://www.cupcakecafe.com/ ). The latter is, in my opinion, the best latte in New York City. Fri Aug 25 19:28:15 -0700 2006 1833052 28395 foodcandy 1 1833421 The coffee was a little bitter for my taste. Fri Aug 25 19:47:36 -0700 2006 1833052 10216 Lucia 1 1833880 We really like Joe's. It's not my No. 1 in the city-- that's still Casa Cupcake/ Cupcake Café on 9th Avenue, but it's in the same style (small roaster, very fresh beans). Nosher NYCnosh: http://nycnosh.com Fri Aug 25 22:08:45 -0700 2006 1833052 10751 Nosher 1 1833887 i love joe's and their lattes! casa cupcake is equally good to me. Fri Aug 25 22:10:41 -0700 2006 1833052 15978 calypsogirl 1 1956607 I live in the Seattle area and am somewhat serious about my coffee -- there is a Francis Francis X3 and a Solis grinder on the desk in my office; at home, in the kitchen, an ECM Giotto Premium with a Mazzer Mini beside it. My drink of choice is a ristretto double shot, or a macchiato made with same, pulled from top quality medium roast beans -- not the burnt rubber "Starbuck's roast" that has taken over the American marketplace because it can assert itself when drowned in 600 calories worth of hot milk and whipped cream and chocolate syrup. There is a lot of miserable, muddy water attempting to pass for espresso in NYC (for $5 a pop no less). I stumbled into the Alessi shop in Soho on a business trip to lower Manhattan. There at the front was the Joe coffee stand -- and it looked like the real deal to me. Could they make a strong, perfectly extracted, crema-rich ounce and a half or so of espresso with a tablespoon of microfoam on top, a tidbit of artistry in a cup? Yes. Paydirt. A lush, creamy shot, with notes of dark chocolate, toasted walnuts, and heavy cream -- topped with a thick sienna colored crema and a beautiful rosette of silky foam -- like drinking an espresso cloud in an Alessi demitasse cup. On par with the best pulls at Cafe Migliore in downtown Seattle. It was damned good, in other words. This is excellent espresso. After choking down three or four days' worth of lousy overpriced New York mud in a cup, it renewed my faith in coffee. I'd walk out of my way for one of these any day of the week. Thu Oct 19 03:15:41 -0700 2006 1833052 47754 chambolle