Artisanal Coffee in Boston [Split from the "Must Go To Boston Restaurants" thread]

[greenzebra]

I agree with almost everything that rlh says here, except that I have to defend the unique artisanal-roasted coffee scene in Boston. I think Barismo (based in Arlington, and available at Simon's coffee shop on Mass Ave in Cambridge and possibly other places) stacks up well against anyone, although I will admit I don't have the widest coffee experience in the world.

[nsenada]

Had one of the best capuccinos of my life at Crema Cafe in Harvard Square. I think they use Terroir and George Howell beans.

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Crema Cafe
27 Brattle St, Cambridge, MA 02138

[hrhsheba]

thanks to both of you for steering me in the right direction!

[nsenada]

The Marliave has a coffe and pastry bar on Province Street not too far from the Ames. Had a decent espresso there recently, and the pastries are quite good. Hope this made it in time for the convention.

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Marliave
10 Bosworth Street, Boston, MA 02108

[hrhsheba]

Hi Boston Chowhounders - I'm in Vancouver and will be heading to Boston for a week in May to attend a conference. Staying at the Ames Hotel, the conference, naturally, is at the Convention Centre with a lot of activity around the Westin. I'm pretty much fixed up for breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, for meetings with international colleagues, but I really need to come up with some great coffee/pastry places for mid-morning and mid afternoon meetings (hate the hotel lobby routine). Anyway, although there appear to be some good suggestions on this thread, locating them is proving rather time-consuming. Could you visutalize the Ames and the Westin and imagining a straight line between the two - could you guide me to the best coffee places (great coffee, good pastries, seating, and not too noisy). Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated. I'm in a similar situation for cocktails but I'm going to see if i can find a thread for that :)

[greenzebra]

hrhsheba, the places recommended on this thread are in Cambridge or Brookline, pretty far from the area where you will be. You might check out the recommendations on this recent thread about cappuccino in downtown Boston: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/655442

I'd also add two suggestions of my own that might suit your purposes: Boston Common Coffee Co, with locations on High St and Washington St, and Flour Bakery, which is near the convention center off Congress St.

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Flour Bakery + Cafe
1595 Washington St, Boston, MA

Boston Common Coffee Co
10 High St Ste 1, Boston, MA 02110

[lergnom]

Between the Convention Center and the Ames is Flat Black on Broad Street. They roast their own and carry a variety of pastries (that they do not make).

[rlh]

Pretty sure Flat Black gets their pastries from Sel de la Terre and they are really good, especially in the am.

Flour is a great bakery but I don't love their coffee.

I think the very best place to go on that path, however, is the bakery counter at Sportello at 348 Congress St - they serve the best (plain butter) croissant I've had in this city, really nice staff, good to excellent coffee and a nice place to sit, though it is usually pretty empty before dinner.

There is also really good (Terroir - local artisan roasted) coffee in the shop on the edge of Post Office Square, but I haven't tried their pastries. I don't know the name. The best cocktail option by far is downstairs at Drink, by the way - and the Woodward bar in the Ames is quite solid as well, if noisy later in the evening.

Peet's also has consistently good coffee and OK pastries, but no seating at all..and the Clover option at Starbucks on Congress St. is good if you haven't tried it, they do have seats, but the pastries...blech (Bruegger's bagel-shaped bread is next door as another option).

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Flat Black Coffee Co
50 Broad St, Boston, MA

Peet's Coffee & Tea
176 Federal St, Boston, MA

Drink
348 Congress St, Boston, MA 02210

Sportello
348 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02110

Woodward
1 Court Street, Boston, MA 02108

[bear]

I agree that Flour isn't a coffee destination, but I think the dark roast in a mug rather than a take-out cup is the way to go if you are having pastry there.

[BarmyFotheringayPhipps]

Boston has George Howell, without whom the coffee scene in America would be much different, and much worse.

[rlh]

Agreed on Howell's influence, but I find it very difficult to get their fresh-roasted beans within a week without paying huge prices online and delivery on top of that.

Barismo coffee is awesome, however, their lame attitude and almost total lack of customer service / warmth is NOT and it's also not really a coffee shop at all - just a storefront from which to buy beans and get a perfect cup of coffee made in interesting ways, but not to hang out and savor it at all (no seating and frequently with awkward staffers leering at or ignoring you while they chat with each other) - this makes me think I need to try Simon's - haven't been there in quite a while....

We are lucky to have great coffee shop options here (Peets, 1369, Crema, etc.), but I still maintain we have NOTHING like Stumptown or Caffe Vita in Seattle or Blue Bottle in San Francisco or Abraca in NYC or Caffe Artigiano in BC (or Milagro in Quepos, Costa Rica - my most recent find) - PLEASE, prove me wrong!

What are your coffee destination favorites where you can get a great fresh cup, relax and enjoy it, AND then buy a wide range of freshly-roasted beans (Central American, African, AND South Pacific as well as thoughtful blends) to take home?

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Crema Cafe
27 Brattle St, Cambridge, MA 02138

[chickendhansak]

Perhaps try Cafe Fixe in Washington Square in Brookline, if you haven't. Their espresso is excellent and they stock the Stumptown beans.

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Cafe Fixe
1642 Beacon St, Brookline, MA 02445

[greenzebra]

You may be right that there is nowhere here like Stumptown that combines innovative coffee roaster plus great coffee shop -- IMO Simon's is probably the closest, a relaxing place to have a fresh cup that also stocks a good range of Barismo beans. But they aren't doing their own roasting, so not necessarily exactly comparable to Stumptown. Perhaps Barismo will evolve in that direction, but certainly at the moment you're right, they aren't a place to relax or even really a coffee shop. I do think Boston has great coffee shops (in addition to the ones you list, I'd add Bloc 11, Diesel and Simon's, with Simon's being my favorite) and great coffee roasters, but I'll concede they aren't usually the same places.

[rlh]

I am a fan of Diesel already, and am eagerly adding Bloc 11(looks great from the street, but haven't gone inside) and Cafe Fixe to my "must try" list - thanks!

I probably should mention Sherman Cafe as well - it's always been good for me.

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Cafe Fixe
1642 Beacon St, Brookline, MA 02445

[greenzebra]

FYI, Diesel and Bloc 11 are owned by the same people. I like the food at Bloc 11 better, and they've got a nice little patio, although Diesel is closer to me so I go there much more often.

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Bloc 11 Cafe
11 Bow St, Somerville, MA 02143

[rlh]

Wow - I tried Bloc 11 today - a single brewed cup from the Chemex with Burundi beans - amazing cup of coffee - so much so that I got back in line and bought some of those beans to bring home. It's really close to what I was seeking (it would be if they roasted their own beans - but roasted on March 10 by Intelligensia is OK as well - the beans from Oct 2009 also for sale - not so interesting). I also had a terrific, not sweet or oily AT ALL pumpkin currant muffin. Thanks again - I'll be back there often.

I wonder if the moderators can take this whole coffee tangent and make it a topic since it's gone kind of far afield from the original request?

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Bloc 11 Cafe
11 Bow St, Somerville, MA 02143

[hckybg]

I'm surprised you had a bad experience at Barismo. I have been there only once (about a month ago) and had a really nice, friendly clerk who was only busy explaining all the different roasts to many customers. But she was certainly warm and not at all standoffish. I actually like their coffee ledge instead of a formal coffee shop layout (I like both, but like the change of pace at Barismo). I am also a big fan of the Intelligentsia coffees at Bloc 11/Diesel Cafe. I will say that they are 10 times better at Intelligentsia itself (I went to the one in Venice, CA recently) but it is still a very good cup of coffee--definitely one of my favorites in Boston.

[autopi]

yes, i agree completely. i was very excited when i first learned that there was a cafe in boston brewing intelligentsia beans, but they don't nearly as good a job at bloc 11, and esp. at diesel, as they do at intelligentsia. in fact, the drip is really not that great. the chemex at bloc 11 is a good option, but it's huge.

a recent find: the chemex at hi-rise in harvard square--an incredible cup, but the opposite of bloc 11--really small for the price they're charging. but a very nicely done cup.

cafe fixe, i've only been once, but it was very good. probably the closest to the trendy new ultra-refined coffee bar type thing that i've found in boston. there's a place in newtonville that is supposed to be very good, but i found it only so-so on my one visit. but might be worth checking out. and yes, simons: maybe 2 out of my top 5 most memorable espressos ever.

[Velda Mae]

The place in Newtonville is Great Taste and I also find it so-so.

I'd second the vote for Cafe Fixe in Washington Square in Brookline, which now has two outdoor tables.

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Cafe Fixe
1642 Beacon St, Brookline, MA 02445

Great Taste
201 Main St, Milford, MA 01757

[bear]

I'm pretty sure it's just called "Taste". I agree...it's fine if you're in the hood, but not amazing.

I need to try Cafe Fixe.

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Cafe Fixe
1642 Beacon St, Brookline, MA 02445

[Ralphie_in_Boston]

"The Taste" used to be "Caffe Appassionato" and back then it was also just so-so.

[rlh]

The Barismo experience is based on about a dozen visits since they opened (when you could only buy beans and a few pieces of hardware) - I have noted the inventory has improved and is more reliably available, they have hours posted and actuall seem to be open during them (not always the case previously), but

I have never had a female barista or the warm experience you describe - I do think it is hands-down the best cup of coffee available in the area, which is the reason I have been back - and now I'll keep an eye out for her when I'm in the 'hood and get the coffee to stay instead of taking it to go as quickly as possible.

[hckybg]

I went on a Saturday around noon, if that helps at all. Sometimes the coffee speaks for itself, though it would be nice for you to not feel like you have to rush out!

[celeriac]

I'll second hckybg's experience at Barismo, though I had a male barista. Usually I just purchase beans from them, but the one time that I got a cup of pour-over, the fellow serving me was wonderful. I expressed interest in understanding the method, and he very kindly talked me through the whole process from beginning to end. Another staff member even came by and made a quick drawing to illustrate one point he was trying to make about the water flow. it was a great experience, and it felt like they were coffee evangelists eager to share their passion.

Of course it's not really a full service shop, which is simply the reality of the situation. I supposed I think of it more like a tasting room.

[trufflehound]

The Coffee Connection was the greatest thing to happen to coffee in Boston. I find it difficult getting GH's coffee properly or consistently brewed now.

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Coffee Connection
Boston MA, Boston, MA 02126