drowninginademitasse

Blue Bottle Opens In Brooklyn .

2010-03-13T11:32:00.000-08:00

03/12/10-gibraltar@ blue bottle coffee,brooklyn

on wednesday blue bottle coffee opened a shop i williamsburg.on friday,my younger brother from vancouver and i went to check it out.

12.5 months ago i was in san frizzle for 3 weeks and the first thing i did was drink blue bottle espresso at the mint plaza location while waiting for my friend to pick me up 2 hours late.
it kind of blew me away,and i claimed it to be the best coffee i'd ever had.also,i had just gotten off a train from being in portland for 6 weeks.

anyways,i've had a lot of amazing coffee since,and don't think of blue bottle too often,especially while i live on the same street as abraco and go to stumptown in the ace hotel for great drinks all the time.

but i had expectations.

and they were met.

the gibraltar tasted like a pan of fresh roasted pecans who've cooled enough that you can put them in yr hand,but not so much that you can make a fist.rich.buttery.olive-y.nutty.

kintamani(bali)
made in the ceramic pour over .......(i'd say "duh",but for all you know if you haven't been they could have a $20,000 syphon bar,too.)

the kintamnai made in the filter brew pour over was really mellow and sweet,like pears and nutty like hazelnuts.great.

spotted us!

end of day 1.

03/13/10-espresso @ blue bottle coffee,brooklyn

we decided to go back the next morning.
a lot busier,but whatever.

the espresso was good,not as capivating as the gibraltar the day before,but lush and deep.a little spicy.

this time patrick had a gibraltar.he said it was fantastic,so i'll take his word for it.

i for one,am pretty excited about this,and anticipate going back.

sweet coffees in the snow...

2009-12-24T16:27:00.000-08:00

12/05-barismo 'soma' guest espresso cappuccino @ cafe grumpy,chelsea

december 5th was my birthday,also the first snow of the year in nyc.this was enjoyed underdressed while trying to make it home without dying.

12/20-cappuccino @ gimme!coffee,soho

sweet and tangy,actually.maybe like yogurt.

this saturday it started really snowing,kinna like a blizzard.sunday i had a horrible stomach ache and didn't want to eat anything,so steamed milk was sustenance,and was pretty warming,too.

12/20-macchiato @ kaffe 1668

black cat espresso.

12/20-clover brewed ecco caffe ethiopian yirgacheffe @ kaffe 1668

a little bit vegetal,like sweet potatoes.nice.

12/19-macchiato @ third rail coffee

i was expecting a dragon in this...

12/20-cappuccino @ ninth street espresso,chelsea

this was amazing.tasted like the best french vanilla ice cream i've never eaten.

espresso was smoky,really sweet,too.i think chelsea market is my favourite 9th street.

espresso softserve @ kyotofu.

okay,okay...but c'mon...!

Savoury Single Origins and Such...

2009-11-24T10:19:00.001-08:00

cortado with home-made almond milk @ abraco.

last wednesday for the first time in months i had a drink from abraco with their home made almond milk.

it was slightly perfect.i'm kind of happy that they don't even offer soymilk.

there's nothing here hiding the taste of the espresso,it really comes through,and rather it's just elevated by a super rich,olive-y mouthfeel.not really sweet at all,savoury and reminiscent of walnuts and the aforementioned olive.

ecco reserve espresso @ kaffe 1668.

speaking of savoury,the new-ish ecco reserve single origin espresso is really hard-hitting and woodsy.

ecco reserve soy macchiato #1 @ kaffe 1668.

i had 2 macchiatos made with it,and both times,they were really salty and savoury-like soya sauce or black bean sauce. different,no bad, so i understood when i was told that in terms of milk-y drinks the espresso doesn't stretch much further than a macchiato.

ecco reserve soy macchiato #2 @ kaffe 1668.

and something sweet...

clover-brewed intelligentsia kenya @ kaffe 1668.

this was amazing.super juicy,like ripe strawberries,refreshing,even.i could drink it like water,given the chance.

the sign's description is a bit funny,and it's definitely worth the $3.91 plus tax.

some highlights of going out in the past two months...

2009-11-17T08:48:00.001-08:00

oh,hi.it's been like 2 months or whateyvar, so before i start doing this again regularly,here's some highlights of the past bit:

10/12-Ritual Coffee Roaster 'Sweet Tooth' guest espresso @ Cafe Grumpy,Chelsea.

i went back for this 2 days in a row-it was actually really sweet,like a honeycrisp apple. quite in your face.

10/26-chemex-brewed Otono from Intelligentsia @ Third Rail.

definitley maple-y,with lots of autumnal spice notes, but there was also this really interesting tomato-y/black pepper-y mouth feel. laura understood, i think.

oh,and sleek new cup holders:

not to mention now serving guests!:

which happened to be the same from Ecco that Kaffe 1668 kind of bombed me with,and kept me going back:

la maravilla single origin from ecco caffe & el salvador from intelligentsia @ duh,kaffe 1668.

and,i feel like this one wasn't even coffee,but:

10/31-soy mocha at stumptown in the ace hotel lobby.

this was my first mocha ever.i used a free drink stamp card..and it was halloween,so i was eating candy/chocolate all day anyways.it was ridiculously sweet,and kind of amazing,but like i said,didn't feel like coffee.

speaking of stumptown...

soy cappuccino.this one's worth posting about/memorable because it was an almost overwhelming allspice and nutmeg flavour, and a bit of semi-sweet chocolate too.

11/6-but this was most exciting drink i've had there lately.just hairbender espresso, it was on day 5, and it was crazy. like, super-citrusy,make your tonsils vibrate zesty,and delicious.

and to wrap up:

espresso & macchiato @ everyman espresso.

griffin wanted to try 'good coffee in nyc"

why do i sometimes forget about this place?caramel-y and rich counter culture espresso.griffles was really happy with the macch.

oh,it's probably because i still get distracted by abraco down the street.like every single day.

also,using counter culture beans.

and as much as i love the pour over drip coffee and the homemade almond milk,i just realized i hadn't had anything there but espresso in ages.because it's consistently awesome. i don't think it's ever just been 'good'.

a week of going out for way too many coffees:documented

2009-09-28T19:32:00.000-07:00

monday september 21 8:30am
americano @ gimme!coffee,soho
realized how long it had been since i was at gimme!then realized how long it had been since i'd drank an americano.
i'll stick to espresso.

monday september 21 5:50pm
brewed kenya @ stumptown,ace hotel lobby

really juicy and fruity.almost as good at the mutsu apple i had from the union square green market on the way up.

tuesday september 22 8:20am
espresso @ abraco

matti's almond milk cortado @ abraco
or "that same drink i had on the weekend at grumpies"

wednesday september 23 10:30am
espresso @ stumptown,ace hotel lobby

thursday september 24 8:25am
espresso @ abraco
if only water tasted this good.

thursday september 24 1:50pm
espresso @ gimme!coffee,soho

friday september 25 9:45am
espresso @ ninth street espresso,chelsea market

friday septmber 25 1:35pm
espresso @ gimme!coffee,soho

finally got the red demitasse.

sarah's soy macchiato @ gimme!coffee,soho

friday september 25 5:10pm
soy macchiato @ stumptown,ace hotel lobby

teresa's espresso.

saturday september 26 11:40am
ecco caffe guatemala guest espresso @ kaffe 1668

-more muted/less 'overwhelming' than the black cat shots they pull as standard
-very zesty;tongue almost vibrates
-nutty,but something rich,like macadamias or brazils
soooo good.

saturday september 26 2:10pm
clover brewed nicaragua,kaffe 1668

saturday september 26 8:35pm
soy macchiato @ cafe grumpy,chelsea

sunday september 27 11:10am
clover brewed el salvador @ kaffe 1668

sunday september 27 1:35pm
ecco caffe guatemala single origin espresso soy macchiato

-still zesty,possibly parallel a creamsicle
i.e creamy & citrusy
eff-bombing awesome.

sunday september 27 4:00pm
intelligentsia house blend drip coffee @ housing works bookstore,soho

monday september 28 8:10am
clover brewed(grumpy roasted!!!)guatemala @ cafe grumpy,chelsea

"peanut brittle sweetness".

monday september 28 6:10pm
ritual high striker guest espresso soy macchiato @ cafe grumpy,chelsea

just what i was craving.

teresa & her guatemala.

possibly consider to stop planning 99% of social and school life around coffee?nah.

$4.36 counter culture espresso,a lot of stumptown,and basically a week of drinking a lot of coffee in manhattan.

2009-09-21T15:42:00.000-07:00

fazenda ambiental mococo,brazil.
counter culture single origin espresso at le parker meridien hotel.
really buttery and rich.
$4.36.yummy price,i guess.

counter culture espresso toscano at everyman espresso.
the macchiato was probably only $3,but it's nice to be fancy sometimes.

no art on the cappuccinos,but besides using one of my favourite espressos.counter culture uses this:

my weekend primarily consisted of drinking coffee.but it was for good reason.

maeve was visiting from portland,where we've drunk many a stumptowns together,so we thought it would be surreal to meet up at the new one in the ace hotel.

maeve was underwhelmed by her latte,nut admitted to having really high expectations,and my cortado was good,but not 'albina press good',but c'mon.

going was kind of last minute,and i forgot that dan from third rail coffee had some 'special' stumptown beans' he said he'd make if i wanted to come by friday.

stumptown el salvador kilimanjaro organic.

ridiculously fruity.like earl grey tea,with a hint of citrus.dan says it's beause he stirred the chemex.

the black cat espresso was surprisingly fruity too,in the way grocery store wine is fruity.more so than regular wine,and less alcohol-y.this was less,well kind of none,of that straightforward-chocolate-y taste of black cat.it was really new,though.and like i said,it was good,just different.

also went to 9th street espresso for the first time in a few weeks

the alphabet city blend they use is also from intelligentsia,but i think is less straight forward with more red fruit high notes.
audrey was bombed.

and

had a cortado made with cafe grumpy's heartbreaker espresso at the chelsea location.it was maple-y and kind of perfect,despite some large bubbles in the foam.

culture vulture.

2009-09-16T07:26:00.001-07:00

fancy.

check out culture espresso bar yesterday.like so many cafes in nyc they serve intelligentsia's black cat espresso.i ordered a soy macchiato-it had a really nice and dark,thick and syrupy crema that dominated the drink,and not too much soy milk,so the bitter-sweet molasses taste of the espresso wasn't overshadowed which was great,since macchiatos are sometimes almost too milky and sweet for a macchiato,impo.i'll definitely be going back,i was informed that they're gonna start using the siphon and molitas on display. for brewed coffees eventually.

speaking of black cat espresso...

soy cortado
southside coffee,brooklyn

a)really good-intelli black cat,really thick foam-it had a really fruity,dried apricot aftertaste(surprising for black cat) and a really rich mouth feel.
b)most charming and funny barista ever maybe.
c)he was listening to a broken social scene live album.geeze.

and if yr in new york,please note...

cafe grumpy's current guest espresso is from ritual coffee roasters,'high striker' and is excellent.i've been to ritual many times,so was excited to try it out at grumpy,and man oh man-.super short triple ristrettos,really cinnamon-y and a bit chocolate-y.i guess i could be crazy and say it had a similar profile to mexican hot chocolate.

saturday evening.

sunday morning.

sunday afternoon.

get it while you can.

pdx in nyc.

2009-09-14T20:03:00.000-07:00

last monday the very first stumptown cafe finally opened in the new ace hotel lobby.i remember hearing about how this was supposed to open when i was actually staying in portland back in february,and they planned to open in april.anywhoo,having been to all of the stumptown cafes in portland and having had amazing stumptown drinks at barista,the albina press,fresh pot,sweetpea bakery and others,i was really curious to see how it would taste here,especially since all the stumptown i've had so far in new york has been in the range of mediocre to really gross.

well,it was really good.
really,really good.probably because of the really good baristas working there who mainly moved from pdx themselves in the past few months,but nonetheless,it was very solid.
i had an espresso(really straightforward and punchy with a little vanilla aftertaste)
and a soy macchiato(not too complex,but very strong,roasty,and a bit caramel-ish).

i got excited about the hotel,too.it's JUST like ace hotel portland but multiplied by 100.huge waiting room,photobooth,taxidermy,long desks in middle for laptop/whatever use(didn't bring mine,worked on drawing work)was there for 1.5 hours,,everyone was so so so so so hip/old fashioned-y dressed/eurotrash

oh,and i went back the next morning,just to try it out again...

oh,i found my stamp card from portland...
their french press brewed coffee of the day.
juicy and fruity.gonna be pretty hard to hate on if they keep having great coffee...

third times a charm.

2009-09-10T22:40:00.000-07:00

soy macchiato

today was my third time visiting third rail coffee near nyu.they serve intelligentsia coffees,and straight up black cat.each time has been really consistent;the macchiato was a bit fruit-ier tasting than usual today,and i was informed that it was because they just cleaned the machines and therefore there was a lack of syrup-y "steak sauce" taste to the espresso.i can't even imagine what steak sauce tastes like right now.

previous:

chemex action.

and a cute,milk chocolate-y cortado on my first visit.

today was also my third time and day in a row going to abraco for espresso.that place is magic.

zomg.

hi;a view of things to come

2009-09-10T19:48:00.000-07:00

hi there;i live in nyc now and have been drinking really really incredible coffee.and i say that coming from the pacific northwest.here's a look at where i've been so far,and there's been a lot of coffee shops.

gimme!coffee in soho:

first espresso off the plane.dark,super chocolate-y,smoky,awesome.

first gibraltar ever.and not the last.

el beit in williamsburg:

serving 49th parallel-i had better the morning pervious in vancouver.

think coffee on bowery:

medicore.whatever.

9th street espresso in chelsea market:

on 10th street:

on 9th street:

variety in williamsburg:

stumptown in nyc.meh.

kaffe 1668:

third rail coffee:

chemex.zomg.

blue spoon cafe:

craziest,thickest,macchiato ever.and it was good.

gorilla coffee:

kinda really burnt.

cafe grumpy park slope:

greenpoint:

chelsea:

oslo coffee on metropolitan:

everyman espresso:

awesome.

cafe pedlar:

ground support:

ost:

abraco:

ho-ly-oh-my-ga-wd.aaaah.

anyways,i've been to most of these places more than once,some not-lots of pictures,some words,maybe reviews.yay!