Posted Mon Jan 5, 2004, 12:10pm Subject: Re: Microroasters in NYC?
Some folks swear by Porto Rico Imports but I don't (one store is on Bleecker and they have one elsewhere also). They roast in Brooklyn but the coffee is sold from huge open barrels with no assurance fo how fresh it is. Their prices are cheap enough but at present I suggest Empire Coffee and Tea - it's at 568 9th Ave between 41st and 42nd. They appear to roast frequently and the coffee I've gotten there was very fresh. They do not have an espresso blend but it's easy enough to mkae your own by getting a 1/2 lb of dark roast Brazil beans as a base and adding in smaller amounts of some more distinct beans for flavor notes.
Good news if you live in or get to brooklyn on occasion. Gimme! Coffee of Ithaca NY is opening a location in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. These guys totally rock - they run Schomer modified LaMarzoccos in their stores, train their personnel very well and serve the best ristretto shots I've ever had on the East coast. They also roast their own and will be selling beans on premises. Not sure when they will open but we will likely get updates eventually from forum member Deferio, who works for them.
Posted Mon Jan 5, 2004, 11:04pm Subject: Re: Microroasters in NYC?
Wow!
Thank you so much for the quick replies.
I have been to Zabar's, but as I live in Brooklyn, its quite a voyage to uptown Manhattan. Luckily I work a few stops from Bleeker and can check that out.
And I can go a few more and check into Empire as well... Hopefully some of these sources have green beans when I head down that route. If not, I bet they will know where to go.
I've also heard lots of great things about Malabar Gold. Hopefully they will have a source to try this wondorous blend!
Thanks again Phaelon and Rudiger for your replies... Brendan
GoAway Senior Member Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 65 Location: dregs Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Fri Mar 19, 2004, 4:44pm Subject: Re: Microroasters in NYC?
Brooklyn in da house, huh? You might like Gorilla Coffee in Park Slope @ 5th & Park Place. They're trying to be too trendy for their own good but the beans are fresh and the prices are average.
Now, now; perfectly symmetrical violence never solved anything!
I haven't had any Zabar's beans in many years, but once upon a time I bought some of their Kenya and heard angels singing. Later attempts at recreating that experience came up short, but I won't ever forget how good those first couple of pounds were.
I'd be interested to hear reviews of their current offerings.
i remain amazed that the founder of the artisan roasting movement (he was roasting before alfred peet went to berkeley), one of the founders of the scaa, and a guy universally recognized by other artisan roasters as the man remains so unknown here in nyc. i mean it's funny to talk to the roasters guild about him because it's odd to see guys like that start to fawn. : -)
gillies sells both green and roasted, with an extra discount for scaa consumer members. buy 2 lbs. roasted or 10lbs green and the UPS ground is free in the u.s.a. in new york city, that comes out to next day, basically.
you can also find gillies coffee at fairway or the park slope co-op, but for freshness' sake, i recommend calling gillies and just ordering from the lovely olive. she's very helpful.
as for zabars -- excuse me while i giggle. that's commercial coffee, imvho.
peter longo is a nice guy, but the porto rico sold in the stores gives me qualms about quality of storage -- it's right there in open bags. not ideal. the girl at gorilla is nice, but i personally find her coffee charred.
you'd have better luck imvho at eli's vinegar factory -- he roasts in the store, altho' the beans themselves aren't of the ultra-highest quality to my mind. the same is true of whole foods in chelsea: the beans might be better quality there. the roasting technique maybe isn't great, but the coffee can be fresh.
don't forget dallis coffee either. dallis' steve schulman knows how to roast, and i find his coffee very nice. try his "new york" espresso.
and recently i think oren bloostein of oren's daily roast has improved his "beowolf" espresso. i'm gonna try to get a sample to see how it is now.
gimme, now that's another level. gimme has fabulous coffee. i highly recommend the "platinum blonde" or "leftist" espresso.
if you don't have a mazzer grinder or similar, you might have trouble adjusting finely enough for gillies espresso, which grinds quite fine; in that case gimme might be for you.
but gillies drip coffees are spectacular. don schoenholt never buys anything but the very best beans. ken davids once said gillies had the best yrgacheffe ever.
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