December 24, 2010
The Gimme Coffee is located on Mott St. between Spring and
Prince. They are known for their espressos and cold-brewed coffee, but I
decided to order a cup of their Columbia Finca San Luis Organic, pour-over,
brewed coffee because I just got a cute little pour-over of my very own for my
coffee at work. My boyfriend ordered a small chai. I also bought a bag of
Sumatra Wahana coffee beans, which they were nice enough to grind for me to my
specification. (TIP- For a pour-over, grind coffee slightly coarser than
espresso, like the consistency of sugar. Especially if you're using a paper
filter.)
The first thing I noticed upon approaching the coffee shop
was the crowd of people outside. We arrived kind of later than I would have liked,
around 1 in the afternoon on a Sunday, but there was still a large crowd
outside. They were the usual SoHo/upper class-hipster/too-cool-for-school
crowd. Not to be confused with your college hipster crowd.
When I entered the shop, it was pretty crowded and small
with a line going to the door. This was clearly meant to be a fast, in and out
set-up because there were no chairs or tables to sit at. There wasn't even a
window counter to stand at and enjoy your coffee while you people-watched.
Despite the distinct 'no-lingering' vibe I got from the
decor, the baristas were very friendly and accommodating, being sure to ask me
how my day was. The barista manning the espresso machine was obviously a pro,
with his hands flying in a smooth ballet of precise, choreographed movements.
However, the wait for the espressos and coffees seemed to be quite long.
Hopefully because they were making sure it was the perfect shot? I also liked
how they had large and clearly printed signs describing all the qualities of
each of their specialty coffees, which, for a budding coffee connoisseur such
as myself, was very helpful. When I finally received my order, I was a little
underwhelmed. My medium coffee was a nice, average medium size, but my
boyfriend's small chai was indeed tiny. And maybe I'm too accustomed to my
dark, French roast coffee, or my concentrated morning cup from my Cuban coffee
maker, or maybe it's my inexperience, but I felt their coffee was pretty weak.
Not in a watered down kind of way, but I felt my usual milk would have
overwhelmed my coffee. Even the chai we ordered had a good flavor but ended
very weak, but I enjoy a little spicy bite to my chai. Maybe that's just a
personal preference. Perhaps it was my fault for not ordering their signature
espresso. After all, I didn't see anyone else there ordering a pour-over
coffee... maybe for a good reason. It wasn't bad coffee, just so-so.
The bag of coffee I bought was a little lighter than I was
expecting for a medium-dark blend, but turned out pretty good after I tinkered
around with my usual brewing amount. The first cup I made was way too weak and
acidic and my usual amount of sugar was far too much. But after tweaking the
amounts I was pleasantly surprised that I could actually identify that 'woodsy'
flavor described on the packaging!
The second place we went to was Doughnut Plant, about a 12
block walk through Chinatown. By the way, never walk through Chinatown without
cash, it's torture!
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| Good crab, not to be confused with bad crab. |
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| Cool sidewalk art we saw outside a locksmith's shop on our walk to Doughnut Plant. (Those are real keys inside the cement!) |
Again, the first thing I see at Doughnut Plant is the line
snaking out the door. There are moms and dads with their kids and a group of
college kids all waiting in line and looking at the sign outside listing the
specials of the day.
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| Front of Doughnut Plant |
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| Decisions, Decisions... |
Inside, there are no tables, but there is a small wall
counter with some stools and a ledge to sit on by the window. Not that anyone
was sitting at the counters. The line was winding all over the interior of the
space, leaving no room to sit.
There are two t.v.s though. Both tuned in to the Food Network (naturally). The
decor is minimal industrial and very nice. All of which, leads to a counter
where the cashier takes your order and hands you your goods, while another
person stands by ready to pop a fresh batch of steaming donuts from the kitchen
window to the waiting display case. They had many interesting flavors, but my
favorite by far was the Creme Brulee
My biggest complaint about these places was the lack of
seating and space. I guess the main purpose of these establishments is that
they have one product and all of their focus goes into the production and
service of that product, but I couldn't help but wish for a seat to relax and
enjoy my coffee and donuts. That's one thing I knowI'd like for my coffee
shop/bakery- space to sit, linger, and enjoy the atmosphere. Maybe it's a
zoning/license thing though? And they can't have a large number of people in
that small amount of space?
In any case, I hope you have a great holiday filled with love,
happiness, and lots of coffee! haha!
And, if you've been to either of these places and have
something to add to this review, I'd love to read your comments!
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