Sweetleaf Coffee & Espresso Bar

November 29, 2013

So, I have been sitting on this review for over a year! I'm such a bad blogger! But I am finally getting to it! Totally unintentional but I visited this location almost a year to the day that I am posting it's review!

The Sweet Leaf in Williamsburg is the 2nd location and opened in 2012. The first location being in Long Island City and the third also being in Long Island City but also serves cocktails after 6pm! The third location is starting to offer savory food along with their cocktails and the first location has a laptop room and a record room in the back complete with a turntable and tons of records! I really have to check this out for myself!

The Williamsburg location is a 'Green Build' according to their website and was built with reclaimed wood. They sell coffee from Stumptown and Ritual Roasters. Supposedly, they do karaoke on Thursday nights but I didn't see anything specifying what locations or times.

Foosball! Haha! (I can never say that word without laughing!)

Lots of space to sit and work or just relax!

Comfy Chairs! Also, this location shares a space with a real estate company: Modern Space.

Really like this idea: labeling the lids!

On The Shelf: looks pretty, but I hate to see space wasted like this. Has anyone read that book? Curious if it's any good...

From the Left, Clockwise:  Blueberry & Coconut Vegan Scone, Ginger Matte Tea, Raspberry Coffeecake, Cortado

Now, I have been a little reluctant to post this because I hate giving reviews that are less than glowing but I was not very impressed with their food and coffee. Some of that may have been because we came in the afternoon and pastries are usually at their best early in the morning or, ideally, right out of the oven. Also, part of my disappointment may have been because I'm not a fan of vegan pastries in general (I'm a traditionalist when it comes to my baked goods), but I love coconut and scones so I decided to go for it. However, the Blueberry & Coconut Scone I ordered was dry and tasteless and the Raspberry Coffee Cake was only marginally better than the scone. I really do believe that food just tastes better when it's made with butter, eggs and real sugar. Sorry to rub it in to all those who have diet restrictions and I have complete respect for anyone who can withstand the pull of real fat and sugar for the sake of taking a moral stand.

As for the cortado, it was a little too strong for me to comfortably drink and sadly, adding sugar did not help it. I'm afraid I had to leave this drink unfinished, which a true shame for me. After reading a few reviews from others, super strong coffee seems to be a something Sweetleaf is known for.

I recently (as in the day of this posting) come upon a Yelp review and I'm very upset that I did not get a chance to try either of these iced drink options when I went as they sound delish!

"Rocket Fuel - A perfect New Orleans style coffee laced with full-bodied chicory and sweetened up with just the right amount of maple syrup.  It's better than Blue Bottle I must say.

Voodoo Child - Thick coffee sweetened with condensed milk is Sweetleaf's version of Vietnamese iced coffee.  It's ridiculously delicious.  After nursing this baby for four hours, I still have some left.  Ice is long melted, but flavor still remains.  Def a must try."

Street Art from the area...

View Crossing the Street to get to Sweetleaf. Hello NYC!

This is one of the few coffee spots I've found in NY that actually has decent seating and I didn't feel like I would have to fight for a spot. While I did not LOVE the coffee and food, I would definitely go back to give it another shot. Especially for those iced drinks I just found out about! Maybe I'll go in the Spring when it starts to warm up a bit. It's always possible I just caught them on a bad day.


Photos by Nathanael Maharaj

Toby's Estate Coffee

June 9, 2013

'Cold Brew is Pegasus Approved' (haha)

It's easy to see why Toby's Estate was rated  in the Top 30 by The New York Coffee Guide, 2012. (This book deserves a review all of its' on and it has become my new Bible lately, but I'll save that for another day. For now, it's enough to say I think it is a very good and handy thing for any New York coffee lover to have.) The neighborhood where Toby's Estate is located is on the very fashionable Bedford stop on the L Train in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. THE hot spot for all up-and-coming, trendy shops in the know.

The seat cushions are made from burlap coffee sacks!

Love these windows! Check about 

Ooooh artsy nick-nacks!

The outside of the shop is very clean and industrial looking: grey painted cinder blocks framing a huge wall of windows. There is only a chalkboard easel pointing out the specials of the day and the stark black sign over the door written in clean white letters stating the name in small print. Their logo is a single coffee bean. The shop is that new mix of decorating that is so popular right now, a mix of minimal, industrial, and decorated with flea-market finds all at once. It sounds kind of pretentious and stuffy, but is actually very comfortable feeling. It has a lot of room inside, a very rare commodity in NY and a feature that seems to be almost non-existent in almost every other coffee shop I've been to in New York. I could definitely see myself spending the whole day sitting at one of their aged wooden tables without feeling like I have to rush away and make space for the next customer.

Toby's Estate prides themselves on providing sustainable, hand-crafted coffee. Toby himself started by roasting small batches of coffee imported from plantations he had visited after college, roasted right out of his mother's garage in Australia! He started out roasting coffee for wholesale to friends and family and by hosting public cuppings. The bulk of their business is still wholesale, but the Brooklyn location is their first US retail location.

Coffee Roaster- where the magic happens!

They have a roaster in the back and use it regularly for everyone to see. Behind the bar is a room with a big glass window, labeled 'Cupping Room, Espresso Lab', where they offer Cupping Classes for $5. You can see the full range of  classes they offer online, ranging from $5-$150.

We arrived too late to partake of their house-made breakfasts or lunches, and, sadly, I did not see any of the famous, native Australian cookies: TimTams on hand either. However, we did buy a few of their pastries provided by Balthazaar Bakery, Ovenly Bakery, or Piemonte.

Oops! All gone!

As you can see, we ate the muffin before we could catch a picture of it! Finished to the last crumb! The beautifully painted china that the pastry was served on, was just one of the many little touches that made this shop feel homey instead of cold and pretentious.

Iced Julep Latte

Perhaps, being that it is an Australian based company, I should have ordered a Flat White: an espresso-based beverage from Australia/New Zealand made with a double shot of espresso and finely steamed milk (micro-foam), served as an 8oz drink similar to a traditional Italian cappuccino, but when I saw that they had a seasonal drink called the Iced Julep Latte on the menu, I couldn't resist! (I'm a sucker for any kind of new, gimicky flavors!) The Julep latte is a typical latte but the milk is infused with a subtle amount of Basil and they use some kind of mint syrup, which I did not really taste until the bottom of the drink as they had added it with the espresso shots. If I had known, I would have mixed the drink ahead of time from the beginning, since it was a tad too sweet when I got to the bottom, but it was still very enjoyable and refreshing on a warm spring day. The basil was a nice touch and I was glad I ordered it!

These are the drinks my friends and I ordered. Beautiful latte art!
Clock-wise: Iced latte, Hot Cappuccino, my Iced Julep Latte, and a Hot Latte.

Espresso Machine

Bedford Espresso Blend

While there, I also ordered some Toby's Estate: Bedford Espresso Blend. The packaging claims it has notes of nougat, malt chocolate, and orange marmalade. I can't really say I tasted all of those flavors as I am still learning about how to be a true coffee connoisseur, but I did like the espresso I made with it, and I liked that they actually included the date it was roasted on the packaging. This being a full-service establishment, they also ground the coffee for me to my specifications.

Overall, I'd say that Toby's Estate gets 5 out of 5 stars for my review. It had a relaxed and homey atmosphere with lots of space, unique coffee offerings, knowledgeable and friendly staff, classes (a coffee-shop must these days), a surprisingly interesting blog,  delicious food, and good coffee! One of the best places I've been to in the New York area so far.