Bluebird Coffee Shop

June 16, 2013

We came to the Bluebird Coffee Shop on Father's Day and, as we approached, we passed by some really interesting street art! The normally bustling Lower East Side Neighborhood seemed almost deserted and it had a very calm and relaxed atmosphere.

Brownie points to anyone who can tell me what all this was about! haha!

The Bluebird Coffee Shop is very small and the only signage was the wooden carved plaque posted on an iron cage door. We actually walked past it once before we noticed that it was there. The trees all seemed to converge on the entry to mask it and make it feel like a treasure you just stumbled upon. Even though there's not much space to sit inside, there's a little playground across the street from the shop and I can easily imagine sitting on one of the benches there if I couldn't find room inside. Also great for moms who want  a moment of peace to enjoy a nice latte while their kids play outside!

Love the huge open windows! They really open up the space and make it seem bigger than it is!

Sounds good to me!

Let them eat cake!

Housemade Yumminess!

 As usual, I was very disappointed to find we had arrived too late to order anything from the impressive breakfast or lunch menus. I had seen these online before we left and I was really looking forward to trying something. Unfortunately, we arrived after 3 so I had to console myself by ordering the pastry photo'd above. I have no idea what it actually is, but the barista described it as almost like a bread pudding type pastry with strawberry jelly inside, and I'd say that was pretty accurate. It was flaky on the outside and just the right amount of dense sweetness inside. Altogether, pretty awesome!

Flat White and an Iced Latte

 Their coffee comes from Counter Culture and I finally got to order a Flat White! I have to say it was very tasty! I usually have trouble drinking a traditional cappuccino. They have too much foam to get through before you get to the espresso at the bottom, and then when you do get to it, it's too bitter! The contrast is almost shocking and I have to confess they're not my favorite drinks to order. The flat white was a perfect combo. It was stronger than your typical latte but just enough foam & milk to balance the espresso. It might be my new favorite espresso drink!

On the Shelf!

Menu framed and posted on the wall.

Dig the 'Choking Victim' sign on the back wall!

I was very impressed with how clean they kept this place! This is the result of constant vigilance people!

Love the framed Rorschach Tests on the wall! What do you see?

Bluebird Wallpaper... get it!?

Elder-flower Lemonade

 I couldn't resist buying one of these Elder-flower Lemonades! The packaging is just so sweet and (as you may know) I'm a sucker for unusual flavors. I think this would make an amazing sorbet flavor actually- the elder-flower was not too overwhelming, just the slightest hint of floral flavor and sparkling lemonade!

This was a very impressive find and an extremely pleasant afternoon. I will definitely be back to try more from the menus and I really can't say enough about how wonderful and relaxing it all was.


(Photos were provided 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.

9th Street Espresso

February 1st, 2011

Minimalist is the word. And the word is good.

We managed to find 9th St Espresso around 5 o'clock at the Tompkins Square location and, just like the logo, this place is sparse!

9th St. Espresso Logo

They proudly displayed their A rating and Zagat recommendation. Their only splash of color in a black, white, and chrome world coming from a framed coffee flavor wheel and one piece of art.

Wheel. Of. Flavor!

Barista Doin' Her Thang

Even the blackboard menu contained only six items. There were people scattered around the interior, quietly reading or working on their computers (Be warned- the wi-fi is free, the seat is not.) The Smiths played quietly in the background. The barista was a study in Parisian cool in a black t-shirt, jeans, a black crochet barret, and a single braid casually thrown over one shoulder. I expected a mime to appear at any moment.


Other than the slight over-the-top atmosphere, I was pleasantly surprised by this place! I ordered a macchiato and the foam art was beautiful. The flavor was quite nice too! I tried sipping it straight, without sugar, and while it was a little too bitter to last for long, it was surprisingly smooth with very little sourness, or acidity, to it! Once I added a little sugar, it was perfect!

Yummy Macchiato!

It seems like a great place to go to enjoy a bit of quiet and caffeine. I loved the tin ceiling tiles and (for all you native New Yorkers) the bathroom was fully stocked and pristine. (A true Rare Find in New York City.) I also bought some Alphabet City Roast, ground perfectly for my pour-over. Again, a little bitter, but I'm trying to branch away from my beloved French roast and Columbia Finca. I think with a little tinkering, I could come to love it. As I found out in my Cupping Lab, there's no wrong way, it's all about your personal preference and what you enjoy. I usually like mine rich with a lot of milk and a little sugar, but I've found that for me the Alphabet City blend tastes best with my usual sugar and just a splash of milk.

Display O'Stuff

Their baked goods are from Balthazar Bakery, but, being late in the day, I was a little afraid to try any. I think if they had had more in their case, I would have been a little more tempted to try. As it was, the cookies looked cold and lonely in their half-filled case. Maybe next time.

Lonely Cookies

Over-all, the atmosphere wasn't really my style, but it might be worth it to go back just for the great coffee and space to think.

Cupping Lab

January 23, 2011

If anyone recalls my previous post regarding a coffee shop review of Joe & the Art of Coffee, you may remember me mentioning the classes they offer there. Well, I finally did it and went to one of their free Cupping Labs!

I rushed over to their 13th St. location after work and barely managed to make it. By the way, they do offer seating at this location! Hallelujah! Although, all of said seating seemed to be taken at that moment. It was a very lively Friday night and the caffeinated patrons were definitely buzzing. After asking the barista where the class was, she informed me that everyone was waiting until the manager was ready and then she would announce the class. While I waited, I looked at the art on the walls from local artists and the ginormous blackboard behind the counter. I was marveling at the lofty position of the manager's office, which you had to reach by ladder into a whole in the wall, when the manager popped out of the office whole, climbed halfway down the ladder, stopped, turned around, and with a Japanese teakettle in one hand and the other clinging to the ladder she made the announcement of  the beginning of the lab. She looked like a jaunty coffee pirate. She had short black hair in a pixy cut, a plaid shirt, jeans, a grey sailors cap, 2 lip rings at the left corner of her mouth and a crystal stud sparkling from her right cheekbone. We all followed our fearless leader past a tall fridge crammed with milk, squeezed past a couple of trashcans and walked down a narrow staircase into the basement. The first thing I noticed was the smell of coffee everywhere. Heaven. It was a room filled with sinks and shelves of coffee machines and coffee paraphernalia, so I wont describe every little detail. It was amazing though.

 

Buono Coffee Drip Kettle $59

Everyone who showed up for the class was very friendly and eager to learn. There were people from Spain, Greece, Japan, and NY (of course). Most of the 10 person crowd seemed middle aged, but we were all newbies to the cupping experience and we were told that we would not be doing a blind cupping today because of that.

Our pirate queen led us through the ritual as precise as any Japanese tea ceremony. She seemed to be very knowledgeable and told us how she had started in Seattle (the coffee capitol of the US) and had helped to test some of the first of the elusive Clover machines!

 

We learned how to experience the coffee in its many forms, with all of our senses. We had three regions to test from:  Brazil, El Salvador and Rwanda. We smelled it dry, we smelled it wet, we broke the crust and smelled it again, we tasted it hot, we tasted it cold. We tried to identify all the different nuances of flavor, acidity, mouth-feel, and aftertaste. (Interesting Tip- you taste so much more of the flavor when it's cold than when it's hot!)

In the end, I decided my favorite was Brazil and, a close second, was Rwanda. All in all, it lasted an hour and I was sad to see it end. It was nice to be around so many people who shared the same passion as me. I thought it was a great experience and would definitely recommend more classes.

Has anyone else been to one of these classes? How was your class compared to mine? I'd love to hear your story!

Joe The Art of Coffee

January 3rd, 2011

This week I went to Joe and the Art of Coffee.

See! I did too go!

I went to the location at Grand Central Station, which was very difficult to find. (Tip: If you are looking for this location, use the entrance closest to the Strawberries clothing store, around the South-East side of Grand Central.) We also got there pretty late, and managed to slide in right before they closed the doors. There was no one in the store when we got there, except for the two exhausted looking baristas. The decor was a nice, soothing robin's egg blue, not unlike the signature blue of a Tiffany's gift box. They also had some neat coffee facts posted around the store.

Fact. It says so.

I had researched the place beforehand (of course), and was looking forward to taking home the Columbia Finca Santuario Micay blend advertised on their website. Unfortunately, they were out at the store, so I purchased the Kenya Kiunya blend instead. A little pricey at $18. I asked the girl behind the counter to grind it a little coarser than espresso grind, like the consistency of sugar (just right for my little pour-over). I should have known from the blank stare that she wouldn't get it right, but I'll chalk it up to working a long shift. Everyone makes mistakes. It turned out the grind was more like powder and brewed a very strong cup of coffee. I never really fell in love with this blend, but that could be because of the grind.


I ordered a latte and my boyfriend ordered a chai. My boyfriend was not impressed with either drink, but I thought they were great! I thought the chai had great body and flavor (though I usually like a little more spiciness to my chai) and the latte was so good I didn't even need to add sugar to it! Joe is known for having great foam art and for putting their baristas through a rigorous training process. I have to say the foam on my latte did not disappoint. It was beautiful and rich and light at the same time. By far, the best foam I've had yet!


Joe even offers classes on espresso making, foam art, the history of coffee, and much more to the general public! (Details are on their site.) Though classes are only offered at one of their locations and seating is limited (so be sure to RSVP) but many cost as little as $25 and some are even free! I also really liked the sense of community on their site. They even have a running club you can join with their baristas, and they offer free coffee afterwards to those who participate! Also, all of their baristas have a biography on the site (though that seems a little risky in this day and age).


Again, my complaint is the lack of seating. It's more of an in and out setup that doesn't encourage lingering. Their emphasis is more on the product than the experience. And there's nothing wrong with their product, but I'm looking for both. Although this could have been just because of that particular location being inside Grand Central Station. Their main location may be bigger.

Doot-di-doo, people wandered in

Baristas in their native habitat! Oooh-aaaah.

Love the penny-tiles on the backsplash.

Like how her scarf matches the decor.

I hope you liked this latest review! I'm thinking of taking one of their classes so if you've been to one of Joe's lessons or to one of their locations, I hope you'll comment on your experience!

Coffee Round-Up!

February 5th, 2011

 1. Re-purposed and re-imagined, Starbucks has gone back to basics with the launch of their 15th Avenue E Coffee and Tea store in Seattle. Designed to be eco-friendly. Interesting concept but it seems a little too cookie-cutter for my tastes. You can see more pics and read the rest of the post at Furfin.

2.  From Dung to Coffee Brew With No Aftertaste. Great NY Times article on civet coffee (Kopi luwak). Or, as my family would call it, Cat Poo Coffee! I've never had the opportunity to try this, but I remember when this came out and it was all the rage. Has anyone tried this and would like to comment on it?? Is anyone pro Cat Poo Coffee? Or against?

3.  With the bike sharing scheme happening, London’s Cycle Cafe’s are becoming even more popular as the hangout of choice for café and coffee lovers on two wheels. I'm not a huge cycling fan, but I like the idea of combining the bike sharing trend happening in Europe with coffee, and creating a bike friendly space. Maybe this bike sharing thing will catch on here in NY soon??? Dare to dream... Read the article at Your Studio.

4. Maple Bacon Coffee. Ok- I'm including this just to address the food trend going on that seems to include bacon or beer into everything these days. I haven't actually tried this but you can read more about it at The Hungry Southerner. They seemed to give it a so-so review with 1 out of 5 strips of bacon.

5.  Venezuelan designer Enrique Luis Sardi has teamed up with Italian coffee company Lavazza to create a master piece of green design: Cookie cup. Apparently this design goes back to 2003, but I still think it's awesome. As a pastry cook and as a coffee drinker, I'm intrigued... Has anyone tried this? I'm curious to know if the icing interior really is water-proof or if it would eventually dissolve into your coffee. Although I suppose that should be the least of my worries at that point.

6.  Grumpy Bean Plushes~ "Artist Andrew Bell and plush master Lana Crooks bring our CafeGrumpy coffee bean logo to life!" I just really have to visit and review this place soon!

7.  An info-graphic on how to make the perfect cup of coffee by Plaid-creative. Cool idea, now to try them all! Seriously, I should carry this with me at all times!

8.  I was originally including this article to address the retail coffee trend changing from espresso to drip coffee but now I want to showcase the trend of Dis-LoyaltyCards. This started in East London as a way to market the burgeoning coffee scene. If you visit each of the shops listed on the card, you get a free cup of coffee made for you by the World Barista Champion. Now, this also seems to be a trend catching on in San Francisco, Seattle, and Toronto except that you get a free cup of coffee from the last place you visit. I think it's a very friendly and creative way to encourage the coffee community and I hope it will come to NY soon!

Gimme! Coffee & Doughnut Plant

December 24, 2010

The first two places I've chosen to review are Gimme! Coffee and Doughnut Plant.

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!

Good crab, not to be confused with bad crab.

 

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.

Front of Doughnut Plant

 

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!