Soapbox Venting Over Coffee In NYC

Peter Anton, "The Foodist Temple"  Unix Gallery, New York City

Every few weeks I spend a day in New York City exploring art and checking out a few coffeehouses.  On this trip I had very different experiences in two well respected coffeehouses.  Both roast their beans in house, engage in Direct Trade buying and do a fantastic job serving well crafted coffee.  And yet one of them I would go back often, the other I probably will not visit again.

Act I: Pushcart Coffee

What makes a coffeehouse great?  There's a lot of factors that determine if the cup of coffee I'm getting is going to taste exactly as intended.  Each link in the chain from farm to cup must be carefully managed.  But even if the farm optimally grew their beans, the roaster coaxed a perfect expression of flavor profile and the barista made the cup using the best methods, I may never want to visit the coffeehouse again. The coffeehouse experience is the very last step and regrettably it's a link that's sometimes ignored. 

Ashley Whelan, General Manager

Let's start with a coffeehouse that manages to get each step in the process right.  I'm up in NYC every six weeks or so to check out the galleries in Chelsea.  This past Saturday I visited Pushcart Coffee on West 25th.  Their listing in CoffeeGuru indicated that they grind Stumptown beans but I was informed that they now roast their own (I later updated their listing) so I  decided to get something from their Slow Bar.  

After asking a few questions about their offerings Ashley, the General Manager and one of their Roasters came over to guide me through their selections.  I settled on the last of the honey washed single origin Samira from Nicaragua.  

The coffee was fantastic, a perfect combination of fruit flavors with bold earthy undertones.    While I sat enjoying my cup Ashley and I talked about her trip to Nicaragua visiting coffee farms, favorite NYC coffeehouses and generally making me feel right at home.  Other patrons sat enjoying their weekend paper, talking to friends and enjoying their superbly crafted cups of coffee.



Act II: Intelligentsia

I hope my experience at Pushcart makes you think I'm a needy person expecting deep conversations with baristas every time I visit a coffeehouse.  I know that coffeehouses can be very busy, and yet a great coffeehouse can make a guest feel welcome during their busiest times.  

There was a great "coffeehouse",  really a tiny space just large enough for the barista, her espresso machine and a small counter that fit maybe two people, called "I Am Coffee" down on St Mark's Place.  It was run by a young Italian couple.  There was always a line out the door but when you finally reached the bar they made you feel completely welcome. The drinks were unlike any I've every had (I particularly liked the "Shakerato") and every time I went I felt like they were always happy to see me.  "I Am Coffee" mysteriously closed and yet I still think about my visits.  I hate to say this but Chicago based Intelligentsia's first NYC outpost is not one of those welcoming coffeehouses. 

This was my second visit.  I first checked out the shop a year ago soon after they opened.  They are located in the lobby of the High Line Hotel, a former seminary dormitory dating back to 1895.  The inside is dark and feels like a cave with a long line of the posh and hip waiting to order.  This isn't a place to hang and read your book.  You're there to check out the 20 something in her fur coat or perhaps a celebrity sighting or two.  Perhaps it's the oppressive darkness, gothic architecture or the general vibe but the baristas don't seem particularly happy or welcoming.    My short cappuccino was excellent, I've always been a fan of Intelligentsia's Black Cat espresso.  And yet the next time I seek coffee in that 'hood I'm going back to Pushcart.