9th St Espresso

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

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!

Once More Into The Breach!

Well, I've been good and lazy for long enough! The time has come to get back in the game and start cooking again.  I have to start looking for a weekend job asap! Either at a bakery or as a barrista at a coffee shop. I'm not happy about working seven days a week but it's a necessary evil.

After several months of saving, my savings account is a whopping $15, I need some clothing essentials, I really should go to the dentist, I must find a new apt., and I really miss cooking. Sigh.


Sometimes I just want everything all at once. And then, trying to do everything at once ends up just making me more exhausted and I end up right where I started. It's so frustrating. But I have to look at the big picture and remember my plan. Taking 3 months to recoup and relax was part of the plan and now that that time is over, it's time to find a weekend job where I can keep learning about cooking and save money at the same time! In theory.

Now all I have to do is find that perfect job in a less than perfect economy.
Baby steps.

And I have to admit that ever since Winter hit, I haven't been exercising at all. The idea of running in the cold night with all that Winter air rushing through my lungs like sandpaper is not appealing. At one point I had gotten down to around 142 lbs! But changing jobs, not exercising, and holiday munchies etc, means I've somehow managed to get up to 158 lbs!! I'm not proud of this at all. I'm still reeling from the shock of it actually. How did I manage to gain almost 20 lbs in 3 months?!

And so, like many people at this time of year, I started looking into detox cleanses and diets etc. Everyone seems to think detox diets are a great way to cleanse your colon, liver, skin, and your body in general. You lose weight, gain energy, the birds are chirping and rainbows are everywhere. However, I did a little research and, according to the nutritionist at Spark, there are not many facts to support these claims. According to her, our bodies are already made to be an efficient cleansing machine. And our bodies are perfectly capable of handling the amounts of toxins etc in the average diet. Any claims of elevated energy and so on are probably a placebo affect (I.E.- our bodies are tricking us). Now there isn't anything that harmful about the juice cleanses, so long as you stay hydrated and get all your vitamins,  but they don't really help you that much either.
Instead, she suggests just eating foods that are more natural (I.E.- there should be only 4 ingredients on the package label), if it can go bad, it's good for you, cut out the alcohol & smoking, and cut back on sodas.

So I tried cutting out my morning milk and cereal or bagel and cream-cheese for a homemade fruit smoothie with flax seed and protein powder. (Supposedly, these will keep you full longer.) I would usually include: 1 banana, 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, 1/2 apple, 1/2 pear, 1-2 handfuls of spinach, 1 Tbsp of flax seeds, 1 scoop of protein powder, and 1/4 cup apple juice. Although maybe the protein powder was overkill considering I already had a good protein in the form of yogurt. It was more than enough for my trusty thermos and it would really keep me full! So full in fact, that I'm actually beginning to think it's making me gain weight! So now I'm conflicted and actually considering going back to my tried and true Slim Fast. It's definitely less hassle to prepare, you just grab a can and go! Though it's probably more expensive. Or maybe I should just eat less of the smoothie, and maybe cut out the protein powder?


What are your thoughts? Slim Fast vs. Au Naturale??

The Art of Coffee

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!

Down To Business

So, with all this time on my hands lately, I've been catching up with friends, running long-overdue errands, & socializing in general, but now it's time for me to get down to business.

The main reason I wanted to start this series of coffee shop reviews is because the dream business I would like to eventually start is a coffee shop/bakery. Also because I like coffee. But this will be my way of learning how the pros do it, doing market research, getting ideas, and learning about what I do and do not want for my business.


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. 

Outside Gimme Coffee!

 
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 (also very hipster) 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 know I'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!

Holiday Gift Guide

Well this is a long time coming, but what can I say? Getting ready for the holidays is no mean feat!
After 13 dozen cookies, 11 packages, 1 hour in the Post Office and countless hours pounding the pavement for the perfect (and inexpensive) gift, I'm finally posting a Gift Guide. Hope you enjoy! Pretty Shinys Yayyyy!

1. Nordicware Commercial Heritage Bundt Pan-$44,  Just love those grooves  2. UO Tortoiseshell Watch-$28, Digging this classic menswear style in a modern look  3. Swissgold Coffee Filter-$30, Some girls ask for a gold ring, I want a gold coffee filter! haha  4. Jelly by Bompass & Parr-$18, I'm like, Whoa  5. Domino: The Book of Decorating-$22, More Pretties!  6. Kitchenaid Mixer-$200, Dare to dream- sigh  7. Nifty Napkins-$32, I can totally see me using these in my kitchen- love  8. Aerobie 80R08 AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker-$25 not really a true espresso maker, but it allegedly makes a near perfect cup of coffee, and you can't beat that price!

Major Hiccup & Picnic

Well, it’s been a very eventful month! I haven’t written in a while because of some major changes in my life!

For one thing, the owners of the restaurant where I work decided to let my current chef go. Leaving me in charge of the pastry department, by myself! Meaning that, until they found a replacement, I was working 13 hrs a day, 7 days a week!

At the same time, I got a phone call out-of-the-blue from a fashion company who had seen my old design portfolio posted online (thank you StyleSight.com!) and was interested in hiring me for a full-time photography gig! After three interviews, they decided to offer me the job. And even though they were offering it to me for the same money I was making at the restaurant, I decided to take it because I would be working a normal 9-6 schedule, Monday through Friday, with two days off, paid vacations, and health insurance!

When I told my employers I was leaving, they were very surprised and even offered me more money. But I still said no. At that point it wasn’t just about the money. I hadn’t seen my family in a year and a half, I hadn’t seen my friends in months, and the only reason I even saw my boyfriend at all was because we were living together! Also, if I’m going to open my own business in 5 years I need to do a lot of work to come up with a business plan, a product, market research, and… oh yeah, learn how to run a business! Which I would not be able to do with my current schedule. Basically, I needed time even more than I needed money. I was burnt-out and exhausted after only one and a half years in the kitchen!

So, for the sake of the bigger picture (and my sanity), I took the job. It was a tough decision though because, despite the long hours, hard work and almost daily panic attacks, I really did love my work. I’m hoping that after a few months of ‘normal’ work hours and some R&R, I can get a weekend job at a bakery or coffee shop, to keep my hand in and to learn about my other passion:  COFFEE! Not to mention, I’ll be making a little extra money! Yay!

Due to the extreme hours, I’m afraid my diet and exercise went out the window and those 5 pounds I lost in my month of hard work, came back with a vengeance! But all is not lost, we have to accept the hiccups that happen in life and start again! So, I’m working out again and even though I haven’t been running in a month or more, I didn’t experience the same aches and pains I had when I first started! (I’m very happy about that.) It may have to do with my new schedule since I’m running in the evening now, instead of the morning. I feel like I'm more limber and I have more energy, like I could run forever! (Could it be? I’m actually starting to like running?!) Although I strongly recommend not running on a full stomach- it’s a horrible feeling. My only complaint is that if I run too late and then eat, I end up eating right before bed and that’s not good for loosing weight. I’ll have to figure out a better schedule...

So, we win some, we lose some. And now I have more time to write to you, my lovely readers! I intend to start a new series in my blog, writing reviews of coffee shops here in New York! I will start with the most popular shops known for their coffee and then I will explore and broaden my criteria in search of the ideal experience and food. (And coffee of course!)

(This is not my photo, but it's def. my preferred coffee method. The Cuban Coffee Maker)