Cafe Grumpy (Chelsea)

   Cafe Grumpy is anything but grumpy; it is a bright, pleasant shop putting out some of the best espresso in Manhattan. I had a chance to visit this charming little store and came to appreciate its uniqueness. Some things about it were delightfully enigmatic; it’s local but it has a catchy logo, its understated but extremely professional,…

Stumptown Roasters

       Oddly enough, my first experience with Stumptown was in New York rather than in Portland. Well, with the way specialty coffee is expanding as an industry, I guess it isn’t all that odd. Stumptown sets an precedent when it comes to roasting, service, technique, and products off the bar; simply, they are household name for…

Kaffe 1668

  Right around the corner from the WTC memorial is this chic, almost what I would call a “coffee club.” Kaffe 1668 has a distinct atmosphere and style all its own and is putting out top-notch drinks for the busy Wall Street crowd. One of the most notable features of this cafe is the atmosphere. As…

Gregory Coffee

Gregory was a surprising last stop on my trip to NY, suprising in a good way. Walking in off the street, seeing the logo, and the worker’s in uniform, I figured I was entering a local chain store and expected a comparable level of quality; satisfying but nothing to write home about. While the store looked like a…

Fika Coffee

Fika is a fast paced, Euro-inspired, production/output focused cafe that adequately reflects the “NY minute” attitude of the surrounding Financial District. Utilizing a Swedish motif, the cafe itself is visually impressive and “modern,” maybe even borderline showy. Overall, while I found the space appealing, it was a bit cold and sterile. The upscale cafe is much more than just…