The last newsletter reviewing Coffee Fest (finally!).
It’s another short one, with no recipe; instead, you get coffee news.
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(updated, with rankings! Sort by “cafe”) Beli: @newyorkcoffee
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This week’s coffee shop spotlight!
Prince Coffee House
(not Prince Tea House)
Prince Coffee House is a Kosovan chain that happens to have a branch in the Bronx, right on Arthur Ave. [in the other Little Italy]. I happened to be there with my #1 [and only] Kosovan friend, and completely by chance we happened around this place, and she recommended we should give it a shot.
I gotta say, the coffee, it was /fantastic/ (direct quote). It wasn’t a specialty roast or anything, a regular chocolately coffee, yet still fantastic.
If you’re up there, get cannoli at Madonia Bakery, a sandwich (with ciabatta bread, you have to ask) at Casa Della Mozzarella, and then pick up some fresh ravioli and egg pasta from Borgatti’s.
Check out all those cezves on the ceiling!
What’s new, Jude?
Blue Brown Coffee, Wilhelm B — they have a “Expresso with Palm Juice”, could be good.
Not As Bitter, East Village — Specializing in fresh fruit lattes
Nana’s Green Tea, KTown, in the Nomad Tower — I passed by here yesterday and there was a line about 20–35 people long from 7pm onwards. It is famous on Instagram/TikTok for their matcha ice cream creations.
Coffee News
The Special Coffee Association (SCA) is putting out a new guideline for rating coffees; the intention is good, regardless of how you feel about the implementation. They are rating coffees based on taste, but also based on things like notoriety, region, etc.
This means something like a Yirgacheffe or Pink Bourbon coffee will get rated more highly, even if the taste is worse. On the “good” side, this means that people and places doing cool things can get a higher price for their coffee.
A recent publication attempts to explain IoT use in coffee farming. Essentially, putting devices around your farm allows you to closely monitor things about your farm. This study focused on moisture, temperature, water level, CO2, color (for testing nitrogen/phosphorus/potassium levels), and reacting to these measurements automatically and immediately.
An incredibly heavy-handed advertisement in the guise of an article about the KUKU Maker.
Keurig has made plastic- and aluminum-free pods, and a machine for ‘em.
Jackson Hewitt, the tax company, created a mobile coffee truck where you can get coffee and get your taxes done. [Remember, never use a tax company for your taxes, especially never TurboTax. Freetaxusa.com is a gov-run site that does the exact same thing, at the cost of only filing fees for your state.]
Break time!
I went to the orchid exhibit last weekend, and I am happy to say I’ve found an orchid with a whirling dervish on it.
Here’s some more pictures:
Click this button!
And now…
Coffee Fest Part 3!
Painted Leopard Coffee
A newer coffee roaster on the scene, Painted Leopard is an El Salvadorian brand that sources beans from a co-op and hopes to share the traditions and experiences given to the customer in each cup of coffee.
They also have amazing branding.
It’s difficult to speak about the coffee’s taste [it was 3 weeks ago], but something in the creation I had at the Coffee Fest showed me that this brand is extremely meticulous, testing and retesting each recipe and roast.
Rule Breaker Snacks
[Expensive] snacks that don’t have any of the 11 major allergens (hence, they “break all the rules” about snacks). I had the birthday cake and I liked it.
Earthwell Drinkware
Really cool engraved bottles and mugs.
Bonus — This thing!
Ice cream!
The Recipe Section
No recipe this week, I just liked this quote enough to keep it here one more time.
I’ll have some original vault recipes as we move off from Coffee Fest.
Sink into
your comfortable armchair ; put your feet on a chair.
Light a cigarette…Send a puff of smoke slowly up to the ceiling.
Sniff up the perfume of your coffee.
Close your eyes.
Dream of the second puff, of the second sip. You are fortunate.
From Edouard de Pomiane, in Cooking in ten minutes [page 30].
Thanks for tuning in!
Enjoy your coffee!