Here’s some music to listen while you read:
New coffee shops!
Most of these places don’t have websites, so their links are just gmaps. This list is also pretty large because it includes a couple months of new cafés.
Manhattan [Mid + South]
Panther coffee just opened up in Shopify’s HQ in SoHo. I went to the party and it [the party] was bad. They had no coffee an hour in. Yeehaw!
Through the magic of friendship, I managed to grab a coffee from the latte art competition, and it [the coffee] was pretty good.
cha & in LES.
Gather [website stimulation warning] in LES.
Gemina Coffee Shop in alphabet city. ‘Pastel de nata’s and a really cute interior.
Simpl Coffee in FiDi.
Bunny&Bro Coffee in midtown.
Sahola Coffee looks like they’re opening soon in Kips Bay; their website is under construction.
Dot’s Cafe in Hell’s Kitchen. I mean, look at that bun!
Manhattan [North]
Cafe 77 near the American Museum of Natural History. This is the only new café I’ve found so far rated less than 4.8 [a grimy 3.6 with 6 reviews], which clEaRy means it’s garbage; utter swill; ratwater runoff. It really, though, means we should be real suspicious about the other cafés all having 4.8+ stars.
L’avion UES
La Bomboniera in UES (near L’avion!). It’s an Italian espresso/wine bar.
City Coffee Bar in UWS [Manhattan Valley]. 5.0⭐ with 51 reviews.
Sipsteria in Harlem. Also an espresso/wine bar.
The Oma opened another shop in Harlem: The Oma II Coffee & Lifestyle.
Queens
LilCafe in north LIC/south Astoria Queens.
MOKA&CO (a.k.a Mokanco) just opened up in Astoria on Steinway, right before you get to all the hookah shops (but not quite at the end of the shawarma, so Zyara is right there if you’re hungry 🥙). It’s a chain that serves Yemeni coffee, opening just a block from a newish Yemeni café, MOKAFÉ. I hope they both do well—I love Yemeni cafés. You should too.
3 Little Pigs is opening Wednesday, 2/14 in Flushing.
Brooklyn [North + East]
KIJITORA opened another branch in WillyB. Cool menu, lots of Japanese inspired items. Roasted Kabocha Cardamom Latte? What is that?
Nyla Cafe [WilliamB] opened in December.
Xoco-Latte opened up in Bushwick—Mexican inspired lattes.
Brooklyn [West + South]
Kapecatorce (a roaster in south Astoria/Queens) opened up a shop around Fort Greene Park.
DNA Coffee Lounge in Sunset Park
Littlebee by Sweetbee in Prospect Park. They serve Variety Coffee.
Bronx
The Clubhouse Café just over the river. It’s a social enterprise from South Bronx United, which has options for students to either coach soccer or work at this café as a part of this program.
This week’s coffee shop spotlight!
ARVACI coffee: Not as inventive as our last spotlight, the lovely Dayglow—but if you’re in midtown/brooklyn and you just want a solid, delicious cup—this is where I want you to go.
I stopped in here after seeing it on the street; the set-in entrance and the logo were luring me in like a siren (and no, not that kind). It was about to be my third coffee of the day after a notable hiatus—which means it’s an easy “save for later” if it isn’t incredible.
I was greeted by a nice woman on a call who suggested an iced latte with hazelnut+caramel syrup, and that’s what I got. My friend got an iced capp with no syrups, and neither of ours were particularly sweet nor bitter, just perfect. I had the whole thing finished before I got to the train.
When my blood runs black as the moonless night, and my heartbeat sounds as the warriors march, only then you may say, I've had enough ARVACI coffee.
–Anonymous barista
Coffee news!
The CoffeeFest, which is the largest coffee festival in NYC, is having their festival March 3–5. This is mostly geared towards people in the industry, but you can go too. If you aren’t keen to spend $70, the “New York Coffee Festival” in October is only around $35 and is amazing. [Note: if you stumble upon the “Coffee & Tea Festival”, don’t bother going. It’s not good.
“Kona” coffee might get more expensive, as Hawaii is changing the legislation around what can be defined as coffee from Kona. Currently, coffee containing 10% coffee from Kona can be called “Kona coffee”. Within the next four years, the required amount will increase (page 8) from 25% by July 1st 2024 – to 100% by July 1st 2027.
The big green mermaid is bringing their olive-oil drinks to the US as of January 30th, 2024. If you can help it, don’t buy it. Just take laxatives and you can save a couple dollars [and they probably taste better, too].
Big Dollar Money Sign Coffee Price Map!
For coffee prices around the world:
Denmark—most expensive ($5.45)
Tunisia—least expensive ($0.56)
You—priceless
Methodology of this study—I guess it’s fine
RSTRS [Roasters App] is launching a cafe management app—I’m not sure what niche they’re trying to fill but I signed up for the beta!
Break time!
Clicking this button is reported to give you incredible feelings of love and value in the sense that friends who you send this to will love and value you.
And now…
Trends
Aeration
Today we have “Aeration”, which is the process of wiggling around your coffee until it tastes better.
The EIGHT CUP CHEMAER™ CHEMEX® attempts to aerate your coffee as it drips. Which like, that’s why we swirl it, right? I guess this makes swirling more effective? It’s ridiculous.
Here’s the picture so you don’t have to click the link:
I, too, can stir things with a spoon vigorously. I have been known as an excellent spoon stirrer in my day.
Pink
Pink Bourbon coffee is the new[ish] hype, used in the winning cup in the 2023 World Barista Championship, and gaining notoriety since. It’s a variety of coffee—like when you ask ‘what kind of dog do you have?’—from Réunion Island (formerly “Bourbon”) near Madagascar. Sought after because of its sweetness, acidity and complexity, its value is compounded thanks to its difficulty to grow. It’s also difficult to pick at peak ripeness because its ideal color is salmon instead of a loud red.
A Pink AeroPress just got released, in time for Valentine’s Day. If you have $49.95, you, too, can have a prettier way to make coffee.
The Recipe Section
The recipe section will have to wait until next time! I’m sending out this newsletter early because it’s a “little” too long.
Thanks for tuning in!
Goodbye!