Living it Up at Laughing Man Coffee

Hugh Jackman is a lot of things. Wolverine, Jean Valjean, Van Helsing, The Boy from Oz. But who knew that coffee shop proprietor was also on his resume? Jackman is one of three founders of Laughing Man. LM has three locations, all in the Financial District. I visited the one off Reade St. and Broadway.

LM is a really cool place. In addition to 100% of their profits going to education and business in underdeveloped countries, LM has the most energetic and joyful crew. As I walk in, the two baristas and a customer are all dancing to the radio. I ask them about their famous drink, the Flat White, and they are more than happy to pitch it to me.

"It's the Australian Version of the cappuccino!" one of them shouts.

"It's like when you ask that guy to the dance in middle school and he accepts," another one of them offers.

"It's just good," the third guy adds, and they all laugh. 
I can't help but laugh too. It's a bit contagious, this effervescent energy.

Unfortunately, there's no sitting room inside. But the small venue is clean and well-organized. Black-and-white tiles decorate the store along with pictures of Hugh Jackman and Dukale, an Ethiopian Coffee Farmer. I head outside to sit on the steps with my drink.

The Flat White is slightly bitter. It tastes like a hybrid between hot chocolate and a cappuccino, which is a far less romantic description then any of the baristas provided. Overall, it's a well-blended drink and refreshing. I like it, but I think what I like even more is the crew and the altruistic message that LM represents.

Coffee: 8/10, Good

Location: Financial District (Reade and Broadway) 

Atmosphere: Tiny, but optimistic and very friendly

Cost: Under $3

Recommend: Yes

https://secure.laughingmancheckout.com

Special: Food, Food, and More Food...

Food, Food, and More Food...

Whenever I have company in town, it's always an excellent opportunity to check restaurants off my bucket list. I realize that's not the point of having friends over, but it certainly is a wonderful benefit. It's kind of like how at Christmas, everyone says that it's not about the presents. But we all know that it really kind of is. You know what I mean. 

Anyway, I've had some lovely friends, Diane and Steve, stay with me for this last week. We've had some real fun (Central Park Zoo, Plaza Hotel, the whole tourist shtick). And, it so happens, that we've tried a lot of great a food. A lot. I mean, I have been doing extra yoga to avoid a food baby. 

Here is a portion of my food journey: 

Cafe Lalo (83rd and Amsterdam) which you might remember from the 1998 Tom Hanks-Meg Ryan-Email flick, You've Got Mail. It's a love triangle between technology and humans. Spoiler alert: technology wins. 

Lalo completely lived up to all that I had dreamt it would be. It's such a stunning little cafe. 

Cafe Lalo Exterior 

Diane enjoyed Lalo as well. 

What a cool interior. 

I ordered quiche and a Mediterranean Salad. Diane got the whole-wheat Belgium Waffle!

Their dessert bar is incredible! (I borrowed this photo from tripadvisor.com)

http://cafelalo.com/cafe/

One of my go-to Greek Restaurants is Dafni Greek Taverna (42nd and 8th Avenue). It requires a reservation, but the food is reasonably priced and always first quality. I usually order a Greek salad with gyro slices over it. It runs about $14. 

They're very generous with their Dolmades. I love Dolmades, I wish they went with everyday food. Dolmades with sandwiches. Dolmades with cereal. I would do it, don't judge.  

http://www.dafnitaverna.com/

Yes, it does have Dolmades! More please!

Finally, I had the BEST Indian food I have ever tasted at this nice little restaurant, Benares. It's located near Columbus Circle (56th Street and Broadway). You MUST try their Malai Kofta. I couldn't pronounce the name, so I did the little kid thing where I point at it on the menu. Diane ordered a rice dish that tasted incredible, especially when dipped in the Kofta sauce. 

I felt food drunk. You know that thing where the food is so good it makes you drowsy. It blew me away.

http://www.benaresnyc.com/

Diane and I had no idea how good that was going to be!

That has been my food journey thus far. Any recommendations of new places to try?

Gregory's Coffee and Feeling "Coffeed-out"

   
I have a confession to make, as I arrive at Gregory's Coffee...
 I feeling slightly "coffeed-out."
I feel blasphemous just typing up the the phrase. I love coffee, right? We all know that. I have an enormous sense of guilt whenever these rare days occur.

It's like betraying a friend. I'm sorry, coffee. I don't want to be that person. We've established a strong bond and I believe in you.

Good. I just had to get that off my chest.

I like the layout in the front. So does this man who had no choice but to be immortalized in this photo. 

Gregory's Coffee is in the midst of the craziness that is Times Square. The easiest way to spot the tourists from non-tourists is by going to Times Square. 90% of those people are tourists. NYC Natives avoid that place like a death-trap. Gregory's Coffee is located at 6th Avenue and 44th Street. It's one of five locations, three of which are located within Midtown. It can be spotted by its logo, a pair of large, green glasses. F. Scott Fitzgerald would be proud, it's very Gatsby-esque. I presume Gregory watches over all of us.

What a nice set-up. There are pastries and yogurt further on the right of the counter. 

The baristas are lively and nice. The scheme is black-and-white with various splashes of color. Some classic New York photographs hang on the wall. Mellow pop music plays in the background. The clientele is mainly business people. So, lots of blazers, laptops and bags-under-the-eyes. 

The coffee itself is a smooth medium-blend. It's good, but honestly nothing about it is truly remarkable. It's strong enough to wake you up, but not to make you a regular here. I will say that it is a nice atmosphere. It's relatively quiet and very clean, but not my first choice for coffee.

Coffee: 7/10, Good

Location: Midtown (6th Avenue and 44th) 

Atmosphere: Clean and accessible, good for business 

Cost: Under $3

Recommend: Sure

http://gregoryscoffee.com/

Falling in Love with Stumptown Coffee

Hey CoffeeHeads,

I think I've done it. I have found the most incredible place to enjoy coffee in New York City (at least so far)! I can't stop thinking about Stumptown Coffee. Located in Chelsea, at 29th Street and Broadway, I wish I had known about Stumptown months ago. 

Such a classy and beautiful front window

You wouldn't expect such a classy shop in this neighborhood. It's surrounded by a bunch of cheesy businesses, the kinds of places where one buys discount rubber boots from. But Stumptown is so beautiful, complete with gold curvy lighting and a chalk board with the most perfectly spaced font I have ever seen. Seriously, whoever wrote that should consider taking up calligraphy, they are unnaturally good at forming letters.

The front of the shop is this intimate space with a huge glass window overlooking the street. The decorating is simple and classic, with eccentric touches everywhere. There are a variety of random animal statues positioned along the front shelves beside vintage coffee machines. The mugs are also printed with black-and-white animal art. The highlighted colors are gold and silver. 

It's a snake-like lighting pattern. 

Every barista is skinny and wears a hat (this could be said about most NYC Baristi). 
They look like extras for a hipster MTV show with a tagline like,
 "We work in the City. We are baristas. Whatever."
 Is it required that all baristas wear a page boy hat and/or a scarf? I'm certain there must be some sort of legal obligation.

Hipster Baristas, as per usual

The lady barista who rings me up is rather unfriendly and manages to spill my decaf coffee out of the cup. She wipes it up without apologizing.  But the roast is so strong, fully-realized and bold that I quickly forget her stumble. 
This coffee is exceptional. It's exactly what I want from a cup of joe.  No grounds, no bitterness, no weird aftertaste. The Stumptown Roasters are masters at capturing the essence and flavor of coffee without the pitfalls many roasters struggle with.  

After I get my coffee, I meander into the open seating in the lobby of the Ace Hotel.
It's amazing, they actually want people to be here. This is probably one of the only times I have felt not only welcomed, but also wanted at in a NYC venue (also see Sasha's).

The entrance to the Ace Hotel Lobby

The set-up is totally posh. Marble tables, lightening-fast wifi, comfortable leather chairs, dark-stained  benches. Then there's more odd decorations like taxidermy badgers in a glass cage, old newspaper as wallpaper, and a painted American Flag on the back-
wall. It's like your uncle's creepy den that you simultaneously admire, but fear you'll get murdered in. 

Coffee: 10/10, Stellar

Location: Chelsea (29th Street and Broadway) 

Atmosphere: Classic, eccentric and comfortable 

Cost: $2.25

Recommend: Yes, absolutely! 

http://stumptowncoffee.com/

Brooklyn Roasting Company: Stellar Scenery, Meh Coffee

I'm not one to just venture outside of Manhattan for the heck of it. You could call me a square, and I would not deny it. But Brooklyn Roasting Company came to me with the highest of recommendations. It's located in Dumbo at 25 Jay Street and is the sole BRC. 

Brooklyn Roasting Company Exterior 

The surrounding brick walls on the outside don't necessarily draw one in.  But inside, it's much larger then you'd expect.  And even though it's pretty cozy, the place still maintains its warehouse ceiling. A giant chalkboard hanging from the ceiling lists all the coffees, teas, and food items. The colorful logo bubble letters don't exactly fit the "hole-in-the-wall" vibes either. 

It's a whole slew of elements that work together surprisingly well. 

I order the Kenya Roast, which is the special of the day. A skinny barista in a tight t-shirt tells me that he personally prefers the lighter roast but that the Kenya is still good. I have to say, it's not bad, but it's also not that memorable either. It's smooth, but not bold enough for my tastes or to illicit a 40-minute trip outside my island. I do own Manhattan by the way,  so I can legally refer to it as MY island. 

The seating situation isn't awesome. There's a few wooden seats and barstools, but I recommend sitting outside because the surrounding area is incredible. My friend, Lucy, and I wander about between the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridge. 

I am also working on stalking Lucy as a side project 

Everyone is taking pictures: couples, friends, graduates, wedding parties.  We examine Anne Hathaway's plush penthouse and decide our next life move will be to ride the local carousel. 

Even though the coffee didn't wow me, Dumbo itself is very charming. 

And any day I get to ride a carousel is a great one. 

BRC Link: http://www.brooklynroasting.com/cafe 

Coffee: 6/10, Just average

Location: Dumbo, Brooklyn (Jay Street) 

Atmosphere: Cozy warehouse for cool people 

Cost: Around $2.50 

Recommend: Yes, but mainly to see Dumbo 

Boston Special: Loving L'Aroma

 

Hey Coffee Friends,

 

I have to apologize for the lateness in my writing, I've been on a bit of hiatus with Spring Break. Whilst in Boston with my lovely friend Aly, I tried the most delightful little coffee shop, L'Aroma. Although this is no formal review (I can't judge non-New York coffee, surely you know that by now), I have some thoughts on L'Aroma.

 

It's a very classy, quaint little shop. There are two of them in the Greater Boston area, I visited the one on Newton Street. It was definitely a hen party inside, all women. If I were a middle-aged man looking for a lady...nope, not going there with you. You thought I would, didn't you? You got all excited and that's why I had to stop. I'm not sorry, I would do it again.

 

I told Aly to pick something off the menu for me because I am very spontaneous and wild. She brought back a Snicker's Cappuccino. I won't insult your intelligence by saying it was INCREDIBLE. That would be expositional, but I will say that if you melted a Snicker's into a cup of coffee and stirred, this is the symphony that would arise. It's like a happy little accident that I drank all of with no remorse. L'Aroma Link: http://www.laromacafe.com/

 

Next up, I'm on a mission to try out some of the finer coffee in the Midwest before returning home. Please don't use this information and attempt to find me because I am very illusive and I have seen enough Lifetime Movies to know how this ends. I refuse to be the sad-eyed protagonist.

 

I'll write soon though!

 

Emily  

This tasted exactly like a melted Snicker's in coffee.

This is my stalker photo of Aly, and of the quaint setting that is L'Aroma. 

Joe Coffee: Not Feeling It

The sad thing about Joe Coffee, is that it has so much lost potential. It has all the right elements to knock it out of the park: a quaint, well-decorated setting. Festive Spanish music. Coffee bean-shaped designs on the tiles, funky mirrors... the set-up is classy, and the location is nice (I went to the Upper West Side stop). But there's really nothing notable about the coffee. It tastes like office brew, blegh!  My decaf blend was stale, boring and dull. The best part of Joe's is the adorable designs on the to-go cups. You know the coffee is bad when cardboard art is the most stand-out quality. 

    Joe came to me with the highest of recommendations from friends and even, The New York Times. But they are all liars! LIARS I SAY. My experience at Joe's was so negative. I originally came not only because of those high remarks, but also because they offer coffee courses. For $120, you can attain the basic know-how of a barista. Additionally, you can take mini courses in specialty skills for $30. I asked the grumpy barista about these courses and he told me not to bother, that it was just better to work there. I told him he sounded jaded, and he asked me what that meant. Was I accusing him of being privileged? "No," I stammered, "Jaded means you're not... super encouraging." This was the nicest way of telling him he sounded burnt out. "Oh," he said, "I'm just giving you my opinion. That's just my experience." Okaaaay...Well, that was uncomfortable.

     And speaking of uncomfortable, in New York, I've come to accept that coffee shops are generally pretty small. But this place has way too many tables for such a condensed space.  I felt like I was standing on top of the other customers. I had to use my vulture techniques to snag a table. And when I did, an elderly couple gave me crusty looks. The woman whined, "Well, I guess there's just never any available tables!" Then looked straight at me. I know she thought she had this table first, but I had dibs on it. Dibs! I had patiently waited for two middle-aged friends to finish up their conversation. No sir, I had the table first. It's my table. Remember the principle of dibs! 

     Not that dibs compensate for the fact that I probably should have let them have the table... because the man was using a cane. A nicer, more altruistic person would stand up and say, "Go ahead, I can wait." But I suppose I'm a bit of a wild rebel. The kind that wears a leather jacket and drinks her coffee with no remorse. Yeah, I like that. 

Coffee: 2/10 Not memorable 

Location: Upper West Side (85th and Colombus) 

Atmosphere: Well-decorated, but good luck finding a table 

Cost: $2.50 

Recommend: No, sir!