The Coffee Crawl Sipping my way through New York City…one coffee shop at a time.

Taking it back downtown to the West Village yesterday, I headed on over to a local favorite, Cafe Panino Mucho Giusto. Located at 551 Hudson Street (between Perry and West 11th Street), it’s just a hop, skip and a jump from home. And to that point, you can usually find me here on Saturday mornings or whenever I’m not crawling for new coffee shops. That being said, before we even get into the crawl today, I already find this place to be one of my favorites.

Cafe Panino Mucho Giusto means, in my translation, “cafe and sandwich done right.” I can definitely attest to both being done very right. The cafe itself is already located in a beautiful part of the West Village, surrounded by other small businesses ranging from restaurants to clothing boutiques to nail salons. Outside, as you can see from the picture, benches and chairs are placed around for customers to enjoy their coffee and food purchases.  Inside the shop you are greeted with a living room/family room feel complete with antique chairs (some are wicker but very comfortable!) and gorgeous wooden tables and larger furniture pieces. Just walking into the coffee shop, I already feel at home and like it’s an extension of my own apartment, I even have my own spot at one of the tables (shown in the picture on the right). The music also adds to the ambiance nicely, usually playing either a light rock/pop or even classical at times. Basically, if you haven’t been able to tell yet, I truly find myself completely happy and at peace while dining, enjoying a great book, or sipping the perfect cup of coffee here.

The second half of Cafe Panino Mucho Giusto’s translation, “sandwich done right,” is also all too true. Aside from just their sandwich selection, they also do coffees, baked goods and other delectable treats very right! On my recent trip, I not only had the standard scrambled eggs, bacon and toast, but I also ventured to try the Baker’s Muffin. This looked like a simple muffin with a raised top, but no, it was amazing. Powdered sugar decorated it’s fresh-from-the-oven top and just the right amount of sweetness was found within. Basically, after the very first bite, my mouth could not stop watering. So, I had to try to abate the need for more deliciousness with one of my favorite drinks of all time, a hazelnut latte. I know that Starbucks and Au Bon Pain and other such chain coffee shops also prepare this coffee drink with the same syrups, but Cafe Panino Mucho Giusto does it perfectly every single time. I’m not sure if it’s the barista’s attention to detail or just the care that’s put into every cup made, but it’s great.

I hope that you can all now see why Cafe Panino Mucho Giusto is right at the top of my “Coffee Crawler’s Highly Recommended” list. Amazing ambiance, delicious baked goods and fantastic coffee drinks make each and every experience here one that I look forward to.

Before I jump into the actual blog, I’d like to point out 2 things up front: yes, the Red Velvet Cupcakery only has cupcakes and no, The Coffee Crawl is not turning into The Cupcake Crawl. Although, come to think of it, that could actually be a great brand extension of The Crawl…I may have to look into that a later time. But for now, let’s go ahead and indulge ourselves with a little cupcake fabulousness brought to us by the Red Velvet Cupcakery.

This past weekend, to celebrate that fact that I am starting a new 9-5 job this week, my boyfriend and I took off to visit my mother in NoVA (Northern Virginia). Along the way we decided to make a pit stop in Washington DC to visit some friends. We got there a little early and the weather was beautiful so we went for a stroll along the street. We quickly realized that we were in Chinatown. We also even more quickly realized that we were in Chinatown during the Chinese New Year. Needless to say, the streets were bustling! (Which is actually an understatement, but it’s a little difficult to capture in words just how packed the streets of Chinatown can be during the Chinese New Year, but I think you get the point). As we walked along in our own little world of sunshine and new-City-amazement, I of course noticed a cupcake shop across the street. It’s almost as if my eyes, ears and nose have a radar honed in to such things. Cakes, cupcakes, icing, coffee, cookies…what else is better? Really?! From the Hipstamatic picture to the right you can see how quaint and cute the shop is, even in the middle of DC. The font of the store’s name, the window displays and even the color-scheme of what I could see from the interior outside all played very well together to invite me in to see more of what this cupcake shop had to offer.

Right when I walked in, a giant poster full of cupcakes greeted me. I kind of wanted to ask the manager on duty if I could have it and hang it my apartment, but thought against it. I mean, would I really want giant cupcakes staring at me every single day, urging me to run out to my nearest bakery to get some? Umm…well, actually that does sound pretty phenomenal! Red Velvet Cupcakery, can I buy that poster? Kidding. Once past the poster of delicious, I ran right into the display case of cupcakes. They were absolutely amazing and I wanted one of every single one. I’m not joking either. I honestly could not decide which one(s) to pick so I decided to ask the person working behind the counter. She was so incredibly helpful and nice. We bonded over both being from the South and just needing a change of pace. She seemed to really love DC and raved of the cupcakes that they had to offer. And I could tell that she was genuinely loving them and not just trying to “sell me.”  Apparently the men who usually frequent the Red Velvet Cupcakery tend to lean towards the Peanut Butter cupcakes. This I can definitely agree with. Peanut butter and chocolate are probably the best combination of any 2 flavors ever created. Seriously. However, on my first trip to this shop I just had to try their signature Red Velvet cupcake. This was probably the most moist and delicious cake that I have ever had. And I’ve been around the block on trying cupcakes! The icing is actually a completely different story. It literally is the MOST DELICIOUS and AMAZING whipped cream cheese frosting that I’ve ever tasted. Ever. I’m not one to over-exaggerate on sweets or cupcakes at all and you can rest assured that I’m telling the truth here. This icing is phenomenal. After inhaling my dessert, my boyfriend and I took off down the street in a blissful state of sugary high goodness.

Please, if you feel so inclined, visit the Red Velvet Cupcakery’s website and place an order for one of these cakes. You honestly will not be disappointed. Let me know what you think! You can also check them out on Facebook at Red Velvet Cupcakery (and while you’re at it I’m on twitter and FB @thecoffeecrawl). Happy eating!

Before you have a chance to say it, yes, it’s been quite a long time since I’ve written. Shame on me. 2010 really ended up being a very busy year and unfortunately The Coffee Crawl had to take a back seat for some time. But, it’s finally back! I apologize coffee crawlers, and I sincerely promise to make it up to you.

Now that I’m back, I decided to kick start the Crawl with a new location and new scenery: Sunnyside, Queens. I’ve been out here quite a lot recently and find that I thoroughly enjoy it. I took the time to explore the area and found a cute little place at 49-22 Skillman Avenue called Aubergine Cafe. From the exterior it promised to be a very cozy and inviting atmosphere, and it did not let me down. Showing up at the height of brunch, I was a little worried that there would be no seats available but I was able to snatch up a stool at the bar near the espresso machines. This obviously made me happy.

A waitress came over to greet me and welcomed me, quickly recognizing that I had never been to Aubergine Cafe before. That told me 2 things right away: that the service here was going to be very friendly and outstanding and also that it was a great place, obviously since there were returning clientele. She and I chatted for a bit about the area, she recommended a few things on the menu to me and even pointed out a few of the nightly specials that they had. One that really caught my eye was the “Wine Down,” Monday – Friday 5pm-8pm, which allows the customers to enjoy any bottle of wine for only $15. I will definitely be coming back in for this special after a hard day at the office!

Now on to the really important part: the food. First, let me start off by saying that I wasn’t aware that Aubergine Cafe would be a full-service restaurant. I was hoping that it was like a standard run-of-the-mill coffee shop that I would be able to order a coffee and a treat from the barista, carry my purchases to a table and sit down to quietly take in my surroundings and enjoy my snacks. However, I was surprised to find that it was all table service. I was a tad put off by this at first, but due to the friendliness of the waitress and our conversation, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Anyway, on with the story. The menu was impressive featuring everything from breakfast to brunch and lunch to dinner. There were even…yippee…desserts! However this time, you will all be surprised that I decided on ordering the chili. It was about lunch time and I was starving. The chili sounded amazing too: all-beef chili, surrounded by freshly baked tortilla chips, smothered in freshly grated cheddar cheese. Yes please. Enough said! It was served to me in a piping hot crock pot with the cheddar cheese perfectly melted (and a little crusty – yum) right on top. I dove right in and didn’t take a second look back.

The coffee was actually one of my favorites that I have come across on The Crawl so far: Irving Place Coffee!! You’ll remember that I tried there establishment out in one of my first posts, and even discovered a second location right by my apartment on 7th Avenue and 13th Street. Needless to say, the coffee was fantastic. I ordered it iced to compliment the chili. It was the perfect ending to a delicious Coffee Crawl.

So check out Aubergine Cafe soon if you’re ever in Sunnyside, Queens – you will not be disappointed!

Hey Crawlers – sorry I’m a little late in posting this week. The weekend proved to be very busy for me and I wasn’t able to post! I did however, get to check out another new coffee joint –  Think Coffee! For those of you in New York, you’ve probably already heard of this place. The location at which I planted myself is located at 1 Bleecker (at the corner of Bowery and Bleecker). I was actually furniture shopping in SoHo with a friend of mine, when we decided locate a coffee shop and crawl. That’s one of the great things about New York City – you can just decide to walk to a new coffee shop and within a few blocks you’ll find one! I love it. Obviously.

Walking up to Think Coffee I was already excited because they had outdoor seating! I just love cafes and coffee shops with cute little bistro tables outside – it just completes the “coffee shop look” somehow. Unfortunately, everyone seemed to love it as well because all of the outdoor seats were taken. We walked inside and I noticed that this was not only a coffee shop but also like a restaurant! There were sandwiches, soups, breakfast items and even beer – a one-stop-shop for all things food. The decor was reminiscent of a log cabin type atmosphere. No, not like Abraham Lincoln or anything, but very rustic and woodsy. The atmosphere seemed to lend itself very well to the food selection as well. Fresh baked bread for sandwiches and hearty soups made up the majority of the menu. For those vegan and vegetarian crawlers out there – the selection for you was pretty good too!

The baristas were very friendly also! I had never been to Think Coffee before so they walked me through all of their food and dessert offerings before I was to make that very important decision of what to eat. After receiving my options and making mental notes of each of their positive and negative attributes, I was able to settle on the Chocolate Rugelach. Flaky, chocolatey, and covered in sugar – how could this not be the right choice? It also had just the slightest taste of melted butter which they probably used to secure the sugar crystals in place on top. So good! The coffee selection was also quite the deliberation process. One of the great qualities of Think Coffee is that their brewed coffee and espresso beans are all Fair Trade. Check out their website for more info on this: Think Coffee. The day that I was there, they featured their Farmer Dividend Coffee, with four different blends: Guatemala (exotic and complex layers of vegetables, nuts and fruits), El Salvador (white peach, star anise, cocoa and flowers), Honduras (honeydew, green beans), and Brasil (traditional blend). I opted for the El Salvador (as an Iced Cafe Au Lait) with its chocolate notes to compliment my treat. Delicious. Simply delicious.

Today actually turned out to be an especially fun and interesting Crawl. I met up with a good friend for a walk around the West Village. We weren’t intending on hitting up a coffee shop for a coffee crawl, but as we strolled around the Village we happened upon Jack’s Coffee. Located on West 10th Street between Greenwich and Waverly, this shop was situated in a perfectly calm-inspiring neighborhood. From the exterior Jack’s Coffee looked like just another cute coffee shop. Inside was a whole other story. With walls full of pictures of patrons and pets outside the shop to a very kitschy decorating style all around, Jack’s Coffee provided me with just the perfect atmosphere. Ceiling fans were scattered around the ceiling. I can’t say enough how much I love ceiling fans. It seems that New York City doesn’t have enough of them! Coming from North Carolina originally, where ceiling fans can be found everywhere, I miss that added little breeze blowing around the room. Well, Jack’s was able to give me that little pleasure and reminder of home. It seemed like everyone loved it as well, because not a seat could be found inside! Luckily for me and my friend, we were able to snag the bench right in front of the shop. It was actually the perfect way to enjoy our purchases and chat on this day that gave us such glorious weather.

Jack’s Coffee features beans that are organic, fair trade and shade grown. Three aspects to coffee beans that I have found that New York coffee drinkers love. It’s showing that the shop is actually thinking about the environment, where their beans come from and how they’re grown. Always a good thing to see. There weren’t too many offerings in the way of food here however, what they did have looked absolutely delicious. There were huge “Oreo” cookies, oatmeal cookie sandwiches filled with icing, chocolate chip cookies, scones and biscotti. Everything offered was actually perfect for my taste buds. Definitely yum-inspiring. After the barista described all of the treats to me, I opted for the Apple Walnut Scone. The large sugar crystals encasing the entire pastry accompanied with the chunks of apples and walnuts made this fall treat something to savor (even though I ate it in approximately 10 minutes – haha). Apples and cinnamon are probably the second best flavor pairing for fall, only behind pumpkin and nutmeg. I washed the scone down with an iced latte. I know I know, it’s October and I should be on regular lattes and coffee, but I’m extremely partial to the iced drinks. Today’s latte was especially delicious. The milk was creamy. The espresso steamed perfectly to provide the right combination of smooth flavor with strong caffeination. The barista even added a small dollop of foam on top. I just love it when iced lattes and cappuccinos have foam on top. It completes the whole experience somehow. Ask for it the next time.

Now, the extra fun begins. My friend and I were relaxing on the bench outside of Jack’s and my eye caught a familiar-looking man pushing a stroller. I instantly recognized him as Jason Hoppy – Bethenny Frankel’s husband! I know it’s a bit stalker-ish of me to do this, but we decided to follow behind him, casually of course, to see if we could spot the fabulous New York City Housewife herself. After one loop around the block (and feeling a little weird), Jason finally came to rest outside of a restaurant, at which point Bethenny came running out of to get Bryn (their baby) and douse her in kisses. She was wearing the tallest stiletto boots, cute dark jeans and a sweater. Fabulous.

Bethenny, Jason and Bryn were completely the cutest-looking family. No paparazzi were around and no one was really gawking at them (well, besides me). I have to say, this was an excellent ending to an already delicious Crawl. Check out Jack’s Coffee on West 10th and Greenwich. Maybe you’ll even see a celebrity or two.

The crisp fall weather has finally come to New York City! Sweaters have come out of hiding, it’s finally okay to wear a hoodie again, and people strolling around with cups of hot coffee in place of their usual iced versions. Walking around searching for my next coffee shop indulgence moves even further up my list of “things I love to do” during this time of year. Get the point? I love fall. Well today’s Coffee Crawl led me to Caffe Dante in the heart of Greenwich Village on MacDougal and Bleecker. Upon a recommendation from a friend I decided to search it out. I absolutely love walking down Bleecker, especially on the weekends. Throngs of people walking around and shopping, sipping their lattes and perusing the homemade jewelry vendors. I then walked through Father Demo Square and enjoyed some music from the upright piano player beside the fountain. Once I turned on to MacDougal, Caffe Dante stood waiting for me to come in for some relaxation and delicious Italian goodness…

…and delicious Italian goodness is just what I got! Actually let me rephrase that, authentic (at least what my vision of authentic would look like) delicious Italian goodness is just what I got. The front entrance of Caffe Dante was full of little cafe tables packed with patrons. Because the weather is so beautiful at this time of year, New Yorkers tend to live outside when it comes to dining out. I opted for a table inside. The servers were the nicest women, complete with perfect Italian accents, speaking just enough English to work in the restaurant. I loved it. It was actually quite enjoyable to sit there reading, overhearing their conversations in Italian. There was even a Godfather-like figure standing behind the counter. I can only assume that he was the owner. The way he oversaw the entire establishment just seemed very “Godfather” – awesome. As you can see from the picture, the shop was pretty quiet inside which let me focus on the atmosphere and store ambiance. As I mentioned earlier, the shop gave an authentic Italian feel. It felt just like my grandparents’ kitchen back home, and they are basically from Italy. The wood panelling and molding all seemed to date back a few decades, while the ceiling had those porous-looking tiles (you know, the ones you used to throw sharpened pencils at to make them stick). Basically, I felt so incredibly relaxed and at home while there that I never wanted to get up.

Eventually however, my server came to take my order. I truly had a difficult time with my selection as what to eat. They had everything from chocolate cakes, pies and fruit tarts to Italian cheesecakes and cannolis. On recommendation I decided to go with the Chocolate Vienna Cake…and boy am I glad that this is what I chose! Chocolate mousse and dark chocolate cake layered together almost like a tiramisu..doesn’t that sound heavenly?! It totally was, too.

For my caffeine addiction, I went with a classic latte. Caffe Dante doesn’t have skim, soy or even 2% milk – only whole. At first I was a little sad about this, but come on, with the amazing chocolate cake I was about to indulge in did I really care about a little whole milk? No, not at all. Their espresso, Caffen: Il don Caffe aroma di Napoli, was simply delicious. My latte was perfectly steamed and the strength was bold. It was the perfect smooth taste to wash down the cake. I think I may have to come over here some morning during the week to pick up another one of these delicious lattes. Caffe Dante…amazing…check it out soon!

When I originally checked out the East Side location of Cafe Angelique a few months ago, I decided that I really loved it. The indoors garden-style look & feel, the antique chairs that looked like they were right off of someone’s (well-decorated) veranda, and the wall hangings all make this shop a great place to sit and enjoy someone’s company or a delicious treat. The West Side location right on Bleecker (close to 7th Avenue) is much more spacious, and crowded, than its East Side sister. Not that the busy-ness was a bad thing, it just provided a more bustling feel to my crawl this week.

Wandering around the West Village with a friend, we decided to pop into the cafe for a little afternoon snack and caffeine pick-us-up. When I saw that we were near Cafe Angelique I was pretty excited because I remember from the other location that I had tried the most delicious cookies from This Chick Bakes. Before I get in to what I had let me first set the scene of my stop. First, there is either a to-go counter for customers to place their order or you must sit down at one of the cafe tables for table service. I at first wanted to simply grab my cookie and iced coffee, take it back to my seat and enjoy, but after our waitress stopped by to take our order I was glad we had to sit down to order. She was probably one of the sweetest servers I have had at a coffee shop of this sort. I can only imagine how difficult it must be to remain happy and composed all day when you’re constantly running around on your feet and taking orders for what ultimately will be a very small check. However, she was excellent and made our visit at Cafe Angelique that much more pleasing. The decor of this location subtly screamed (is that even possible to ‘subtly scream’ anything?) “garden party” – with the outdoor tables and chairs, paintings on the wall and flowers scattered throughout the restaurant. You have to know that I loved it. Despite there being a very angry and rude man sitting directly behind me, I had a lovely time and will definitely be coming back.

However, let me now get back to This Chick Bakes. I may sound like I’m harping on this, but seriously her cookies and treats are simply out of this world…and healthy! I asked our waitress what selection of her cookies they had to offer and she brought over a whole handful of individually wrapped morsels. While everything caught my eye (of course) the one that stood out was the Gluten Free (Wheat Free) Peanut Butter Chocolate cookie. Peanut butter and chocolate have to be the best invention ever created for the cookie world. I honestly am not sure how she’s able to get the cookie to be so moist and tasty yet be better for you than a normal cookie would (especially for those of you out there with Celiac or some other allergy to wheat products). Check out the This Chick Bakes website out, you can order the cookies straight from the site and have them delivered to your doorstep. Um, hello amazing service!

And as usual, I drank down the cookie with a large iced coffee. Since this was technically my second stop and crawl to Cafe Angelique, I already knew how good the coffee was. This time was no different. My company, the neighborhood, the atmosphere of the cafe and the amazing treats all made this coffee crawler very happy to be back for more.

In the spot where Left Bank Books once stood (and where I would spend many a day searching through the stacks of wonderful books), Cafe Minerva has now been erected. Tucked away at 304 W4th Street between W12th and Bank Streets, this new edition to the West Village coffee scene stands in a glorious location. It almost seems as if you are sitting in a set for “Sex and the City”, with all of the beautiful people, outfits, and buildings surrounding you. I unfortunately wasn’t able to snap a picture of the outside of the cafe. There is no overhang, no sign, nothing to let you know that you have reached Cafe Minerva except for very lightly colored lettering on the glass windows. I almost walked right past it, if not for the delicious aroma wafting out from the espresso bar.

Walking over the freshly painted threshold (and it really is freshly painted, the shop has been open for only about 2 weeks) I noticed that most of the seating available was only for table service. As you are all aware of, I tend to frequent and enjoy the cafes that are self-service. I enjoy ordering my coffee and treat from a barista, scoping out my table, and enjoying my purchases by myself, without server interruption. However, there were about 6 stools available at the espresso bar, one of which had my name on it. Pulling up to the bar, I looked around making mental notes of the decor and patrons that were here. Overall, the entire place seemed a little too sterile. Too clean. I like my coffee shops more worn-in-looking. As for the patrons, most were in groups of 2 or 3, chatting and laughing with each other as if they had no care in the world. The others were, not surprisingly, plugged into their laptops or iPads. I had simply my magazine and my iPhone with which to snap pictures and take notes.

The menu of Cafe Minerva consisted mainly of Italian breads and sandwiches with a few pastries and desserts and of course coffee and wine. I was a little concerned with the quality of the espresso and coffee beverage I would order, initially thinking that the shop would have invested more into their food preparation than their coffee. Boy, was I sorely mistaken. I will make a very bold statement here and say that Cafe Minerva’s cappuccino was the best one that I have had since starting this coffee crawl. The experience began with a wonderful and friendly barista taking  my order. I then watched as he used the grinder to make me a fresh batch of espresso grinds for my espresso drink. He then pulled me a fresh shot and combined it with the steamed milk for my cappuccino. Before serving it to me, he created beautiful latte art on the foam. I hated messing up the design but I had to add my sweetener and enjoy the drink. And enjoy it I did! The espresso was so fresh and milk perfectly warm and smooth that it was almost as if I were sipping a coffee milkshake. Absolutely the most delicious drink that I have had on this crawl. You must check out Cafe Minerva. Even if you are put off by the semi-sterile environment of the store’s atmosphere and people, you will fall in love with the drinks.

Enjoy.