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

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!