THE BEST: Coffee in NYC

[Rail Paul]

Did anyone notice the (4/10) reference in William Grimes's review of Cafe Sabarsky to the "best coffee in the city: rich, robust, and deep"? I don't recall any recent references, positive or negative, to coffee in his reviews.

Fully 60% of the review covers desserts,  in loving, almost erotic detail. Five items make it to the "drop dead" category. Serge Decreuzat has been elevated to the pantheon of pastry with his yougurt cheesecake with a chiffonlike filling, his Klimt torte, and his Dobosche torte (yellow cake alternating with mocha buttercream).

In general, he didn't think much of the entrees, with a dismissive wave of "ordinary", and excepting a goulash here, and the cod strudel (THAT sounds intriguing!).

[rockefeller666]

Here is an excerpt from my post on on the NYTimes.com....

Grimes then went on to say that the coffee was, "the best coffee in the city: rich, robust and deep." On this point, I will agree with him 100%. It was perhaps the BEST coffee I've ever had anywhere. It blows away Peet's by a mile, an absolute mile. It was the best coffee I've ever drunk, europe or america. It really is outstanding, and I wish more places would be like Cafe Sabarsky's coffee. It is, however, $4-5 a cup. But it's so good, I think it's worth probably worth it. Truly outstanding coffee.

[rockefeller666]

This is what I thought of the desserts... (I was just there after the NYTimes review came out).

We tried 4 desserts, one of which was not on the menu: the hazelnut/chocolate torte, the Linzer torte, the chocolate torte, and the peach torte topped with crumbs. This Klimt torte, "neatly stacked layers of hazelnut cake alternating with firm, bittersweet chocolate," deserved in Grimes' opinion, "classic status." It was okay, nothing great. Nothing to write home about. I didn't say, as I had when eating other REALLY good deserts, "You MUST try this; this is so good." No, it was just okay. The linzer torte which Grimes' described as, "flawless," was bland, unflavorful, and seemed like it had been sitting in the fridge for a few days. It was like one of those raspberry tarts you buy from Safeway in a box. I left half of it to be taken away with our dishes. The best dessert, but still not amazing, was the one not on the menu: the peach torte with crumb topping. It was sort of like a cobbler, though cold. But it was decent enough.

[jaybee]

Joined: Mar. 2002

Posted: April 11 2002,20:25   

Here is an excerpt from my post on on the NYTimes.com....

Grimes then went on to say that the coffee was, "the best coffee in the city: rich, robust and deep." On this point, I will agree with him 100%. It was perhaps the BEST coffee I've ever had anywhere.

Perhaps an eGullet spy could find out what roaster, supplier and/or beans or bean blend is used so we coffee fanatics could buy some for home use?

[Wilfrid]

I nearly got there on Sunday for the Kokoschka portraits but ran out of time.  Probably next weekend, but it looks like I should put a cup of coffee on my itinerary too.

[Steve Klc]

Since I drink several espressos daily, I'm curious whether a Viennese-style coffee (drip/filter/press) can rate--please keep the reports coming.  Rockefeller666--are you a coffee drinker or an espresso drinker? (Or both.)

Not having been to the Cafe yet, I'm presuming we're talking a regular cup of coffee here--am I mistaken?

[La Niña]

I loved the desserts at Sabarsky.  Superb sacher torte, wonderful dobosch torte, and outstanding apple strudel.  The savory dishes were okay, nothing too interesting.  The coffee was superb - and they bring it in from Vienna.

[Rail Paul]

The coffee is from Meinl's in Vienna

(visions of Viennese peasants in lederhosen harvesting coffee beans from coffee plants just past the Woods, bringing in bags of beans on their donkeys...)

[glenn]

The coffee is from Meinl's in Vienna

Are there distributors in the US that sell it to the public?

[jaybee]

And here's where to get it.

http://www.meinl.com/store....=COFFEE

But what variety of bean blend is it?   And are we talking brewed or expresso?

[La Niña]

The coffee I had at Sabarsky was filter coffee, not espresso (not expresso, certainly :-)

[Steve Klc]

Rail Paul--in your visions, are the peasants harvesting coffee at wood's end...of a jungle and wearing tropical versions of lederhosen? I love dreams.

[glenn]

It is, however, $4-5 a cup. But it's so good, I think it's worth probably worth it

Ripoff alert!  The prices are extremely reasonable on the Meinl site.  If you order by mail, it's $8.50 for 500 grams for the most expensive blend (or about $7.70/lb), and add $16 shipping for 5 500 gram packages.  Now all we need is a volunteer to call Cafe Sabarsky to find out what blend they use.

[glenn]

"SPECIAL DISCOUNT Prices include 20% European sales tax. Americans and all customers outside European Union receive 20% OFF net price at check-out."

I didn't notice this on the Meinl site before, more or less mitigating the shipping charges (thanks to the Europeans who get screwed!)

[jaybee]

I am ordering some beans from Meinl.  Can someone find out which blend is used at Sabarsky.  There are many offered on Meinl's website.

[Damian]

Best cup I've had so far in NYC is the Puerto Rican Yauco Selecto press pot at GT.  

Yauco Selecto and Alto Grande are the two finest Puerto Rico coffees, and both make a fine cup.  The best way to enjoy them is as "cafe con leche," that is sweetened and with ample steamed milk; however, I normally drink coffee black and have enjoyed both that way as well.  I have not been able to find beans, though, much to my lament.

[jaybee]

Yauco Selecto and Alto Grande are the two finest Puerto Rico coffees, and both make a fine cup.  The best way to enjoy them is as "cafe con leche," that is sweetened and with ample steamed milk; however, I normally drink coffee black and have enjoyed both that way as well.  I have not been able to find beans, though, much to my lament.

I think you'll find these beans at Dean & Deluca's main store.

[Sandra Levine]

Gourmet Garage has started selling Peet's Coffee & Tea -- never before available in NYC, according to an ad in Wednesday's NY Times.   I'm eager to try it after all the good things I've heard.

[rockefeller666]

Sandra--

That is incredible.  I am goign to go buy some Peet's tomorrow.

[phaelon56]

I stumbled across this thread again when looking for index topics. The Julius Meinl coffee is now available in whole bean form in 500 gram (1.1 lb) at Chef Central on Rte 17 in Paramus NJ (also in their Hartsdale NY store). The price was reasonable as I recall - about $8 - $10 per bag. This was as of eight to ten months ago but I imagine they still sell it. I haven't personally tried it but there was a discussion some time ago on Coffeegeek about the Julius Meinl coffee. The general consensus was that it was very good for a store bought whole bean commercial coffee but certainly not earthshaking, nor was it thought to be better than many of the microroaster offerings available locally here in the US. I haven't tried it but I'l be inclined to buy some and make a pot before I spend $5 per cup at Cafe Sabarsky.

[Felonius]

Via Quadrono (73rd just West of Madison) has the best cappucino and espresso I've tasted in NYC. The superfine almost meringue-like consistency of the steamed/foamed milk has to be seen to be believed. They also make their "mochacinos" with freshly melted semi-sweet dark chocolate, which to my taste is far superior to the overly sweet mochas made by nearly everyone else. This place is expensive, but I'm addicted enough to make the 15 minute walk from my apartment and fork over $5 for a mochacino whenever I get the jones.

[Kobi]

Blue Spoon Coffee, on Chambers Street between Church and Broadway, is rapidly rising in my book of best coffee in the city, and certainly in lower Manhattan. Theyt have been slowly adding wrinkles as the place grows (H&H bagels, homemade oatmeal...) but the undeniable backbone is the strong, flavorful Intelligista coffee that they brew. A nice, small, often crowded place.

[afn33282]

Resurrecting.....

 

my tops:

 

****   Grumpy, Chelsea

****   Ninth Street, 9th & C

 

***  Blue Bird, 1st & 1st

 

**   Ninth Street, Chelsea Market

**   Ninth Street, Lombardy Hotel

**  Third Rail, Washington Sq. Park/NYU Law  (possibly one star, depending on staff on duty)

 

*   El Rey, Stanton  & Orchard

*   Gasoline Alley, Broadway/Lafeyette

 

Honorable Mention:   Little Collins, E. Midtown

Possible future inclusion:  Propeller, Greenpoint  (need to revisit)

 

===

 

Deliberately not on list:

 

Everyman

Joe the Art of Coffee

Stumptown

Intelligentsia, High Line Hotel

Ninth Street, Tompkins Sq. Park

Grumpy, other

Third Rail, E. Village

Gasoline Alley, (2nd location)

Blue Bottle

Gimme!  (once great)

Abraco

Box Kite

Edited August 6, 2014 by afn33282 (log)

[weinoo]

I don't necessarily understand - why are places deliberately not on your list?

[paulraphael]

After many trips to Stumptown, Joe, Intelligentsia, and the various 9th Streets, I think it's safe to say NYC coffee has arrived. A decade or so behind the west coast, but some things are worth waiting for.

 

I'm suspicious of anyone's  adamant favorite from among these places. The variation from week to week or batch to batch at any one of them seems greater to me than the variation from one shop to the next. They're all at that level.