Best espresso drinks in the US, or the world?

[devlin]

Della Fattoria in Petaluma California. It's a bread shop, well known, and I was surprised to find the espresso and cappuccino some of the best stuff I've had anywhere.

[Mayur]

For NYC stuff:

joe is pretty good. Grumpy makes excellent coffee, but I find it (as I do all too many things in Greenpt/Wmsburg) far too pretentious.

9th Street is always a winner, and despite their coffee-crazed perfectionism, they seem utterly attitude-free. A nice combo in my book. The place is breezy, quiet, and comfortable. The major problem with for me it is that it's just far east enough to be an annoying detour!

Although they've stayed off the radar a bit, there are quite a few decent places to get espresso in Manhattan, mostly in the twisty-street area of the West Village. I'll look at the actual names next time I'm strolling through that area and fetching coffee.

I have actually had a fabulous cup of after-dinner espresso (ordered as a fluke) at Felidia. Otherwise, I agree with nathanm about coffee in restaurants.

[nathanm]

For NYC stuff:

9th Street is always a winner, and despite their coffee-crazed perfectionism, they seem utterly attitude-free. A nice combo in my book. The place is breezy, quiet, and comfortable. The major problem with for me it is that it's just far east enough to be an annoying detour!

I totally agree! I went to 9th street a couple weeks ago and have been too busy to post since then. The coffee is good, and they have a good attitude about coffee quality but as you say it does not translate into high and mighty attitude elsewhere.

In my last trip to NYC I couldn't make it to Greenpoint or Williamsburg so I couldn't try those places.

[phaelon56]

I'll join the chorus of those wishing that 9th Street (the coffee place not the street!) was closer to the areas of Manhattan that I frequent on my visits (or at least that they would open another store).

I recently made another visit to Carriage House Cafe in Ithaca, a place I've always held in high regard for having not just superior espresso and coffee service but a top shelf bakery and excellent food offerings with table service. They've diversified their offerings and now feature espresso from Cafe Kubal's roaster Matt Godard (a Syracuse guy who is finally opening a shop of his won later this month) along with a some "guest coffees".

I continue to hold Gimme Coffee in high regard as among the best anywhere but Carriage House is serving some phenomenal drinks. The wierd thing to me is that Juna's on the Commons serves wretched espresso yet remains busy as does the new Starbucks less than a block from there.

[Mayur]

I'll join the chorus of those wishing that 9th Street (the coffee palce not the street!) was closer to the areas of Manhattan that I frequent  on my visits (or at least that they would open another store).

I'd imagine that 9th street is unlikely to open another store (part of the appeal of the place is its East Village cachet, which will be lost the moment they drift westward of Tompkins Square). Grumpy, however (which makes a fine espresso) will be opening a place on 20th St. between 7th and 8th Avenue this month. That's probably a bit closer to most people's sphere of activity.

[EDIT: Another possible coffee option might be the Tasting Room. Word has it that they're getting in a Synesso, and I can't imagine someone shelling out $10k on a machine and not using it properly. However, there really isn't anywhere to grab a coffee there, so I don't quite know how this would work.]

Edited November 8, 2006 by Mayur (log)

[nathanm]

I was at Murky Coffee in Arlington, VA (across the river from Wash DC) today, and was recently at their Capitol Hill (Wash DC) location.

It is the best I have had in DC. They have a Synesso at the Arlington location.

It is not what you'd get at Vivace or Victrola in Seattle, but it is pretty good considering it is the East Coast....

[mukki]

Vivace is far and away the best and most consistent shop in town.

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Having heard so much about Vivace (and living in Cleveland where I can't just hop in the car and go try them) I decided the best I could do right now was order some beans and try them in the La Pavoni. I wanted them to be primo fresh so I asked for the $17 shipping (for 1 pound of coffee) for second day air. Well they roasted it on Wed but shipped it Thursday (and UPS will hold it over the weekend) so I'll get it Monday afternoon and get a nice pull off my week old stale coffee (shipped express) this coming Tuesday... Lovely. I sent them a note saying I was pretty disappointed at this. It was ignored (I guess people in Cleveland don't even rate a reply). Overall I'm already disappointed. I'll see Tuesday whether the coffee has any life left in it........ I have serious doubts.

Ken

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I've been ordering twice a month from Vivace for almost 2 years and have never had a problem. I always choose 2-day priority mail; only once during the holiday season did it take 3 days. Coffee always has a roast date correlating to the day it was shipped. And, the one time I thought the coffee was "off", I was sent a new package. By the way, I do think their beans result in a better/more complex brew in the winter... whether this is due to the air temp/humidity or the actual beans, I don't know.

[phaelon56]

the way, I do think their beans result in a better/more complex brew in the winter... whether this is due to the air temp/humidity or the actual beans, I don't know.

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That's one possibility. But another is that they quite likely use the same blend of specific varietals year round and, coffee beans being a seasonal agricultural product, you might be getting the beans from the most recently imported crop at its freshest during the winter. This assumes that some or all of the varietals in question are those with the newest crop being delivered in late fall / early winter. Just a guess on my part.

[SushiCat]

Portland Oregon, Ristretto Roasters

[PaniniGuy]

Use this map: www.espressomap.com

To get on the map you have to be nominated by peers and/or somebody with a palate the site owner trusts. Most roast their own or use top roasters like Intelly/CCC/Ecco/Stumptown/Terroir, etc. Many/most have at least one barista that's competed in the USBC.

While perhaps all aren't "perfect", you'd likely be hard pressed to get a bad drink at any of them.

Most of the US/Canadian establishments mentioned in this thread are on it (notably not: La Colombe). Many not mentioned in this thread are also on the map waiting for you to find them.

If you're passing thru Pittsburgh, we're not associated with the previously mentioned Aldo's in Brooklyn.

[SushiCat]

Use this map:  www.espressomap.com

To get on the map you have to be nominated by peers and/or somebody with a palate the site owner trusts.  Most roast their own or use top roasters like Intelly/CCC/Ecco/Stumptown/Terroir, etc.  Many/most have at least one barista that's competed in the USBC.

While perhaps all aren't "perfect", you'd likely be hard pressed to get a bad drink at any of them.

Most of the US/Canadian establishments mentioned in this thread are on it (notably not: La Colombe).  Many not mentioned in this thread are also on the map waiting for you to find them.

If you're passing thru Pittsburgh, we're not associated with the previously mentioned Aldo's in Brooklyn.

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NICE MAP PaniniGuy! Where were you 10 years ago!?!

[PaniniGuy]

NICE MAP PaniniGuy!  Where were you 10 years ago!?!

Not my map, and I don't know the guy who created it. It came out only a couple months ago but has made decent traction in coffee circles.

[espressomap]

10 years ago I had just discovered excellent espresso here in Portland, OR. Lately I've travelled a little and couldn't easily find the same quality espresso, so I put together the www.espressomap.com site mostly as a personal project.

But it seems to be getting some good attention (Barista Magazine last month), and I have lots of "pending" cafes still to be listed which I get to visit some of this holiday season.

Cafe suggestions are welcome, although the current rate is about 1 in 4 recommendations end up on the map (such a stickler).

Do offer any other suggestions, though, because I'm always looking to improve it (no, can't quite GPS-locate a cell phone and find the nearest espresso, although playing with Google's API for that feature at the moment).

[SushiCat]

10 years ago I had just discovered excellent espresso here in Portland, OR. Lately I've travelled a little and couldn't easily find the same quality espresso, so I put together the www.espressomap.com site mostly as a personal project.

But it seems to be getting some good attention (Barista Magazine last month), and I have lots of "pending" cafes still to be listed which I get to visit some of this holiday season.

Cafe suggestions are welcome, although the current rate is about 1 in 4 recommendations end up on the map (such a stickler).

Do offer any other suggestions, though, because I'm always looking to improve it (no, can't quite GPS-locate a cell phone and find the nearest espresso, although playing with Google's API for that feature at the moment).

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Welcome Espressomap!

I'm so excited I see your first post and get to say, nice to have you here! Thanks for the map - who you trying out over the holidays? I've been trying what seems good in the NW - tell us of new and/or exciting places!