Chestnut Hill Coffee Company

[KatieLoeb]

Inspired by the thread HERE in the Coffee and Tea forum, I was in Chestnut Hill today and stopped by Chestnut Hill Coffee Co. for a latte and a snack. I had the pleasure of meeting proprietor Sultan Malikyar very briefly, and talked to John Hornall, the barista for a couple of minutes. The shop is lovely and cheerful and was doing a reasonably brisk business for a lovely Saturday afternoon. My very large latte was absolutely perfect and I had a nice Hot Cross bun to go with it. Very tasty and reasonably priced at $5 for the two. They also sell their own beans. It seems like the sort of place I'd totally hang out if it were in my neighborhood. It's nice to see an independently owned coffee shop that takes pride in their products and service giving the Fourbucks empire a run for their money. Apparently last Christmas the managers of the Starbucks down the street didn't get their bonuses because their sales weren't high enough. Ha! Take that, you evil corporate giants! Here's hoping that more of the locals get a clue and start supporting Chestnut Hill Coffee Co. instead of Starbucks. It's a much better alternative.

[etalanian]

Yep, for those of us living in the Chestnut Hill area, there are two very good alternative coffee shops, sort of representing both ends of the spectrum.

In Mount Airy there is InFusion, funky, very laid back, with nursing moms, stay at home dads with their kids, small groups of knitting women, students and 20-somethings hanging out to use the FREE (unlike Starbucks) WiFi. A very calm and diverse crowd. They carry Moshe's prepared tofu salads and sandwiches, as well as good pastries and that wonderful coffee cake from Night Kitchen. The baristas aren't always in a hurry, but they use Torreo beans for their espresso drinks, and they are really delicious. Worth the wait. Another one is opening is Bella Vista late summer or early fall.

On the other end of the spectrum is CH Coffee Company. Sophisticated but casual, beautifully appointed, the new go to place for meeting friends, for area college students to study, and where to go to listen to live music when they have it. On wednesday afternoons into evenings they serve freshly made crepes. Pastries daily from Aux Petits Delices of Wayne. Coffee is excellent. And the beautiful wood on the curved wall in the back is very cool. So is the bathroom. And there's a second floor.

So while Starbucks may think they own the market, there are many successful local coffee shops that are more fun and serve better coffee. CH Coffee Co is definitely worth visiting.

Eileen

[Bobby 2 Shakes]

And for all you up-and-coming alchemists out there, John Reynolds's "Brew Your Own Beer - Wine Making Too!" has begun to offer coffee beans for roasting at home. John's pretty good about making sure you're informed about the process and is always available to answer questions. The address is

2026 Darby Rd

Havertown, PA 19083

(610) 449-5496

byob2026@aol.com

[johnb102]

Chestnut Hill Coffee Company is a good alternative to Starbucks, and when walking on Germantown Avenue I will always choose it over Starbucks.

Even better though is the High Point Cafe in Mt. Airy on Carpenter Lane just off Greene Street (across from the Coop). It is a bit of a drive from Chestnut Hill (5-10 minutes) but in addition to excellent coffee and a nice atmosphere, they bake all their own cakes and pastries, and also make crepes.

They bring their coffee beans in from a roaster in Seattle and it has quickly become my favorite coffee in the city (at least a tie with La Colombe).

[Bobby 2 Shakes]

For me, when I need a coffee fix I go to Le Petit Mitron for La Colombe. Besides only being 5 miles from my house, they have the best croissants I've ever eaten (especially chocolate-almond). Patrick & Isabelle are a national treasure. I'm glad I don't have to drive 7 hours to Montreal anytime I want to eat something that wonderful.

But what to do about Mondays? They sell coffee by the bag, too. I dust off the old Krups and grab a croissant from Sunday's stash (before noon Sunday).

[shacke]

Went today to the Chesnut Hill Coffee Co.

Terrific shots (had 3 - buzz buzz - made for an easy 60 minutes of cardio after ) and John Hornall is a nice guy. Learned a lot of interesting coffee facts from him. His old roaster from Seatlle (the person not the machine) is going to start working there this week.

Thanks for the tip. Next stop - High Point cafe

Evan

Edited May 15, 2006 by shacke (log)