D’Espresso got me thinking about coffee shops… Some are comfortable places to work; others just a convenient place to refuel. Some are social spaces. Others transition into evening with food, wine, and music.
We’ve got a great cafe, Baked, here in Red Hook with all sorts of tempting sweets. My favorite cafe for reading and writing, though, is in Greenpoint: the roomy, unpretentious, and admirably named Cafe Grumpy. The Hungarian Pastry Shop, which has mediocre coffee and fair to middling sweets, but has a storied history, is also on the list, probably because I spent so much time there as an undergraduate. And then there’s Cafe Kandinsky, a favorite from my time in Vienna…
Where are your favorite coffee shops, either in the US or elsewhere?
4 Comments
jazz-e
Here in Kölns Südstadt (Cologne, Germany) we have some nice cafés. I like the Fonda (http://www.fonda-koeln.de/) for a sunday breakfeast.
And for a real good italian espresso in an authentic italian atmosphere: Formula Uno (http://www.cafe-blog.de/koelner_cafes/?c=formula_uno)
Col
Here in Margate Kent [UK] we gave a wonderful family owned bistro right on the Harbour Arm, it is called ‘BeBeached’, in the Old Town area we have the fantastic Cupcake Cafe and Cafe G which offers more mature sophistication. Our amazing new Turner Contemporary Art Gallery right on the beach has a fantastic coffee shop. Each has a different ambience and when the on shore winds are strong, at least one of them will always be sheltered for al freso coffee. Come and see!
Col
Leah Hoffmann
Ooh, I love the name “BeBeached”! Thanks for posting, Col. (And thanks, too, to jazz-e and Beth for their suggestions. Lots of fun to see…)
B Irwin
In NE Florida, it’s Panera’s. Soup, sandwiches, pastry, and, of course, great coffee and tea.