I found this coffeehouse while I was on a special, unrelated mission. I was visiting a local bookbinder in Grantville to get some PDF files that I had printed off (about a roleplaying game that I like) made into a book. I left in the afternoon after work and hadn’t had my coffee yet, so I did a quick search to see what was around after I got finished, and I finally found one coffee shop…but it was not what I expected!

Google maps, which had been anything but helpful in finding the bookbinder, said that the only local coffeehouse that didn’t have “Dunkin” or “Donuts” in the name was located inside of a farmer’s market. Skeptical of that, I asked one of the people at the bookbinding service about it, and they said the same thing. Now, you can probably imagine my misgivings; a farmer’s market is an unorthodox location for a cafe. More typically it consists of some old dude giving out styrofoam cups of boiling-hot, bargain-basement brew. Still, I was jonesing for some caffeine after a long drive, and really had no other option but to see what was up at this marketplace.

Once again, it was proven that the best discoveries are made by accident. The outside of the market was utilitarian-looking at best, but on the inside…the place was first of all a tchotchke-lover’s paradise! There were large, wooden stands and mini-rooms where all sorts of things were being sold. Homemade bread, organic food, homemade candy, and plenty of clothes and curios were scattered around the room. It’s the kind of place that makes you say “yep, we’re in the rural Northeast all right.” Oh, and there was also a rather awesome coffee shop too, right where the bookbinder folks said it would be.

The coffeehouse itself, called The Bean Cuisine, was run by two folks named Dave and Vanessa. There were really nice people (in fact, during our conversation about the shop, they offered to help me set up my own coffeehouse because…well, because they like helping people. It was that simple.). I tried their house blend, and I really enjoyed it. I use the word “earthy” way too much, so I’ll just describe it as deep and complex, but not as bold as many dark roasts. I got some kind of nice strong flavor that was bordering on chocolate, with not even a hint of citrus. I like. I asked Dave if they were planning on moving to Grantville proper anytime soon, like Google maps said they were. Strike two for Google maps. I will definitely make a return trip to this place, despite it being about 20 miles from home. It’s worth the trip. On my way home I was driving west in the middle of the afternoon, and the sun was shining through the turning autumn trees as I sat there sipping my memento from this interesting adventure, considering in the back of my mind Dave’s offer. It’s funny how when the magic works, it really works.

The first sight.

The promise of coffee.

The delivery of coffee.

The cafe.

Told you there were tchotchkes.