Author Archives: coffeehouseguy80

So a guy walks into a coffeehouse…and suddenly coffee is far from his mind as his eyes are suddenly overwhelmed by the sight of bookshelf after glorious bookshelf. Last time I wrote here, I promised you something revolutionary, and Red Emma’s is a coffeehouse that lives up to the task. Named for famed anarchist Emma Goldman, this space is a safe haven for anyone on the radical left.

Radical. They say that word over and over again on their website, proud of Red Emma’s reputation as a gathering space for the radical left of Baltimore since it first opened in 2004. As to my political leanings, I’m a Bull-Moose Progressive like the Roosevelts. Old left or radical center, it’s hard to pin down political nomenclature, but one thing is for sure; this place welcomes everyone. They say that there’s no use radicalizing the already radicalized, so they want to reach out to preach to people who are not yet in the choir of resistance.

Red Emma’s is a worker’s collective. Everybody who is part of the collective owns an equal share of the business. They are against bosses and hierarchies, with decisions made by consensus, kind of in the vein of the anarcho-syndicalists. Indeed, I got ten percent off of my book purchase because of my union membership! It’s a fully vegan establishment as well, which is good news given the large vegan community that has always existed among the far left. Indeed, there’s a lot of evidence to show that abandoning meat would be a good way of fighting global warming and democratizing the world’s food. I’ll stick to my burgers and just turn off the lights.

So how’s the coffee anyhow? As bitter as October in Russia. Just kidding. It went down as smooth as a well-written manifesto. Yes, that was corny as hell, but forgive me. Their brand of coffee is called Thread Coffee. It’s transparently-traded and roasted on-site by the collective. I had the Guatemalan (I think) house-blend and I must say it was really well-balanced. Most South American coffees seem rather mellow acid-wise, but this one was especially buttery-feeling. Really a joy. Almost as good as St. Thomas. It never fails to show when there’s an expert roaster among the staff.

My advice to people looking to check it out is this: don’t be afraid of the unknown. I know, some of you will walk in and be a bit intimidated by a revolution in progress. Understand that this one is under the guidance of some genuinely good people. The energy here is positive, and this group is trying to make a difference in their community in a way that is long overdue. Bringing people together for conversation and free discussion of the issues of the day is, in fact, what the first coffeehouses in Europe were all about. The cities became the crucibles of change that would result in the flowering of democracy and civil rights, and the coffeehouses were the loci of this cauldron of thought. If we are to say that coffeehouse “culture” is indeed “about” something, then human dialogue and free expression goes to the core of it. When you’re here, imagine that you’re on the streets of Paris as the intellectual mix of the Age of Enlightnment was taking shape. You’ll find that this thought comes mighty easily. An interesting question then: can a place be called revolutionary if it is, at its heart, merely a return to form?

the street…

the gathering space…

the bookstore…

the literature…

Wow, how long is has been since I’ve posted! No, I’m not running out of coffeehouses and bags of beans (may I never). Spring and late winter is just always busy for me, helping to get things ready for summer at the house, buying mountains of bird seed for my grandmother, planning for vacation with the parents, paying all of my bills a month or two in advance so I don’t have a tsunami hit me in the fall. Ah, but that’s boring. You came here for a review, and today I went out to bag one in the form of a new cafe in my own backyard that I just learned about. It’s called Brew Cumberland’s Best, and I hope you can guess the location.

Actually the location gave me deja vu. I knew I’d been here before, but I hadn’t been *here* before. This same building has been multiple coffeehouses for multiple owners over the long course of its existence. This particular iteration sprang up apparently two and a half years ago. Yes, it’s been that long since I’ve been in New Cumberland. Blame the closing of The Why’re on that. Anyone over 30 will know what I mean. Well, any hippie.

Anyhow, the cafe bills itself as “Not Just Coffee”. It lives up to that quite handily with its assortment of pastries and such, and although I didn’t have time for breakfast, the place did have that lovely bready smell. I elected, as I usually do, to go with the house blend. It was a Guatemala coffee, and if you know anything about Guatemalan roasts, they tend to be softer, less powerful, but more nuanced than the bolder varieties like Columbian. This particular Guatemalan was the archetype of that; very balanced, with a flavor that you kind of had to search for, but was tasty when you found it. That’s what most people like in a breakfast blend, and cudos to them for providing it well!

As for the atmosphere, I’d say “artsy” fits best here. Definitely a bohemian vibe,  it keeps its distance from cutesy-hipsterdom and stays wonderfully mellow. Must be the distance from Midtown.  If the space was a bit larger, this would have been a lovely place for one of the poetry readings that I regularly attend in Harrisburg. It’s a bit dark, with plenty of hardwood accents, but in a cozy sort of way, and I could see it especially being a warm gathering place during wintertime. Another cool feature is their drive-through window. I’m glad that finally a place that’s not Dunkin-Donuts is doing this.

So yeah, it’s great to be back out there chugging coffee, and I’m glad to have started here in New Cumberland; a place I’ve neglected for far too long. Keep reading, because next month I’ll be reviewing a coffeehouse that I’ve wanted to visit for a very long time. I’ll give you a hint; think fin de siecle revolution. Until next time, stay caffeinated.

the outside…

artsy…

cozy…

yes, they do drive through…

A man walks into a coffee house…that isn’t really a coffee house. More like a coffee…alcove? That’s how best to describe Take Five Espresso Bar, located as it is in the Central Market House in York. For those who don’t know (and until Saturday I didn’t know), Central Market House is York’s equivalent of Broad Street Market. It’s a big, brick edifice right in the heart of the city that allows different food and curio vendors to set up shop inside. It’s a bustling place, full of wafting nostril-candy, just how a city market should be, but perhaps a bit moreso this Saturday due to the freakishly warm weather we were having. But despite the warmth, I, as usual, was still thinking of nothing more than a nice hot cup of coffee.

Take Five is located fairly near to the entrance of the building, tucked away next to a shop full of edible gifts. I went right to the counter and was greeted by the barista, Phyllis, who could tell that I was quite thirsty and enthusiastic to try the lineup of self-serve dispensers near the counter. I asked what the house blend was and she pointed me to the breakfast blend. Now, I’m not much a breakfast blend person in general. I like my coffee rich and powerful.

She told me that the roast was half Colombian and half French Roast, so I figured that it would be about a medium, probably a little earthy and definitely muted, bittersweet flavors. Many people aren’t aware that French roasting is a process which mutes the natural characteristics of whatever bean is used. A good thing for the lighter breakfast blends for sure. The coffee I had was a very good example of this. It was so smooth and non-acidic in fact that I could drink it happily without adding any cream or sugar! This was really one of the smoothest, nicest breakfast blends I’ve had in a while. Some cafes simply offer a weaker version of typical roasts; passing off watered-down coffee for stomach-friendly fare. These folks here actually made an effort to craft a breakfast coffee with rich flavor and low acidity. They also pulled it off. Hence me now blogging about them to the world.

If you come through York, this is a great place to get a morning cup. It’s worth going through the city traffic to get to both this cafe and the marketplace in which it has resided since 2012. In fact, one can only get a morning cup here. That’s my one caveat about this cafe: they open nice and early but they only stay open until noon or 2PM depending on the day. They are also closed Sunday and Monday. It’s really not their fault though, it’s the schedule of the market itself constraining them. So yes, if you find yourself in York on a weekday morning, this bustling yet friendly kiosk is quite the oasis of decent beans. Happy quaffing.

the outside of the market…

the cafe itself…

the impressive stash…

I had to see it to believe it. See, earlier this year I read about a new coffeehouse that catered to gamers opening in nearby Mechanicsburg. And not just any gamers, but to board-gamers specifically. Now, gamers in general are a niche market, but board-gamers always struck me as a dying breed now that we’re mostly playing online. Judging by the number of people who apparently frequent the place, this is not so. In fact, the husband-and-wife team who own the establishment pointed me to the packed calendar of events and gaming groups hanging above the countertop. The patrons were really nice people; one even held the door for me when I walked it. Us nerds are a brotherhood of sorts.

From wall to wall, the main room is packed with row after row of old board and roleplaying games. That’s right, there’s a Dungeons and Dragons contingent here too (one which I am sorely tempted to join). There were many games that I had never heard of, and a few that brought back old memories. The one owner seemed to know what I meant when I began to wax historical about Star Fleet Battles and West End Games.

I have to cut to the chase and mention the coffee at this point. When I asked where they got their beans, I was pleasantly surprised by the response: they sourced from St. Thomas Roasters in Linglestown! Anyone who has read my blog for a long time knows that St. Thomas was one of the first coffeehouses I reviewed, and to this day it remains my favorite. You really need to see their bean-grinder to believe it; I mean the thing is a work of art. But I digress. The coffee was the typical smooth, balanced concoction that one comes to expect from St. Thomas. Just re-read my earlier post for a full description of what they have to offer. One caveat though: the coffee was anomalously expensive! Over three dollars for a 16 ounce cup. Of course, you’re paying for the ambiance here, and of course for the huge stockpile of games.

So in summation, if you enjoy playing the board games of yore that all of us Gen-Xers remember growing up with, you really need to stop by this place. One caveat: to opt in on a game night usually takes a five dollar cover charge. It would appear to be money well spent though, so don’t shy away. Especially don’t shy away if you’re feeling up to the challenge of rolling a good old d6 or two.

from the road…

games…

more games…

heraldry…

Been a while since I posted here…because it’s been a while since I had the time to travel. Yeah, the past month has been busy, especially with my side project(s) and election season. I won’t even comment on that. Maybe I will, in fact, devote an entire post to that. You are warned. Anyhow, with the days getting shorter and shorter, the coffee in my life has been more critical than ever. I’ve been scouring the grocery stores (including our new Giant in Harrisburg) to find some new, interesting brands, especially local brands. That brings me to an interesting find here at the Choc O’ Latte Cafe in Millerstown.

I decided to go to Millerstown because of a random Google search I did of the area west of the Susquehanna River to see if there were any nice, small towns with independent coffee shops located between here and State College. Mostly, Route 11/15 and some of 322 North are known for their pawn shops, porn shops, and truck stops; not for the artsy, progressive culture that’s really necessary for “coffeehouse culture” to take root (look for a post on that coming up). So was there coffee? Not diners and Dunkin’ Donuts, I mean real coffee. Yes, there was coffee and plenty else besides.

The Choc O’ Latte Cafe is hard to miss when you come into the town, situated as it is right along the town square. Millerstown has less than a thousand residents, so most landmarks are hard to miss, but the Cafe with its stylized letters and big flag out front are especially hard to miss. The inside is cozy, with a big window onto the square which is now taken up with a plethora of Christmas doodads.

The coffee was quite good, though a bit less strong than I typically drink it. That’s OK, this was breakfast and they were catering to less-hardened stomachs than mine. The really great thing I noticed was that there was no metallic taste that usually comes with the not-so-strongly brewed coffees. Whether that was from exceptional water or from straight-up bean quality I couldn’t quite determine. The word that could best describe this particular coffee, a Columbian, was ‘smooth’. It wasn’t buttery, like the fuller-bodied stuff I usually drink, but rather was the kind of coffee that goes down easily due to its low acidity, and which pairs with food well. The coffee was born to be a breakfast coffee, and it was, in fact, itself born locally! The beans came from Rich Coast Coffee, a local company that I had never heard of, but that operates out of nearby Lewistown.

I talked with the owner, Angela, about the town and the coffeehouse, learning a little bit of Millerstown lore (such as the local historic home that I did not get to visit regrettably), but also learning that I had come right in the middle of the breakfast buffets that are done every Saturday from 8-11 in the morning. It’s a flat $10 to buy in, but the food looked hot, good, and pretty much bottomless. Next time I’m up, I’ll have to try it. I was in a bit of a rush to get back to a family Thanksgiving meal, so Angela tossed me a sweet sticky bun and I ran off into the frigid morning just a little bit warmer.

On the way out of town, I ran into something interesting. I ran into Gnomes, specifically. Little Gnome houses with Gnomes inside them are strewn along the walkway along the river that makes up part of the community park. I put a photo at the bottom to show you some of what I saw. The park itself was beautiful, with an amphitheater and a community center on a sprawling patch of green beside the Juniata River. Friendly natives, good coffee, plentiful breakfast…there’s all of this plus Gnomes. If you’re on your way to or from a Penn State game, make this town a pit stop.

outside…

the beans…

tchotchkes…

inside…

an old friend (ask Angela)…

This next entry caught me quite by surprise. Just when I thought that Harrisburg’s offering of new coffeehouses was tapped out, I was on my way to the Speakeasy on Forster Street late one Thursday night and happened to look to my right. There it was. A brand new coffee shop had seemingly sprung up out of nowhere like a flower blooming through the pavement. OK, maybe that’s hyperbole, but I was starved for caffeine that night and…well, I resolved to go there as soon as possible.

As anyone in Harrisburg knows, there’s really only one inconvenience to going out in downtown Harrisburg, and that is the parking. You’re lucky if you get a space during the busy day, especially near the Capitol building. I was lucky that day (luckily), and the only issue was the cost to park-three quarters for fifteen minutes! OK, I’m done with the Harrisburg whine-fest. I live here, so I get to do it though.

So I get there and the first thing I noticed about this place is that it looked…fresh. The door was obviously recently painted, with a recently-chalked chalkboard nearby. I went inside and the interior was…equally fresh. The unmistakable smell of a newly-painted home and recently sawed wood hung in the air and the windows were utterly streakless. Turns out, Capital Joe had only been here for three weeks when I arrived.

The coffee itself was a genuine surprise. Most of the coffeehouses around here either get generic beans or source from the ubiquitous Little Amps, but Capital Joe gets theirs from Square One coffee; a micro-roaster out of Lancaster. Since I do belong to a paranormal investigation group (ask me), my eyes immediately went to the beans labeled “Sasquatch.” Sasquatch is a dark roast, with the characteristic low acidity; it is also very full-bodied and tends to feel as much like a meal as it does a beverage, for those who usually prefer lighter breakfast coffees. If you need a morning boost in the city, however, it is a thing of beauty. The people here really know their coffee terminology too.

Something that truly impressed me was the variety of creamers and other amenities available here. Non-dairy creamer was present, along with dairy milks actually stored in a refrigerator! It’s important for those of us who are lactose intolerant (or just who happen to be picky eaters). There’s a stock of honey and raw sugar too for those of us who prefer the natural touch.

Please note, there’s an added advantage to coming here if you work downtown: they open at 6am. Really, a coffee shop should open as early as possible for obvious reasons, but many don’t. You won’t face that kind of disappointment here. And ultimately that fact defines the vibe here…there’s really nothing to disappoint. Sure it’s not the tricked-out hipster hub that Little Amps is (not yet at least), but I found none of the annoying qualifiers that typically keep me from having a less-than-wonderful coffee experience. The staff is nice and coffee-wise, the milk is fresh, and the coffee itself is both local and tasty. I am thrilled to welcome this little caffeinated alcove into the city!

the entrance…

outside…

inside…

interesting coffees…

always coffee time…

Yes, I said Bakery, not coffeehouse.  But it is a coffeehouse…and a bakery! This new addition to Harrisburg’s Midtown food and beverage scene seems geared to cater to a wide variety of tastes, and in a city of specialty shops, that is a very welcome thing. In fact, welcomes are in order for the woman who runs the bakery, Samra Alic, who recently moved to the U.S. from the Balkans with the dream of opening a European-style bakery in the States. The shop is located in a spot familiar to long-time residents; the former third-street alcove where Breads n’ Spreads once occupied (that was a bakery and coffeehouse which closed a few years ago). In fact, the new owners kept a good amount of the original classy, minimalist interior.

This is normally the part of the blog where I review the coffee, but I can’t do that here. Why? Because it’s already been reviewed! Dalicia, like several other restaurants, sources its coffee from Little Amps Coffee on Green Street, right here in the city. For those who don’t know, Little Amps started during the Recession here and not only survived, but thrived, rapidly becoming the beloved hipster hive of Harrisburg. So if you want to know about the coffee at Dalicia, see my previous review for Little Amps. Suffice it to say that the coffee is the typical yummy but strong fare that has made Little Amps famous.

The coffee isn’t really the focus here anyhow. The focus is clearly on the beautiful baked goods which line the countertops, baked by Samra herself. It doesn’t get more authentically European than that.  The shop is branching out into Serbian specialties as well, so keep an eye on the menu!

One touch that I appreciated was the row of tables and chairs that were placed in a gated alley abutting the building. I have to say, that was my favorite aesthetic touch; just hidden enough to be private, but still affording a nice few of the street beyond. That walkable, relaxed urbanism is yet another characteristically European touch. Yes, if you come down third street as part of your morning workday or weekend routine, check out this little piece of Europe right next door.

the new front…

freshly produced…

baked goods…

the old (new) inside…

now that’s pretty…

Hey readers, I know it’s been a while since I posted. The month of June has been incredibly active for me and my family. In fact, everything from Memorial Day weekend to Fourth of July will go down as one of the busiest and most stressful times that we’ve had in a while. Every family reunion, every doctor’s appointment, every day-trip and wedding.  And yes, every vacation too. We actually got one of those! This year we made the return to our old favorite beach from years past, Rehoboth Beach in Delaware.

After a four-hour ride, the first thing I looked for was coffee. Rehoboth Beach, and the town of the same name, is a really beautiful place, despite the fact that there has been an intense amount of building within just the past decade. Comparing the area now with the way it was only ten years ago is impossible; the endless shopping plazas and tourist traps have migrated up north from nearby Ocean City sending home prices through the roof and creating some truly epic traffic conditions. Harder to find is tranquility, though with the sound and sight of the endless ocean just to the east, it’s impossible not to feel it.  We were lucky to get mostly green lights down the main thoroughfare, though it still felt like it took forever. Maybe that’s just because I was eager for the beach.

I finally did find my coffee, right in the middle of the bustling Rehoboth town square. I had a feeling that there had to be somewhere interesting to go for coffee beyond the chain stores, and I was right. All of the little shops in the town square are obviously geared towards impressing tourists, but I was grateful to see that Rehoboth accomplished this through quality, not just quantity. Nothing felt fake here. I was afraid it would since, you know, tourists and their kids must be placated.

The Dreamer Coffee and Juice Bar is a part of that. As the name suggests, they don’t just do coffee, they do gourmet juices too. The fresh, citrus ingredients were tempting, but I had to go straight for the beans. Their signature coffee is called “Toby’s Estate.” It’s a roaster based out of Brooklyn, so it’s not too far away. I had no time to really sample, so I just asked for the house blend. The coffee itself had a slightly smoky, even burnt character (it must have been a dark roast that they gave me), but I’m into that. Better that the coffee have character than to be bland!  Of course that can get overwhelming, but this coffee managed to stay on the right side of flavorful just fine. In fact, what I was getting was a rather complex and intricate flavor; something that I would love to explore more the next time I come here (or go to Brooklyn for that matter). I had no time to ask about local events here, being in far too much of a hurry to get onto the boardwalk before the rain inevitably hit.

The rest of the vacation was incredible. A hotel with a commanding view of the beach, foggy mornings and warm afternoons, and the smell of that salty air. It all took me as far away from polar vortices as possible. A good reminder that fun is always happening somewhere, if only you make the drive to meet it.

a simple sign…

another simple sign…

with a complicated menu…

you know it’s summer at the beach…

their signature coffee…

As I write this, we are struggling, in the great state of Pennsylvania, to get somewhere close to average temperatures for this time of year. On the day that I made the journey down to Lititz to visit this place that I had heard so much about in Fly magazine over the winter, temperatures were struggling to even get into the mid-50s. Needless to say, I really needed a piping hot cup of coffee after the long, rather frigid trek down to the heart of Lancaster County.

Yes, Cafe Chocolate is right in the middle of Amish country in the nice little town of Lititz. Lititz is a good example of what exemplifies the archetype of the nice, Northeastern small town. It has lots of curio shops, bookstores, thrift shops, and other signs that the community is not only close (one friend called it a “bedroom community” where everyone knows what everyone else is doing), but that it carries an air of subtle cosmopolitan sophistication that belies its location in the heart of our vast, open farmlands. Don’t be so shocked; those who are close to the earth often do make the greatest artists.

Upon entering the cafe in the heart of town, I could tell right away that it was the chocolate, not the coffee, that was the main focus of this locale. And chocolate they do very well. From the chocolate waterfall in the window to the lines of chocolate goodies gracing the counter, this place is a cocoa lover’s paradise. The care can be seen in the rich darkness of the chocolate cupcake I bought on my way out. I just had to. Visit and you’ll understand.

So how can the coffee itself be described? I’m of two minds. First, a fair warning: the coffee is quite a bit more expensive than the norm. Anomalously so, in fact. A 16 ounce regular cost about four bucks. Really. The coffee I tried was a medium Sumatra from a local, fair-trade roaster out of New Jersey called Small World Coffee. Sumatras, if you don’t know, are a picky coffee for picky people. Folks either tend to love or hate a Sumatra because of their complex, earthy tastes and textures. As advertised on the Small World website, this did have more acid than the average Sumatra. A bit too much for my taste, but again, that’s the virtue and pitfall of Sumatra. As one of the few people who is on the fence about Sumatra, I do recommend this one…but only if you don’t mind a little extra earthiness and acidity. Overall, it was a welcome little caffeine-addiction quencher on a cold spring day.

This is, overall, a nice place to stop on your way through Lancaster county, especially if you need a nice dose of the sweet stuff. Take a special look at the outdoor area accessed through the back of the shop. That will be quite cozy on the non-rainy days. Until next time, stay caffeinated!

outside…

curios…

books…

nice out here when it’s not freezing…

oh yes. must try this…

Not to be confused with The Brick Haus, the dive bar of Harrisburg fame, of course. This little coffeehouse is located well off the beaten path in the town of Manheim, deep in Pennsylvania Amish country. I first found out about it when researching another coffee house in Lititz that I had read about in Fly Magazine several months ago. That was going to be first on my itinerary for late-winter coffee exploration. When I was looking at the map of the area though, this little cafe stuck out. Unlike the other coffee house (which will get a review of its own soon enough), this place seemed to have escaped the gaze of bloggers from the ‘Burg. Until I came along, that is.

The Brick  House is labeled as a place to eat, but you can tell that a major focus is clearly their coffee. They do indeed have a breakfast special and a lunch and dinner as well, with some very haute cuisine choices I might add, but even from the outside it looks more like a small bookstore than a restaurant. Now, I think that is a very positive attribute for a coffeehouse (or indeed a restaurant), because literature and coffee have tended to go together since the late seventeenth century.  This could have been one of those places; it’s a space filled with books, nooks, and crannies, located away from main street. I knew I had struck gold.

I ordered the house blend, as I usually do. It was very rich and not at all tart or citrus in flavor; I’m not really sure what the blend was, but it tasted rather like a Guatemalan coffee. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the coffee was locally roasted! It’s from Lancaster County Coffee Roasters. To anyone who doubts that freshness does indeed make the difference, just go to a local roaster already and learn why you’re wrong. They don’t have any local art or music events here (boo), but the dinner specials apparently draw very discriminating foodies from around the town (sweet). Needless to say, I’ll have to come back and try the food when I have the chance.

So anyhow, it was very enjoyable to find a place that serves locally roasted coffee and that few others seem to really know about. The town of Manheim was fun to visit; it’s a country town that’s not disconnected from the rest of the world. In that, it’s very much a delightful archetype of New England/Mid-Atlantic small town living. Well, I find it delightful, but then again I’m one of those incorrigible Yankees myself. Come to think of it, maybe their coffee spot doesn’t really need to screw up a quiet evening with loud hipsters and their cacophonous tunes after all. I’m thinking the coffee is enough.

From outside…

Wall of coffee…

Nice library…

Town square…