Author Archives: coffeehouseguy80

This little adventure started with a rain-soaked drive down to York to meet a friend for a drink…and ended with a cancellation by that friend and an even more rain-soaked drive back to Harrisburg. In between those two things I had a rain-date…with coffee.

I heard about Macklin’s from a random online search, and almost bypassed them. It said “Macklin’s Cupcakes and Coffee,” so I figured that they were probably just a deli or bakery that happened to also occasionally keep a pot of coffee warm. That’s usually my experience with a place that says “and coffee” in the name! Well, you know that didn’t happen, or else I wouldn’t be posting about it.

The place is owned by a guy named Mack Farquhar and his wife and it’s been open since September of 2011. Pretty brave of him I think to have started a coffee shop of all things right in the middle of the Great Recession, but it seems to still be going strong. In fact, it seems to be kind of a local fixture; they have music there some nights and the locals seemed to be clustering in there during the downpours that were hitting just as I walked through the doors.

The coffee they had held a surprise…it was a blend from St. Thomas Roasters up in Lancaster! It was great to see someone contracting from a local beanery like that, especially since it was probably my favorite coffeehouse to visit so far. I chose a blend made up of the regular house coffee cut with a little bit of the decaf. The regular was the Lancaster blend from St. Thomas and the decaf was Guatemala. As you might expect, the coffee had quite the earthy flavor. I regret that I didn’t have room in my stomach for a cupcake after stuffing myself with spaghetti prior to heading out into the storm…but that’s just a good reason to come back again right?

The only downside of this coffee house is the location. It’s in a shopping plaza that is incredibly busy on a Saturday night, and almost impossible to find via Google Maps! Once you get there though, the shop is kind of off in a quiet-ish corner of the mall and the owners did a capital job on the interior, making it really warm and inviting. Definitely a beautiful alternative to a rainy day…or a cancelled night out.

Random interior shot…

Some good eats…

Some good art…

I saw the sign…

Well, here we are almost at the end of summer. It’s gone by really fast for me, and part of the reason for this is that I have been doing a lot of traveling. Most of that has been down to Baltimore (because it’s a much easier drive than Philly) and most of the traveling to Baltimore has been for science fiction and fantasy conventions. Yep, I’m a nerd. Have to declare it plainly lest you think I’m a hipster just because of the blog and the love of art and coffee. It’s a common mix-up, don’t feel guilty. This last one was two weeks ago and was called Shore Leave, owing to its Star Trek theme. William Shatner was the guest at this event. Insanity ensued which I won’t detail here.

Anyhow, the first of these conventions was in May, and I visited a coffeehouse on that trip, so I thought that I would repeat that success this time around. That turned into a real adventure. For such a populated area, there were few options other than Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts. I’m serious; in Cockeysville and Hunt Valley, there are no independent coffeehouses on the map. I drove all the way to Pikesville on the hope that a place called the “Milk and Honey Cafe” would be open. It was open, but they served absolutely no coffee. By that time it was three in the afternoon and I was in full-on panic mode. Well, panic muted by a lack of stimulant that is. When I gave up and just settled in to the hotel where the convention was, someone overheard my plight (I was venting quite loudly at the time to anyone who would listen) and told me that there was some little place in a plaza across the street that might still be in existence.

I drove across the busy highway, desperately hoping that this place, whatever it was, would still be open. It actually was, and boy was it better than expected. Granted, I don’t heap expectations upon a place stuck in a tourist plaza, but this was a genuinely nice joint. It had a hustle-and-bustle feel to it, but that’s only to be expected given where it was located. The coffee itself was good; not to Ambreen’s level of distinction at the former Cafe di Luna, but certainly better than the generic stuff spewed out at a deli! They even had non-dairy creamer as an option. The best touch to the coffeehouse was a chalkboard hanging on one of the walls where tourists could write where they came from or where they want to visit. This really impressed me because they’re owning the fact that they’re inundated by tourists just passing through the area. Instead of trying to be something they’re not, they are embracing their role without snark. Now that was as refreshing as the coffee.

Oh, by the way, if you’re wondering why there are no photos yet…it’s because I got a new iphone and for some reason it won’t sync to my gmail account, which means that I can’t even send myself my own photographs. Lame. Oh well, tech support should have it sorted by the end of the week and then I’ll post a few goodies, including that travelers chalkboard. Until then, stay caffeinated.

Well, if you’re searching for a good coffee shop in Harrisburg, you may have noticed over the past few years that it’s been getting harder and harder to find an independent, non-chain coffeehouse in this city. A bad economy, civic financial and crime woes, and a migrating youth population are all likely to blame for this; less foot traffic and less liquid capital mean less money to spend on luxuries, and so all of the hip little stores and restaurants downtown have to divide up the customers. Many businesses that started out here late last decade are no longer with us. The most recent casualty of this has been Midtown’s own Cafe Di Luna.

Yes, earlier this month, one of Harrisburg’s best coffee providers packed up her bags and closed up shop. Ambreen Esmail, owner of the chic Cafe Di Luna on Third Street in Midtown has moved away to Atlanta. It’s a sad day for coffee lovers here in Central PA; Ambreen was (and continues to be) someone who is totally dedicated to her craft and to the people who were lucky enough to call themselves both her regular customers and her friends. She’ll still be plying her trade down in the south, where there’s more foot traffic and where she’ll have the support of her family, many of whom live down there. I can understand that for certain; my family is of paramount importance to me, and the idea of being thousands of miles away from them, even to make my fortune, does not sit easily with me! Cafe Di Luna will possibly have a brick-and-mortar store down there, and Ambreen told me that she will start doing some coffee bean sales online I’ll let you all know more when I hear from her again. Until then, keep calm and carry on caffeinating.

Well, my spring travels have come to an end…and my summer travels have begun! Over Memorial Day weekend I made my annual pilgrimage to the northern suburbs of Baltimore to take part in Balticon; a large science fiction and fantasy convention. I spent several days geeking out with my fellow bloggers, podcasters, tech nerds, and various and sundry oddballs. It was the most productive trip I’ve made in a while, and the convention itself was only part of the fun.

As any reader of this blog probably knows by now, the first thing that I did after booking my hotel for the weekend was to scope out any local coffee depositories online. The first coffeehouse that was mentioned near Cockeysville, Maryland was a little place called “The Filling Station.” On the map it seemed like it was off the beaten path; not a safe choice given that I rarely leave I-83 when I take a trip south and was unfamiliar with the backcountry areas. I decided to go for it, since the only other options for coffee were the usual Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts. I looked at their website right before I left. It hadn’t been updated since January of 2012 so I was hoping that the place was still around!

Long story short, It’s definitely still around. You see, this is why I pursue the hidden places. I was expecting yet another family-diner-cum-coffee-shop (a common sight in the Mid-Atlantic region). What I found was a pretty little place that really embodied the ideal of the cozy and bohemian, but not painfully hip, coffee spot that all the locals know about, but which takes a bit of searching for those who are not in the know. It’s nice to be in the know.

A woman named Meg Enns, who owns the shop, told me that they had been in business there for a little over six years now. Actually she and cook Rosa got into a discussion about exactly how long it had been, and in the process I learned that Rosa is the reason why this coffeehouse, unlike most, specializes in Latin food as well as coffee. Apparently she was such a talented chef that the menu was expanded to showcase her talents! The smells coming from the kitchen seemed to attest to those skills, but I was there for one purpose…to try the coffee. It was all fair trade beans, which was a nice touch as always. The coffee itself was very rich, with a sort of creamy texture independent of the milk I added. Most impressive. It was the house blend, and I’m not sure exactly what all went into it (the components were rattled off too quickly by the obviously knowledgeable Meg!). The half and half was good. I did wish that they had non-dairy creamer as an option, but that was my only complaint amidst a glut of positive experiences. It really was one of those rare cosmopolitan, yet rustic establishments that are vanishingly rare outside of old Northeastern college towns.

So yeah, definitely stop by this place if you’re in the Hunt Valley/Cockeysville area. It’s the best alternative by far to the mass-market coffeehouses which pepper the interstate. Especially stop by on a Thursday because apparently they have barbecue cookouts and music those nights. I’ll be going to yet another convention soon in the area in August; let’s hope that the weather cools enough for me to enjoy another hot cup or two at this spot on my way down!

The sign out front…

The other sign…

Left here by local Maryland artists…

Fine interior…

Fine exterior too!

Before I left on vacation, I took the time to review one last cafe before leaving Central PA for a few weeks. I was asking friends about cafes on the west shore, given that I’ve reviewed all there is to be had on this side of the river. No one mentioned any that I hadn’t already heard of, so I decided to just drive around a bit through Camp Hill and points west. From the road, going 30 miles an hour, I saw this little place out of the corner of my eye. I just had time to see the sign and remember the name, which I promptly Googled when I got home. I resolved that before I left for Florida, I’d give it a shot.

I had my misgivings. The store seemed small, and was not well advertised from the road. Mention of Kauffman’s was utterly missing from local magazines downtown. I had just been burned by a place advertising coffee and tea; it turned out to be a local wholesaler only with no brewed coffee on the premises. My Mom went with me on this trip actually! Over the past few years she’s become quite a coffee aficionado (not my fault whatsoever, I promise…) and was game to be my co-pilot on this adventure. We went in, and it had the look of an old, long-used and genuinely “homey” coffee shop.

Turns out they have three rules in this place. First, you aren’t allowed to use the “F-word.” Folgers, that is. All of their coffee is of the exotic and diverse variety, and is ground on the spot. Second, and this is the one that took me aback initially, there is no to-go coffee sold here unless you buy it in a bag. That’s right, gone are the paper takeout cups that are ubiquitous in so many coffee shops in the bustling city. Third, no cell phone conversations allowed. My knee-jerk reaction was to take umbrage at the inconvenience of no takeout, but since I was in no hurry, we both sat down and gave it a chance. I am certainly glad that I reserved judgment that day.

The mandatory sit-down is part of a whole, encompassing philosophy at this shop. The owners truly believe that coffee should be part of a self-consciously civilized experience, not unlike that of a British high tea. In fact, our whole experience there resembled a high tea, with table service and light snacks like Biscotti to accompany the coffee. The people who own this coffee shop have a love of the old and the treasured, right down to the beautiful old cash register that is about a century old.

All of the coffee is French press. I’ve said before that French press coffee is not for everyone, especially those who like their coffee a bit on the gentle side, and I stand by that; but let it be known that this was a truly good French press, augmented by the fact that the customer was allowed to press the coffee themselves and brew it to their own tastes. Their cream (served in a little glass cup no less) was obviously real, chilled cream, a fact which earned them some extra points from me! The coffee was also less than two dollars for the equivalent of a medium cup; far less than most coffeehouses in the area charge, with far more attention to the little details that make a well-crafted cup of coffee.

I had no idea that this little wonder even existed. And shame on me for not looking until now. After all, as I left I learned that they had been in operation for over twenty-five years. I thought that Ambreen’s operation on Third Street in the ‘Burg (Cafe Di Luna) was the only hidden gem in the metro area, but I will have to amend that statement to include this fine little cafe. There will be many return visits.

Right outside on a cold March day.

The French Press.

Looking forward to next winter?

Teas and such.

Me and Mom.

If you read this blog with any frequency (and I hope you do) you probably noticed that this winter was a bit sparse as far as posts go. That was partly work, but also partly because your local Coffeehouse Guy took an extended road trip down to sunny Florida with the folks to get away from the dreary weather up here.

The good news is that I’m back and in the next few days over Easter weekend, I’ll be able to put up a new coffeehouse or two that I managed to visit before I left. The bad news is that there were no coffeehouses to review in Florida anywhere near to where I was staying in Kissimmee. In fact, the stereotype of “coffeehouse culture” being a phenomenon with its center in the West and Northeast seemed to be borne out by the dearth of cafes present as we winded our way down Interstate 95 through the deep South. Now I’m sure that if we had actually gone into a major city, it would have been a different story, but as it stands, Pennsylvania seems to be a relatively fertile ground for caffeine in comparison.

Well, it’s good to be back, and I look forward to getting back to working on this blog again. If any of you have any good spring break adventures (coffee related or not), feel free to comment!

This was another place where I didn’t really know what to expect. I had never heard of this establishment before. The circuitous, out of the way route to the coffeehouse made me wonder if anyone ever really came back this way at all, and the fact that the storefront was in an apparently low-end suburban plaza didn’t seem to bode well for my prospects here. As has so often been the case, appearances proved deceptive.

I will mince no words. This is the best coffeehouse that I’ve encountered so far on the West Shore. Yes, that includes the usual roundup from Camp Hill. In fact, I learned that they won a Harrisburg Magazine Reader’s Choice award in 2004 and apparently 2008 as well. So what makes it the best? As usual that would be a clever and quirky combination of atmosphere and the coffee quality. I went on a Sunday afternoon in January and it was still packed; needless to say, that was a good sign. There was a combination of the young, very young, and very old present; also a good sign. They got some extra respect for their large menu. Usually, it’s hard for a place to be serious about both food and coffee (usually emphasis on the one ends up detracting from the other), but such was not the case here. Indeed it doesn’t have to be so, and I was hoping that I would at least find one coffeehouse along my journey that was able to incorporate both. I guess this would be the place.

When I tried the coffee out, I decided as I usually do on the house blend. The house blend in this case turned out to actually be quite distinctive; Kenya, Papua New Guinea, and Columbia beans were blended with dark-roast Ethiopian. It was rich and creamy, with some really exotic, and delightfully subtle, flavoring. It helped that they actually had real cream, as distinguished from simple milk, available to add in. Now I must admit that I am biased towards richer, darker roasted coffees like this; the caffeine is usually less but the flavors always seem deeper and more well-defined to me. Others may take issue with that assessment and are more than free to leave a comment or two!

Well, this is definitely one place that I will be returning to. They do apparently have live music sometimes, so it will be interesting to see if they’ll be having any bands place during the Millennium Music Conference in a few weeks. I encourage anyone in the area to stop by!

An unassuming exterior but…

A nice interior.

The menu boards.

Now this place was unexpected. Not just unexpected because I never knew that there was a coffeehouse in this building since June. Rather, it was an unexpected pleasure because of how unassuming the facade of the building is. You see, Oxford Hall is known around here for being an international store specializing in Celtic imports from the UK. It’s a quiet little specialty shop located across the street from Coakley’s pub, at the corner of Third Street and Bridge Street (the main street running through New Cumberland.
A lot of Central PA folk know exactly where Coakley’s is, but don’t know much about the even more authentically Irish establishment right in the next block. The lack of flashy signs and obvious tourist-trap style draws keeps Oxford Hall quite out of the limelight. Until now of course.

The coffeehouse portion of Oxford Hall is tucked away in the back, away from the bustle of the main shop. It certainly bears little resemblance to the The lady in charge of the shop told me that it was designed to resemble the kind of cafe in Galway, Ireland where students come to drink coffee and tea and to socialize, and that it wasn’t like the “frou-frou” (her words) coffeehouses here in the US like Starbucks. When she had the courage to criticize our proudest of hipster institutions, it got me intrigued.

When I ordered my coffee, I was surprised to see that they only had one coffee option. It was decent to be sure; they keep their half-and-half creamer constantly refrigerated, which earned some big brownie points as well. I was honestly starting to feel a slight bit underwhelmed though, when the woman behind the counter interjected that coffee is not their actual specialty here; it was in fact tea. When I turned around, I felt kind of dumb. An entire wall (which I had not previously noticed) was packed from floor to ceiling with glittering glass bottles of specialty teas and tea blends. They pointed me towards a seasonal blend called “Nutcracker Sweet.” The smell of it alone knocked me back to Christmas Day. The first sip proved that my nose was on to something special. A very knowledgeable girl from Messiah College showed me around their hall of teas. She clearly knew what she was talking about, dancing quickly from tea to tea and explaining some of their custom blends.

I took the rest of my tea home, sipping in on the ride back to Harrisburg, wondering how I never noticed this place before! As teahouses and coffeehouses continue to merge, I have a feeling that I’ll be reviewing more of these delightful hybrids (and maybe some not-so-delightful ones). My advice is this. If you’re an Irish or Scottish expatriate looking for an authentic island of home here in the States, this is the place to be. If you are a foodie looking to sample some unique and fresh gourmet tea, this is definitely the place to be. Stay tuned for more!

The tea factory.

Authentic products from the Celtic UK.

Pictures from across the pond.

Just some of the huge tea wall.

Their motto is “Where the sun shines all the time.” It was a sunny morning when I visited this place a few weeks ago, when the weather was still warm, before the all-too-sudden temperature crash that accompanied the famous Hurricane Sandy. The ambiance is definitely cheerful…the soft, buttery yellow interior and incandescent lighting really makes the place inviting. You can find it right off the Lemoyne exit on Route 83 in New Cumberland, on the main drag through town called Bridge Street. It’s sort of where Lemoyne meets New Cumberland in the suburban jungle of the West Shore!

The town itself has always been known for its New Age community and tons of small curio shops. Interestingly, Bridge Street Coffeehouse is located away from downtown, but it still keeps that same vibe. They even have their own online newsletter apparently…though it’s currently “under construction.” Don’t know how long it will stay that way. It’s very much geared towards being a community meeting place rather than an archetypal beatnik joint, and there doesn’t seem to be any live music. It is quite quiet in fact, so if you’re looking for a relaxing break from the East Shore bustle, this would be a good place. There’s a bit more than just the basics as far as food goes. I didn’t try any of it, but there were bagels, sandwiches and the like.

The coffee itself was average to slightly above, though I did put in some decaf which may have messed with the overall flavor experience. Frankly, a place this cute can feel free to blame me for stuff. To be more specific about the coffee, it was just a little weak for my taste, and a tad generic compared to some bean connoisseurs I know.. The texture was as buttery and smooth as the decor though, so I’d recommend it to the breakfast crowd, not hard-core caffeine junkies like myself! Overall, you should go here if you’re looking for a break from the “scene” rather than immersion in it; some calm instead of some storm. Sometimes that’s a very good thing.

To right inside.

To all those who follow my blog, you probably have noticed that I haven’t published in a while. I could just take the easy way out and blame work, but to be honest, it’s been about far more than that. I’ve been trying to keep this blog as apolitical as humanly possible, but given the fact that coffeehouses were a major flashpoint for the Age of Enlightenment, that’s not completely realistic. The truth is, for the past two month I’ve been obsessing over the election. Obsessing, and canvassing the streets. Obsessing, and fearing that our democracy would literally sell itself out to corporate interests and theocratic agitators. In truth, it almost did. The depression of not knowing which path this country would take took away the impetus I had to continue writing about coffee and travel, for obvious reasons.

Well, now the dust has settled, and we still have things like civil rights and free elections. What I want to do now is forget about politics entirely and get back to things like science, live music, and, yes, caffeine. The truth, though, is that coffeehouses have always been political entities. Before I mentioned that they were a “flashpoint” for Enlightenment and modernity, and I believe that they still serve that purpose. So many times, I’ve been sitting in a cafe and have overheard political and philosophical conversations. They’re a place where people go to read the paper and talk to their neighbors. Free speech is the stock-and-trade of the coffeehouse environment, regardless of what’s in peoples’ cups. You may have noticed that I never review religious coffeehouses. Religion is for naught without dogma, and freedom of speech and thought do, by their very natures, exist to shatter our reliance on dogmatism. One could therefore say that a true coffeehouse is an environment inimical to dogmatism and hierarchy. They are progressive places, inherently.

Is that the whole truth though? Or do coffeehouses actually transcend any and all politics by being a place  inimical to ideology? Only the best ones. After all, the time in which the coffeehouse developed was the age of Enlightenment; the birth of philosophical Modernity. And if there are two overarching themes of Modernism, they are the triumph of fact over faith and of the universal over the divisive. Personally, I think that a good coffeehouse approaches the magical, and in doing so, slices through the clutter of ideology as people join together to enjoy company and the beauty of food and life.

But enough of philosophy. It’s time to get back to exploring some of those little bastions of progress and flavor, and I hope you all haven’t forgotten about this little project. My next review will be one of my last local cafes-the Bridge Street Coffeehouse in New Cumberland. After that, the exciting part begins, as new towns will be explored; most of them will be in Pennsylvania, but many will not. Get ready.