Food Addiction: Coffee

I love La Colombe Corsica blend coffee.  Food and Friends (where you can buy food stuffs while dancing to the best indie music) sells it for ten dollars a bag.  That's a great deal on delicious coffee.  Said ("Sayid") at La Citadelle brews La Colombe, but I am not sure what blend.

For coffee-on-the-go, I really love the medium roast from Good Karma on 22nd.  It's just a nice flavor of coffee to help me actually enjoy drinking it during my morning commute.

As for corporate coffee options, I go to Starbucks or Dunkin's, depending on a number of factors: (1) proximity; (2) shortest line; (3) whether I am getting a medium iced coffee (Dunkin's is a little cheaper, or at least my brain is trained to think so based on the shape of the cup); (4) whether I have my coffee cup with me (Starbucks will knock off ten or fifteen cents I think); (5) time (Dunkin's is a little faster); and (6) whatever justice or fairness requires at the time.  Nothing precludes me from balancing additional factors, should they manifest.

Now that I have been in NYC for a week, I have been having corporate coffee in the morning once I get off the subway and along the walk to work.  Yesterday, since I wasn't going to work, I walked around the corner and bought a $1.50 travel-mug-sized cup of coffee plus milk from Cafe Reggio.  It was delicious, with really frothy milk.  But, I can't buy coffee every day, can I?

I am trying to live reasonably within my cheddar this summer, so I bought Folgers instant coffee.  I am trying it out this morning.  I just don't think I can do this every day.  It's not good.  Sorry, Folgers, you were not the best part of waking up for me today.

If you have any advice for how to make it taste better, please share your tips.  Should I try Starbucks Via?

Coffee Talk: Good Karma Cafe

Every time I go into Good Karma Cafe on 22nd near Pine, I am blown away by the most excellent music they have playing.  I love it, and even though I go in to get a jolt of java, my heart rate goes down to relax mode immediately.  The coffee is good, as is the everything bagel (toasted with cream cheese please), but the best part for me is the music.  The songs they play sound like old friends.  It's nice.  What I am not sure about, though, is the potential for this cafe to be a spot to get some real work done.  The tables are scrunched together, and if you are someone who likes your own space, maybe this isn't it for you.  However, if scrunched together is your thing, then go in, relax, make a few new friends and have a cup of coffee.  If you have been there and know of a secret room that I am overlooking, fill me in.   

http://www.thegoodkarmacafe.com/

Coffee Talk: La Citadelle

La Citadelle at 16th and Pine is such a friendly place, with the help of Said ("sah-eed"), the cafe's gregarious owner from Algeria.  In the blink of an eye, he learned how much fun people have making fun of me (that's how little time it takes for me to do something foolish or silly or nonsensical).  He also peppered the exchange of money for coffee with things like, "merci, merci mademoiselle!" and teased me about the price of the (AMAZING) almond shortbread cookies.  As I was leaving, he called after me, "Nice meeting you!"  La Citadelle feels like the Cheers of corner cafes.  Also, if you need some quiet time, the hidden gem of the place is the back room.  I can't wait to go again for another yummy almond shortbread cookie and random conversation with Said.