I've been told it's impossible to get a decent cup of coffee
in the US, but I'm determined to find at least a few cafes
where I can pull up a chair, sip at a quality brew, and
watch the world go by. I'll be passing thru San Francisco,
Chicago, New Orleans, Boston and New York, and I swear I
won't leave until I prove my Aussie doubter friends wrong!
Any suggestions? I'm willing to travel elsewhere as well!
Thanks,
Paul
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Starbucks...It's on every single corner! The coffee is
pretty good and they have outdoor patios where you can
"watch the world go by". I strongly suggest the
frappaccinos.
First Colony Coffee House in San Francisco--don't knock it
'til you try it!
Cafe Du Monde in the French Quarter of New Orleans and
listen to the Jazz musicians and watch the world go by!
Cafe Au Lait and Beignes (square donuts) are the
specialty. Have fun and enjoy your trip!
...try San Franciso's North Beach - good coffee and people watching. It's got a Italian-like atmosphere.
You might try a "Peet's" coffee shop. Judge Ito drank it on camera during the first O.J. Trial.
I have to agree with Ulysses - I visited loads of Starbucks'
in New York last summer. Its the best coffee I've ever had
and the coffee-houses are great to do a spot of
people-watching.
Your friends have been pulling your leg Paul. It's easier to find a decent cup of coffee in the US than here in downtown Newcastle!
Its dead easy to find a decent coffee in the US and theres
none of that instant crap. Enjoy.
are you guys i'm a cofee lover and each time i go to the
States i suffer with the cofee, last summer i went to NY
and found out that the Irish Pubs sell the best coffe in
Manhattan and if you are smoker, like me, those are few
places where you can have a good coffee with your desired
cigar without any hassel or dreadful stares, also you can
try the irish coffee wich is delicious.
Hi Paul, if you are in NY City, you've got to have an
espresso or cappucino (or coffee, for that mater) in Little
Italy. Try Ferrara's or one of the little bakeries on Mott
Street. Save room for a cannoli.
Hi Paul, if you are in NY City, you've got to have an
espresso or cappucino (or coffee, for that mater) in Little
Italy. Try Ferrara's or one of the little bakeries on Mott
Street. Save room for a cannoli.
Hi Paul, Will you be in NY City? If so, you've got to have
a cup of espresso or cappuccino (or coffee) in Littly
Italy. Try Ferrara's or one of the small bakery/gelato on
Mott/Mulberry Street. Save room for a cannoli :P
for the multiple post. New to TT.
Sorry to say the Starbucks in my neighborhood needs a serious lesson on cleaning the filters regularly; their coffee usually tastes burnt and oily. If you experiment with getting the balance just to your liking, Folger's instant crystals CAN become your travel-coffee savior. (Forget the other instant coffees - blech!) We spent some time "perfecting" our process -- for us the key is BOILING hot water in a ceramic mug and measuring the right amount of crystals (1.5 heaping teaspoons for me...). This frees you from the $4 cup of coffee and lets you sit anywhere to watch the action.
I was introduced by a fellow employee to this outfit, which
has other locations in Penn Station, New York, on the Long
Island Railroad COncourse near the 8th Ave. subway. The
cup of Brooklyn Java is the best coffee I've ever tasted,
bar none.
Starbucks may be convenient and usually their coffee is OK.
But...they have a very aggressive corporate policy of
saturating areas with their stores..driving out the
independents. It may be harder to find the little independent
guy who can't advertise but let's not have the coffee world
dominated by McCoffee.
Paul, you don't really think that New York, San Francisco
and New Orleans are culinary backwaters compared to Oz, do
you? Boy, are you going to benefit from travel!
Come to Canada!! Montreal is the place to go for coffee!!
Welcome to Maple Leaf Land!
Starbucks may have a consistent cuppa joe, but they really
suck for the little guy. When you're in big cities,
indepedent coffeehouses are easier to find. Look me up in
Chicago, and I'll show you where it's at.
I'm an American who has been to Australia and hated the
coffee. But most people from oz hate the coffee in the
US. I guess its just different and people like what their
used to. Generally though, the beans here are a little
fresher because of the large volume imported from Latin
America. But again, whether thats a good thing or not
depends on your preferences.
Most people I know think the quailty of the coffee at McDonalds is about as good as it gets (for less than $2 a cup, anyway). And, of course, McDonalds is where you'll see the REAL America pass by.
You can definately find good coffee in the U.S., though I
think Starbucks is way overrated. The other thing to
remember is that here we have the phenomenon known as "The
Bottomless Cup". You sit in a restaurant or cafe, order a
cup of coffee, and someone keeps coming around to fill it
up, free of charge, until you decide to leave. WHat lacks
in quality may be made up for in quantity, especially when
traveling- you can sit and sip coffee all day long for the
price of one cup, as you write in a journal or read or
figure out where you want to go next. Actually, I hate
Starbucks because they don't follow this unwritten American
law, making you pay for each cup you drink!
try chicory coffee... part coffee beans, part roasted
chicory root, gives it a deliciously unique bitter taste.
Should be available in most nice cafes.
And yes, Bob is right, Starbucks is evil!!!! (and has built
an entire reputation on the strength of nothing more than
one monotonous overly-dark-roast).
... and if you're in Chicago, try Coffee Chicago. I remember
one a few years ago on Clark above Belmont but I think it
closed. There are four or five in the Lakeview area; just
walk up Clark through the yuppie neighborhoods. In New York,
well, I love Xando, on 72d and Broadway ...
Us old farts buy a senior coffee at McD's and the other
fast food joints for 27cents.
Seattle's best is a new chain in Chicago. This is very stong
"rocket brew"! Good and potent! Coffee Chicago and
Starbucks are okay. Third Coast is a hip independent. A
note to "Old" and "jim", McDonald's coffee is absolute
swill! Watery, chemically, and often overcooked. Never
EVER drink it!
Part of the problem is what is called coffee in Australia
is called a latte or a cappucino in North America. I
recently travelled through Oz and the closest thing to the
drip coffee served in coffee houses here is what's called
'Pressed Coffee' down under. So if you don't like the
coffee try a latte or cappucino, its probably more like
what your expecting!!
In Chicago, check out a coffehouse called 'Uncommon Ground'
on Grace Street, just off of Clark. Great coffee, great
food, live music Fri/Sat/Sun, nice patio to watch people in
the summer, nice woodburning stove to warm by in the
winter. Say hi to Mike and Helen, the owners....
In NYC.....well, the options are endless. Tons of
Starbucks, yeah, and they do make a decent cup, but the
atmosphere is better in all the little cafes. Just wander
around the Village or Chelsea, check out Donatello's on
Mulberry near Bleeker. Java is not a problem here.
To hang out, consume java, and watch the world go by, visit Fanueil Hall and Quincy Market. I used to go there at lunchtime when I worked in the financial district. Great for moseying, too.
Also, if you're in the Boston area, stop by Providence, and hang around Thayer St. near Brown University and RI School of Design. Great people-watching!.
-
Why do you think they call it Bean-town?
And taste a great regular coffee without froths and
whippings. just black as the ace of spades at Waffle House,
and taste one of the best damn waffles in the world. open
24/7 365 days a year. take that starbucks.
Ditto to dixie!!!!KUDOS for the Waffle House and the
waitress in Asheville, NC who has worked there for 22 years
adn counting....and they say there's no history or tradition
in the states, nothing finer than the SOUTH
The coffee may not be up to Australian standards, but Cafe
Maconda on 16th Street (cross street Valencia) in the
Mission district of San Francisco is a funky, fun place to
watch people.