Honest Cooking’s coffee house tester, Bill Walsh, experiences a satisfying palate cleanser at Bowery Coffee.
By Bill Walsh
Subject: Bowery Coffee
Location: Manhattan, NY
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]
Wandering the streets of Manhattan, I had a good, strong craving for some smoked fish and hence, I mapped out a straight line to get to the esteemed Russ and Daughters on Houston St. And sure enough, after waiting amongst the throng to get various tid bits of high-end lox, I was able to feast like a Nordic fisherman. But soon after completing my meal, my appetite sought a bit of a palate cleanser (fish does not linger well) and then, some great coffee.
Fortunately not far away sits Bowery Coffee, a local coffee establishment that is among the few five borough shops to roast their own beans, operating under the roaster name American Bulldog Coffee Roasters. I arrived at their brick shop to find a cozy spot, with wood slatted walls and classy white tables, complete with chipper baristas. I ordered an espresso of their Yemen and a drip of their Burundi. The espresso, pulled short with brown crema, rustled up some lemon, chocolate nibs, salt, cream, Chianti and granulated sugar, making a syrupy pull with a slight tart punch. The drip yodeled out caramel, buttered corn muffin, snap peas and light blackberry amidst a medium body, proving thick and succulent.
The only thing I could think of suggesting as an improvement would be adding smoked fish to the menu, but then again, maybe that would be too much of a good thing. Nonetheless, head over to Houston St for some great beans at Bowery Coffee.
