Bill travels to the southern NJ beach to find one of the area’s first great coffeehouses.
By Bill Walsh
Subject: Bloom Coffee and Tea
Location: Northfield, NJ
WiFi?: Yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]
Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series 
The wonder of summer often conjures up glorious images of sandy beaches, cerulean skies and refreshing ocean water. I know the mental slideshow well, as I have spent many a summer visiting the gorgeous towns of the southern NJ coast. Yet for all the summer magic that the coast brings, it still largely lacks great coffee.
Thus it was with great fanfare that I received the news of Bloom Coffee and Tea when they first opened. My initial visit back in 2013 did not leave me with much joy, but like any business should, Bloom overcame many of its initial growing pains and when I was able to return just the other day I found a diamond amidst coal.
Located in a newer shopping center off Route 9, Bloom is a pleasant sight with its handsome patio and ample parking. Inside, the shop blends lots of natural light with wood tables, metal chairs and a large brick wall floating in a simple yet alluring design.
Heading to the counter, I noticed they now serve Counter Culture Coffee, a fine upgrade to the coffee they had in the beginning. I ordered an espresso of the Toscana and a pourover of the Uganda St. Goret. The espresso, pulled to a medium volume with brown crema and served in a glass tumbler, smacked of rich chocolate cake, lemon, vanilla icing, sage, birch beer and a little prime rib, making for an overall great (though slightly over extracted) shot. The pourover proved one the better coffees I had drank that week, with notes of sweet cranberry, melted chocolate, heavy cream, sugar cookie, a touch of lavender and a buttery texture within a light/medium body, proving multifaceted and superbly delicious.
While it’s not as close to the beach as I would like it, Bloom stands as the first true full-service coffeehouse of excellence within a 20 mile radius of Atlantic City. If you’re in the area or heading to the beach, take a stop at Bloom.
