What two bags of coffee should I get from San Francisco and New York?

by **TheMuffinMan01** on Tue Jun 28, 2011 8:17 pm

I live in Toronto but two family members are going to New York and San Francisco and I want them both to bring me back a bag.

I have access to Stumptown and Intelligentsia here, so if you had to pick one bag that you could only get in each location, what would it be?

I'm less a fan of super delicate tea like/floral coffees, but I love fruit and big body. I'm not looking for espresso, it would be for press/pour over. Thanks!

by **vitomatt** on Tue Jun 28, 2011 8:39 pm

While I am an espresso drinker, i would say the most notable roasters/cafes in San Fran are Blue Bottle and Ritual. They were both very much a driving force of the third wave in SF.

Check out Blue Bottle's original locale on Linden St, a small almost alley like street in a neighborhood known as Hayes Valley - dead center in the city; it's a tiny kiosk - fascinating to see that Blue Bottle started out of this little spot. Otherwise you can check out their other locales from their website.

Ritual on Valencia in the Mission is also very good.

Many will debate my suggestions and say you should check out 4 Barrel and Sight Glass and other places but I recommend these places because of their stature/ significance.

In New York, I'm a fan of GIMME Coffee. But that's me...

by **TheMuffinMan01** on Tue Jun 28, 2011 8:48 pm

Is there a particular SO that is really noteworthy right now to recommend?

by **aindfan** on Tue Jun 28, 2011 8:58 pm

A great NYC roaster that I would recommend is Cafe Grumpy. They've been spot on both in the shop(s) and in their roast. Their Heartbreaker Espresso is excellent.

Gimme, of course, is another great recommendation. They roast slightly closer to you in Ithaca, NY.

by **the_trystero** on Tue Jun 28, 2011 9:41 pm

vitomatt wrote:While I am an espresso drinker, i would say the most notable roasters/cafes in San Fran are Blue Bottle and Ritual. They were both very much a driving force of the third wave in SF.

Check out Blue Bottle's original locale on Linden St, a small almost alley like street in a neighborhood known as Hayes Valley - dead center in the city; it's a tiny kiosk - fascinating to see that Blue Bottle started out of this little spot. Otherwise you can check out their other locales from their website.

Ritual on Valencia in the Mission is also very good.

Many will debate my suggestions and say you should check out 4 Barrel and Sight Glass and other places but I recommend these places because of their stature/ significance.

In New York, I'm a fan of GIMME Coffee. But that's me...

I can't comment on Sight Glass since I haven't tried them yet, but I'd definitely visit Ritual and Blue Bottle (even though I'm in LA Blue Bottle is who got me interested in fine coffee after a visit to one of their kiosks). The last two bags of Four Barrel I've had had too high a ratio of quakers in the bag (if there are enough for me to notice, it's too many, I don't pay that much attention when I pour them in my grinder), both Ethiopian beans.

by **chang00** on Tue Jun 28, 2011 10:42 pm

My preference maybe a bit different. Two weeks ago I went to Local123 in Berkeley, California, just across the bay from San Francisco.

Local123 at 2049 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley CA 94702, does not roast, but serves various coffees from west coast roasters. The Coava roasted Ethiopian Kilenso was excellent, with full body and plenty of strawberry. I tried it in both espresso and drip. To me, it was not too different from the Beloya a few years back.

Obviously, you can purchase freshly roasted beans from Coava (roasted in Portland) at Local123.

The local WholeFood also sells freshly roasted coffee beans. Last time I checked, my local WholeFood has Four Barrel, Ritual, Barefoot, and some others, all roasted within a week. It was sold at the cafe instead of the shelf. This way, your family members do not have to travel to various different places to obtain coffee.

by **the_trystero** on Tue Jun 28, 2011 10:50 pm

The local WholeFood also sells freshly roasted coffee beans. Last time I checked, my local WholeFood has Four Barrel, Ritual, Barefoot, and some others, all roasted within a week. It was sold at the cafe instead of the shelf. This way, your family members do not have to travel to various different places to obtain coffee.

Does your Whole Foods also roast their own? The one nearest to me does but it's been awhile since I've bought any of their store roasted coffee.

by **rawman** on Tue Jun 28, 2011 11:00 pm

vitomatt wrote:While I am an espresso drinker, i would say the most notable roasters/cafes in San Fran are Blue Bottle and Ritual. They were both very much a driving force of the third wave in SF.

Check out Blue Bottle's original locale on Linden St, a small almost alley like street in a neighborhood known as Hayes Valley - dead center in the city; it's a tiny kiosk - fascinating to see that Blue Bottle started out of this little spot. Otherwise you can check out their other locales from their website.

Ritual on Valencia in the Mission is also very good.

Many will debate my suggestions and say you should check out 4 Barrel and Sight Glass and other places but I recommend these places because of their stature/ significance.

In New York, I'm a fan of GIMME Coffee. But that's me...

Sorry to go off topic here.. Blue Bottle did not start in that little spot. For many years before the Hayes Valley location opened, Blue Bottle was selling freshly roasted coffees (sold within 48 hours of roast date or not sold at all) on their website and pulling espressos at the farmers markets near the Ferry building in San Francisco and in Berkeley.

/Back on topic/

by **the_trystero** on Tue Jun 28, 2011 11:02 pm

Thanks for the confirmation. I thought that was the case, and didn't they start roasting in Oakland?

by **chang00** on Tue Jun 28, 2011 11:04 pm

I can only state my observation for the Walnut Creek Whole Foods. I don't believe they have roasting on site.
Nowadays I just go there to buy beans from various local roasters. It saves me driving and shipping. To cross the Bay Bridge alone is now between $4-6, not to mention the traffic.


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