I took out my GPS and punched in Cafe Grumpy's address. Why, you ask? For people who live in Manhattan, visiting Brooklyn for leisure is like visiting a different state. We rarely cross the East River in that direction, let alone on a beautiful Saturday morning. And to add insult to injury, that coffee shop is at the end of the world in Brooklyn. No major tourist attraction.
After 25 minutes of following the reassuring female voice of my GPS, I landed in a quiet neighborhood. Grumpy was the only shop on the street. I took a quick look at the outside, it reminded me of a coffee shop in Seattle or Portland. A few steps and I'm in.
Cafe Grumpy
Grumpy - the interior. A 2 group Synesso and two Mazzer grinders
I step in, wait for the guy in front of me to finish ordering his bagel & whatever he's having on it, and here is how it went:
- I'll have a straight shot and a glass of water please
-That will be 3 dollars sir.
-Three dollars for an espresso shot? This better be one hell of a shot, I say to myself. Turned out he thought I ordered straight chai. I'm asking you, really, do I look like someone who travels to the end of the world for a cup of chai??? I don't mind being insulted, but I'm not willing to pay for it. Anyhoo, once we both chuckled over our failure to communicate, he hands me back two dollars. One dollar for a shot of espresso - this place is starting to grow on me.
On the counter I see Schomer's book Professional Barista Techniques, and I notice as he dosed leveled & tamped that he had read that book. He pulls the shot & I look at the pour. Man, 12 seconds and nothing comes out. I tell the barista: this baby is going to be overextracted. He looks at me: you think? when it finally came out it was beautiful thick and creamy pour. He stops it at around 1.2 oz. I take a whiff, man, this smells familiar. I sit down and take a sip. Sweet round beautiful cup with a light wine note at the end. Dark chocolate, thick oily mouthfeel, and some berries and nuts. I swear I had this coffee before. As I finished that wonderful treat I asked which coffee it was, where the hell they came from, and why are they so far away from Manhattan??
It appears they came from Seattle, Victrola no less, and the coffee is streamline - Victrola's house blend. The barista, whose name I forget, used to pull shots at Victrola for three years. So that's where I had that coffee before... Seattle, April 2005.
The place is worth the trip. If you have a problem dragging your significant other to Brooklyn on a Saturday morning, the New York Botanical Gardens is your carrot. It is only 20 minutes away and this will be her treat, and yours. Spring is in full swing, and here are some pictures I took there today.
The Conservatory
Magnolias
Cherry Blossom
Cherry Blossom
Wild Orchids
The spanish garden
Orchids
Bogenvilia
Too many to count
