Coffee Culture

There’s a case for coffee and it’s making its argument with visual boxes, giving shelf space to edibles —sweet and savory—leaving no dispute that their company is a welcomed food compliment to coffee. Within the coffee district of Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, and Prospect Heights, a few specialty coffee shops are just as concerned with creating a beautiful cup of coffee as they are with displaying what locals have with their coffee. This case for coffee highlights local spaces buoyed by area food artisans, chefs, and bakers. Peer closely, it’s not stones being thrown, but smells of savory and sweet.

Hungry Ghost
253 Flatbush Avenue, Prospect Heights

The now one-year-old location in Prospect Heights is an American-Italian inspired space conceived by owner Murat Llyarog. And the Brooklyn king of Hungry Ghost’s food program is Chef Pete Solomita, a neighborhood local in the business for fourteen years and of Little Buddy Biscuit Company fame.

“He has one hundred percent freedom to create whatever he wants—pastries, muffins, biscuits—which has to be as important as coffee,” said Llyarog.

The importance given to food begins when customers enter the cafe front off the Flatbush thoroughfare. The space flows from window seats: tables for two, a communal table, Stumptown by way of a La Marzocco GB5, and then the counter’s main attraction—a double glass case with stainless steel connections holds all the food glory that accompanies the Stumptown coffee program.

“I want you to be able to look in, if you want to. I want you to see what’s in the case before the register and associate pastries with your coffee.”

Chef Solomita’s pastries tower delicately revealing options such as gluten-free muffins, maple walnut scones, cheddar and black pepper biscuits, quiche, and vegan goods. Baked daily in small batches, the flavors gathering around the Christian Hooker custom cabinets and tables inspire one to echo Llyarog’s sentiment, “I’m hungry to keep this place just the way it is.”

Southside Coffee
652 6th Avenue, South Slope

The five-year-old local space is a true spot for the simple things—great coffee, great treats.  Joshua Sidis and Ben are its co-owners who convinced one of their regulars, Jen Shelbo—formerly of  Tudors, Gramercy Tavern, and Per Se fame to name a few—to be their in-house purveyor of things non-coffee.  Because of her connection to the kitchen at nearby Lot 2 where she also cooks, she is “able to have high quality produce and ingredients here at a reasonable cost for customers.”

Shelbo’s decision on what customers would like is determined by what’s in season, what’s popular with patrons, and what’s reasonable for the space.  “I think a pastry is such a personal thing, so you should eat what makes you happy. For example, if it’s a muffin, then I’m trying to give you the best muffin, something textural and flavorful—a muffin that you can rely on,” said Shelbo.

It’s no wonder that the whimsy of Shelbo’s passion lends to a combination of far-reaching seasonal flavors and goods like the Lemon Ricotta Poppy Seed Scone, the Candied Ginger Cocoa Nib, a can’t-keep-in-the-case quiche, a homemade biscuit with ham from Brooklyn Cured with caramelized onion jam, Bacon Cheddar Buns on Sunday, and everyday jam bars.

Such a diaspora of goods makes for a perfect marriage with Southside’s coffee program, which remains a Park Slope staple whose consistency remains the same amid an evolving seasonal food landscape.

Lark Cafe
1007 Church Avenue, Windsor Terrace

Newcomer to the specialty coffee shop scene, Lark Cafe is a one-stop space for all the things that any man, woman, or child could desire. “I was drawn to having a space that was a gathering place,” said co-owner Kari Browne upon arriving to the area with a new baby and craving new connections.

The space plays between adult sophistication and childlike simplicity.  The duality works as rounded edges and benches bring kid-friendly design to minimalist functionality evidence in concrete floors that whisper it’s okay to let one’s inner child come out to play.

Eyes will goggle too as they meet a case atop a Cesar stone counter supported by a chevron wood base made by a local woodworker.  At thirty-six inches long, fourteen inches tall, and fourteen inches deep, Lark’s case is the distillation of some of Brooklyn’s finest food creators including doughnuts from Dough, jam from Anarachy in a Jar, magpies from Maggie Magpies, vegan salted chocolate chip cookies from Ovenly, pies from Four & Twenty Blackbirds, bagels from Terrace Bagels, and quiche from Colson’s Patisserie.

“We sampled food and treats from all over and there’s a really amazing food revolution going on in this borough.   It was a conscious effort to choose proprietors that were locally based,” said Browne.
Addressing such a collective palette, it’s indubitable that Browne should answer the oft-asked question, “Who is your customer?” with “Everybody.”

Root Hill Café
262 Carroll Street, Gowanus

Occupying space at the border of Gowanus and Park Slope, the half-decade-old space is far from being old at all. A rehabbed space and a full kitchen with Mississippi chef Josh Burnett at its helm, the café is sprouting on some solid gastronomical ground.

The background of Root Hill Café’s owners—Italian and Lebanese—aspired to have a menu indicative of the neighborhood.  “We’re letting the roots of Root Hill and the neighborhood tell us where we should go,” said Burnett.

To that end, their food case is a glass behemoth of options. Inset into a raised counter that greets one as they immediately walk up a slightly tilted ramp, it stands at four feet, six-and-a-half inches by two feet.  Inside the wonder-food-land, one can choose from homemade sausage and buttermilk biscuits topped by strawberry, a chess pie made of cornmeal with white vinegar, and a savory tartlet shell.  Atop the case sit muffins, cookies, and croissants baked fresh daily.

A coup for Root Hill Cafe’s redesigned space is that it now has the space and ability to cook its meats in house and provide old school deli options. For many a post-noon and mid-evening visitor, the case is clear that the café is listening and providing options its patrons want.

“We want to stick to our roots while keeping an eye on the roots of the neighborhood as they change,” said Bartnett.

Two Moon Art House And Cafe
315 4th Avenue, Park Slope

Danielle Mazzeo and Joyce Pisarello are a sweet food-de-force in their umbrella space along Fourth Avenue.  Two Moon is an event/coffee shop space, with an ongoing roster of artists creating a cultural microcosm.

“We are not formal, but we are creating a holistic experience.  Whether you need to be here to work, for a midday sing-a-long or are an artist performing, you’ve just walked into our living room, stay as long as you need,” said Mazzeo.

In an effort to fuel their patrons creativity, Mazzeo and Pisarello have chosen an unencumbered food program—goods encased in glass dishes, sartorial packaging for others—all baked by either of the ladies.   Along with the home baked goods, a coffee program by 40 Weight Coffee buoys their minimalist format, and it works.

The home-inspired treats include muffins, cookies, brownies, shortbread, and frosted cupcakes. With such focus, there’s no two ways about Mazzeo’s summary of Two Moon: “It’s a Brooklyn experience, a gathering, a place where you can sit for two hours and just have a cookie.” A good cookie, one might add.

Our picks for the best iced coffee in the neighborhood

Now that our neighborhood days are officially saturated with the rays of summer and playing host to humidity filled days and nights, to sip coffee- cold and iced – is seasonally de rigueur. In the modern tradition of the six word memoir, we offer you eight coffee spaces -one on the border of our readership lines – to frequent for reprieve. Each space, described by tasting notes as discerned by our palates, as well as their aesthetic ambiance inspired our list of eight places to bust the heat with cultural cool.

	40 Weight Café 492 6th Ave. btw 12th & 13th fortyweightcoffee.com 6 Word Memoir | Flavor goes boom. Vintage taste, alfresco. Beans By | 40 Weight
	Café Grumpy 383 7th Ave. btw 11th & 12th cafegrumpy.com 6 Word Memoir | Like clingstone peach, sweetness under trees. Beans By | Café Grumpy
	Crespella 321 7th Ave. btw 8th & 9th crespellabk.com 6 Word Memoir | Cocoa bitters. Almond tease. Darling Italy. Beans By | Stumptown
	Crop to Cup 541 3rd Ave. btw 13th & 14th croptocup.com 6 Word Memoir | Ripened berries. Woodsy charm, urban respite. Beans By | Crop to Cup
	De luxe Coffee 410 7th Ave. btw 13th & 14th deluxebrooklyn.com 6 Word Memoir | A spread of blackberry jam. Home. Beans By | Doma
	Little Zelda 728 Franklin Ave. btw Sterling Pl. & Park Pl. 6 Word Memoir | Chocolate toddy cure. Transmitting the 1950’s. Beans By | Toby’s Estate
	Southside Coffee 652 6th Ave. btw 17th & 18th 6 Word Memoir | Cocoa and Molasses. Palate, whistle away! Beans By | George Howell
	Two Moon Art House & Café 315 4th Ave. btw 2nd & 3rd twomoonbklyn.com 6 Word Memoir | Moments of mandarin malt. Artists’ terroir. Beans By | Birch Coffee

For many of us residents, local is more than a zeitgeist catchphrase. It’s a mentality of movement aimed at supporting communities whose infrastructure is being fortified by modern post–adolescents and residents with a mom and pop old world work ethic. Our composite neighbors aren’t going local, they’re living it. To see exactly how, we took an outside look at four coffee roasters indigenous to our borough and traced their zip code of origin to our offices at the Park Slope Reader.

From the tip of our readerships Heights to the Slope underneath and the Terrace towards the south, we found coffee roasters making multiple appearances and others with cameos in singular spaces sourcing Brooklyn based within our coffee ‘nabe.

Roaster: Brooklyn Roasting Co.
Source: DUMBO
Miles from Brooklyn Origin: 2.15 m

In little over a year, owners with humble origins behind the Brooklyn Roasting Co. (BRC) have stepped into the physical shoes of bean royalty down in DUMBO. As a previous base for The Arbuckle Company Co., their roasting facility now outputs 3000 lbs of beans a week and counting. Find their dozen or so flavorful certified beans below.

Prospect Heights
Popular for its plethora of cheese selections, Stinky Brklyn is also the talk of the Heights for serving the roaster here, on French press at that.

Park Slope
The Belgium inspired corner spot – Colson’s Patisserie – solely hosts more than half the blends at any given time along with croissants, decorative sweets and flourless treats.

Windsor Terrace
When a husband and wife team relocated to the area to raise a family, they found that the one thing they were missing was a destination coffee shop offering a place for quality brew, community art, and evening cultural events. So they built SteepleChase – a nod to a historic park in Coney Island- and thelocals are coming. “Local is supporting our friends and we’re doing that becoming a part of the community and having a respect for what is happening here, “said co-owner Lynn McKee.

Roaster:  Stumptown
Source: Red Hook
Miles from Brooklyn Origin: 2.18

An indie coffee behemoth, Stumptown sources its taste experience to outposts in cities in which it also has a resident roaster. It’s Red Hook roasting facility and brew bar quickly outgrew demand and is now in the process of being renovated. Until it’s opens to the public again find its signature offerings at these places.

Prospect Heights
For a day of warming over winters’ long season Sit and Wonder owners live as local as it gets, right upstairs. Opt to follow the adage of the shops name or score the bagged bean brand to go.

Park Slope
Grab Specialty Foods on 7th Ave with the warming orange decal and French market feel, serves retail bags of Hair Bender aside other specialty craft foods and coffees.

Windsor Terrace
Roots Café, owned by a husband and wife southern rooted duo, keep it local with Stumptown as their only bean; also view art from residents and music from bands within the borough.

Roaster: D’Amico’s
Source: Cobble Hill
Miles from Brooklyn Origin: 2.7 mi

If the Cobble Hill roaster has the aura as if it’s rooted in another time that’s because it is. Its in-house roaster, burlap lined coffee barrels and dated photos are elements of a more than half century old purveyor that is a living establishment of substance and nostalgia.

Windsor Terrace
For the past two years Brancaccio’s Food Shop has thrived on his buying and sourcing all the stores goods from within the radius of his neighborhood. “I shop for it, I carry it in, and I prepare it. I buy from local purveyors because it’s where I feel comfortable, it’s my culture,” said Brancaccio. And this is why you can found D’Amico’s shelved here whether by bag of house blend and cup of drip.

Roaster: Café Grumpy
Source: Greenpoint
Miles from Brooklyn Origin: 6.5 mi

Park Slope
There’s only one place to buy beans from this locally owned operation within the boundaries of our neighborhoods and that’s in Park Slope. Instead of having an advertising budget, the family run business “recycles its dollars by supporting local charities, non-profits and cultural establishments,” said co-owner Caroline Bell. Soon, you can find their beans infused into a chocolate coffee bar with Raaka Chocolates at the local 5th Ave Farmers Market in the Slope most weekends.

Coffee Shops & Markets

Park Slope
Colson’s Patisserie | 374 9th Street . 718.965 6400 | colsonspastries.com
Grab Specialty Foods | 438 7th Ave.  718.369.7595 | grabspecialtyfoods.com
Stinky Brklyn |  215 Smith Street. 718. 596.2873 | stinkybrklyn.com
Café Grumpy |383 7th Ave., 718.499.4404 | cafegrumpy.com
5th Ave Farmers Market | 5th &4th. Park Slope Farmers Market

Prospect Heights
Sit and Wonder |688 Washington Ave. 718.622.0299 | sitandwonder.org

Windsor Terrace
SteepleChase |3013 Fort Hamilton Pkwy. 347.799.2640 | steeplechasecoffee.com
Brancaccio’s Food Shop | 3011 Fort Hamilton Pkwy. 718.435.1997 | brancacciosfoodshop.com

Roasters

Brooklyn Roasting Co.| 25 Jay Street. Dumbo | brooklynroasting.com
D’Amico’s Foods | 309 Court Street. Cobble Hill | damicofoods.com
Stumptown Coffee Roasters | 219 Van Brunt Street. Red Hook | stumptowncoffee.com

For the early decades of my life, my only awareness of coffee was the stuff my father let percolate every morning. If black and bitter had a smell, what filled his mug was it.  Sweetness came in the form of a slice of cake, homemade pie or the old fashioned honey bun. Until even today, when I return home, I can still find my dad performing this morning ritual. Like him, many others within the borders of our neighborhoods include coffee in their morning ritual. While I default to a soy latte, others have minute ounces of caffeine concentrated into an offering of ristretto. Given that a new and cooler season is upon us, I decided to taste test our local offerings of the black stuff. To my pleasure, I found five demitasse options worthy of a pit stop that might just become a new fall habit.

Café 474 | 474 4th Ave | www.cafe474.com
Commuters are an earshot from the F/R train when within feet of Café 474. The African-French themed outpost has an exterior porch that doubles as a sitting station for the lingering coffee drinker or a momentary lookout point for patrons on the go. Inside and beyond the island, where spoons, milk types and tear-able sweeteners coexist, you’ll find a straightforward menu including the dark or medium roast espresso as options. The barista pulls me a medium roast which is then pressured by the La Marzocco. A couple of dollars buys me a tempered shot of caffeine with a smooth finish to set me on my morning way.

Konditori | 186 5th Ave | 347-384-2028 | www.konditorinyc.com
At the northern end of the Slope, the six-month old, Swedish inspired Konditori defines itself in name and bean. This is where you come to enjoy friends and coffee. Arrive in early morning and you will find one of the owners, Per, near the Nuova Simonelli energized and chatty. Perhaps, it’s his own consumption of the Peruvian beans produced locally in DUMBO and slow roasted over dry heat. I have the choice of a liten (single shot) or stor (double shot). I opt for the former and consume it while sitting on a wooden stool towards the back of the shop. I look up and see Konditori’s definition and realized I’ve just been defined; “noun: where one goes for a coffee break.” This becomes one of the best mid-day nouns I’ve tasted.

Crespella | 321 7th Ave | 718-788-2980 | www.crespellabk.com
Crepes and coffee have become the quite the pair for foodies and third wave connoisseurs in Park Slope. From the Italian words imprinted on the store’s wallpaper to the ownership of a Rolls Royce-esque espresso machine, the Faema E61, Crespella is an authentic piece of Italy in an American borough.  The beans are from local roaster Stumptown in Red Hook. I order the $2.50 cent Illy, a two shot espresso arriving Italian proper in a ceramic cup. It is an intense yet sophisticated few sips of chocolate-dominated notes, Afterward, I must concur with co-owner Maria Bucca, “this is an Italian place with a timeless espresso, it’s a real pick-me up.”

Dub Pies | 211 Prospect Park West | 718-788-2448 | www.dubpies.com
This Australian outfit is a small package that packs a strong punch. Situated a block from the circled entrance where Prospect Park South meets West, Dub Pies is an ideal drop-in spot. Its certified, organic sustainable beans hail from North Carolina’s Counter Culture. While my feet stand in line upon minimally designed tiles, the smell of freshly ground beans is almost enough to perk me up. And when it comes in its black demitasse, I hurry to consume it before the crema settles. The $2.50, two ounce darkened shot is worth my now happily wired state.

Crop to Cup | 541A 3rd Ave | 917-531-8754 | www.croptocup.com
Slightly beneath the dividing line of Park Slope and Gowanus this bean importer is a fair trade multi-purpose shop that roasts locally with Real Coffee Roaster. Upon entering, a flood of light – natural and incandescent – welcomes you to Crop to Cup’s coffee bar. Their three-part espresso blend is comprised of 50% Uganda Sebie, 40% Ethiopian Harrar, and 10% aged Indian. The $2.00 ounce and a half triple ristretto shot arrives “light, minimally tart and pillowy.” If you’re looking for a real pick me up, order the large “alarm clock,” an iced espresso twice the price and just as nice.

Couleur Café | 435 7th Ave | 718-788-6600
All here is a result of intentional improvisation at neighborhood newcomer Couleur Café. The décor includes counter-placed vintage records, French inspired wallpaper and a reclaimed 1928 wooden door which serves as the bars horizontal front. The Turkish born and French native owner, Murat Ozcan, sources beans from local Brooklyn Roasting Company because of the “mocha java flavor, couleur of the bean and its ability to produce a fresh grind.” His semi-automatic Simonelli offers old school espresso French style in a duralex glass of nearly four ounces.  At first taste, it’s strong but a pleasant bitter chocolate, leaving nothing else to be desired. It’s black and perfect.

After drinking liters of water to clear the taste of black coffee out of my system, I realize I missed the black coffee that I became acquainted with. So, as fall comes and shakes our leaves bare, I’ll be among the locals making a pit stop for the good, black stuff.

Once upon a time, I was a barista. With minimal coffee training and a basic knowledge of drink proportions, I hoped my big heart for the bean would compensate for my lack of experience. When I received my first iced coffee order, I scooped a generous handful of ice cubes into a green cold ware cup. Then, I poured hot drip coffee over them. Voila, iced coffee! Or so I thought. The customer asked, “Are you out of the real iced coffee?” I’m so glad that the real iced coffee was brewed in an overnight toddy and a fraction of it was stored in a ready-to-pour pitcher.

I’ve learned a lot since that moment. Iced coffee isn’t as simple as pouring hot coffee over ice. Depending on the method – hot brew, toddy, Japanese, cold brew – iced coffee is a scientific process of reactions based upon minimal minutes to multiple hours. When asked, “Are all iced coffees created equal?” the following ten coffee fronts weighed in. Below, learn about their methods, what they’re planning for summer and the type of coffee break you can expect when you’re ready for cool relief from what we hope is an endless hot summer.

Coffee Shop: Naidre’s : 384 7th Ave btwn 11th and 12th
Bean: Counter Culture
Method: Japanese
Process: Beans are weighed and finely ground. Hot water is filtered onto an even spread of grinds, with an exit over ice. The double strength brew cools instantly maintaining flavor and strength.
Summer Expectations: Seasonal direct trade beans. “Our coffee flavor changes based upon the bean, but there’s always a note of chocolate when you cold brew,” says manager Jesse Auguste. The café has a kitchen with a full menu. Sweet treats and vegan desserts (try the carrot cake) area made in-house. Ask for their picnic basket specials – perfect for a play date in Prospect Park or a concert at Celebrate Brooklyn!
Cost: 2.50 – $3.75 for 12-24 oz

Coffee Shop: Roots Café : 639A 5th Ave btwn 18th and 19th
Bean: Stumptown
Method: Overnight Brew
Process: Starting with their Stumptown house blend, a big pot is brewed and left to chill overnight. To compensate for ice watering down the coffee ¼ of additional ground beans are used to a pot of iced coffee as compared to a regular one.
Summer Expectations: Owner Jamey Hamm will “serve whatever you want, within reason.” So feel free to ask for traditional drinks like an espresso over ice. If you’re inclined to linger, there’s a little backyard patio where lounging is welcome and you can hear live music every week.
Cost: Espresso over Iced $2.75|16 oz Iced Coffee $3.00|Iced Latte $4.75

Coffee Shop: Café Martin : 355 5th Ave btwn 4th and 5th
Bean: Strongtree Heirloom
Method: While Martin doesn’t disclose the how of his iced brew, he says “quality is in the experience.” He discovered the Hudson Valley Roaster by accident and chose them based on taste alone.
Summer Expectations: Martin says expect something “strong, flavorful and amazing.” While he admits – with a smirk – to having an ego, he wants you to come into his self-named, austere café for accessible community, free of the encumbrance of WI-FI and laptops. Under brass pipes, tin ceilings, sit on an old church pew while you peruse the day’s paper, linger with The London Review of Books, and later this season, stay for beer and wine.
Cost: Iced Coffee $2:50

Coffee Shop: Zora Art Space : 315 4th Ave btwn 2nd and 3rd
Bean: Fair Trade, Organic
Method: Owner Zohrah has a simple process which she says yields “great coffee.” It is hot brewed then chilled.
Summer Expectations: This multi area-art space is named after the owner who took a liking to literary great Zora Neale Hurston. It’s a launching spot for young artists, providing a local alternative to showcase music and host book parties. A full calendar of events includes film screenings, art exhibitions and alfresco events in the backyard garden.
Cost: $3.00 Iced Coffee

Coffee Shop: 4&20 Blackbirds : 439 3rd Ave btwn 7th and 6th
Bean: Irving Farm
Method: Cold Brew
Process: It starts with a single-origin sustainably sourced bean. A medium grind is used with fresh cold filtered water overnight for 12 hours.
Summer Expectations: Handmade tables and a hand-painted rug adorn this high ceilinged, open spaced, sun-filled communal corner spot. The shop rotates four to five pies daily. Fruit pies this summer include nectarine blueberry, stone fruit crumble and strawberry balsamic. A slice of farm fresh fruit pie and single origin iced coffee is a great refresher in the summer. Whether you stay in-house or take your coffee to go, the quality provides just the break you’re looking for.
Cost: $2.50 – $3

Coffee Shop: Red Horse Café : 497 6th Ave btwn 11th and 12th
Bean: Barrington Coffee
Method: Hot Brew, Ice Sticks
Process: After a fresh hot brew, coffee sits until it’s at a temperature cool enough to chill in the fridge. Ice sticks are brewed and frozen to retain bean strength when the ice melts. At times, hot coffee gets a cold pitcher bath to accommodate summer demand.
Summer Expectations: RHC’s ice sticks are a summer feature for their iced coffee. You can experience them in other iced drinks upon request. Flexible owners Carolina and Brett love coffee and experimenting with it. This summer, SoCo Creamery joins the menu. Ask for the affogato, two shots of espresso into traditional flavors of ice cream.
Cost: $3.25 affogato

Coffee Shop: Café Grumpy : 383 7th Ave btwn 11th and 12th
Bean: Grumpy Roastery
Method: Toddy
Process: It starts with quality seasonal beans. A full cold brew concentrate extracts overnight, coaxing notes of bourbon, with water dilution.
Summer Expectations: Their hand-picked beans from green sellers are the center of what co-owner Caroline says creates “a different environment for a coffee shop. Our focus is coffee and representing the hard work of a commodity that isn’t cheap.” The espresso bar is a great place to sit and the communal table provides a nice lookout point to perch. Iced lattes are a summer fave. Bring your own cup and get 25 cents off the price of your drink. This quirky, yet relaxed space asks for a few minutes of your downtime.
Cost: $3.25 – $4.50

Coffee Shop: Southside : 656 6th Ave btwn 17th and 18th
Bean: PT’s, Counter Culture
Method: Toddy
Process: Coffee is coarsely ground, extracted overnight in water at room temperature, yielding a super smooth and super sweet profile.
Summer Expectations: You never know what will be brewing or playing at this shop where eclectic meets minimalist. Iced Coffee is sometimes brewed with any of the above beans with a sweet note. While, espresso-based iced drinks have chocolate, caramel and nuttiness. While you wait for your drink the soundtrack ranges widely – from Public Enemy to Cesaria Evora, according to co-owner Ben Jones.
Cost: One size $3-3:50

Coffee Shop: Has Beans : 620 5th Ave btwn 17th and 18th
Bean: Primarily a French bean
Method: Brews 1 ½ times the regular strength to compensate for the melting of ice.
Summer Expectations: Owner Peggy has been in the bean business for more than 30 years, eight at this location. She pulls espresso-based shots of iced coffee from a white and silver Elektra machine. Cinnamon hazelnut is offered as a flavored brew. Wi-Fi and computer rentals are available to use while you enjoy your drink. Inside you will find Peggy working shifts, playing a Pandora shuffle of blues, and serving Red Mango vegan pastries. Gluten free cookies are coming soon. “Without the customers what am I?” asks Peggy. “This is a place for everybody, and we give people what they want.”
Cost: 16 oz $2.50|24 oz $3.50

Coffee Shop: Tea Lounge : 837 Union Street btwn 6th and 7th
Bean: Benbows, FT & Organic
Method: Hot Brew
Process: The daily hot brew is chilled in the fridge without ice. If sugar or sweetener is requested with an order, baristas start with a bit of hot coffee to dissolve the crystals, then add the iced coffee.
Summer Expectations: In addition to iced coffee, there are four ready-made iced teas – green, black, herbal and fruit – in addition to fresh iced chai. Specialty iced drinks include their “Rocket Fuel,” which is espresso over ice with a little half and half. If your tasetbuds are flavor-inclined, try the Nutella Breve – espresso, hazelnut coffee and chocolate over ice.
Cost: 16-24 oz $2.75- 3.75

An unknown author once said, “Man does not live by coffee alone.” I wholeheartedly agree given the surrounding neighborhoods of Park Slope, Windsor Terrace and Prospect Heights. Man – and woman – also need the coffee shop, a modern mecca of communal interaction defining our cupping palate and social character. So, if your coffee shop had a personality, what would it reveal about you? Here’s a ‘round-the-borough profile of coffee shop spaces that remind us of the commonly known “big five” personality traits and, by extension, our varied character identities.

1) Trait: Conscientious | Type: Conscious Consumer

Park Slope: Café Grumpy’s
From its minimalist approach in décor and design – one communal table, a few bar seats and an outdoor bench – to its direct seasonal coffee menu, Grumpy’s caters to the knowledgeable drinker who is a crop-to-cup connoisseur. While the café might have a justifiable attitude when it comes to how it serves its self-roasted coffee selections – i.e. no espresso over iced, one-size flat whites, the proper rule-of-third ratio for a cappuccino – one can appreciate its keen interest in providing a worldly selection of cautiously crafted varietals of coffee in their intended form. Grumpy’s is equally serious about the origins and social issues of their beans as an agricultural product. While it might be one of the more expensive cups of coffee you’ll purchase in the Slope, its coffee-with-a-cause ideology is worth supporting with a smile.

Prospect Heights: Breukelen
Breukelen pays homage to the original spelling of the borough’s name, provided by Dutch settlers in the 17th century.  While it supports local roasters like Stumptown as well as community artists, the shop’s limited space is known for cleanliness, down-to-earth owners and neighborly coffee consumers in and out of the Heights. Noticeably, Breukelen is one of the few coffee spots to have an exhaustive list of alternative milk options for those with a wider drinking repertoire and a menu of vegan edibles. It stands in good company with neighbors Glass Shop and Sit and Wonder, but be assured Breukelen has an identity of its own, commanding respect for its attention to the simpler yet important non-dairy things in life.

2) Trait: Neurotic | Type: Crazy, Sexy, Cool

Prospect Heights: Glass Shop
On the one hand, it might seem out of the American ordinary, even a little insane, for this Australian-inspired spot by neighborhood guy Francesco Ison to serve coffee in glasses and pull shots of non-drip coffee by default. On the other hand, Glass Shop’s transparent space, haphazard décor (mainly culled from curbsides) and wild garden is infectious and doesn’t underwhelm. These disparate elements draw a diverse crowd not easily pigeonholed. “Glass Shop is like coming to a hang out joint where you’re expected to occasionally make coffee.,” says barista Maricia Duplessis. “Baristas are the engine of a coffee shop without us a coffee shop wouldn’t function.” Expect Philadelphia’s La Colombe for drip and espresso and a short sheet of Aussie drinks including a 2 oz. short black, a 6 oz. flat white and an 8 oz. long black. “Here, there are all the necessary components that make for a great life: coffee, company and people all mixed together,” says Duplessis.

Park Slope: Café Martin
Not even a year old and Café Martin is making an impression in the coffee community. This is due to owner-brothers Richard and Martin O’Connell venturing out on their own. You might call Martin, a skilled neighborhood barista, crazy for being the coffee wonder behind his namesake or confidently sexy for pulling off another great spot among a string of equally great cafés in the area. And if smart design is a prerequisite for enjoying coffee, then consider this spot a self-promotion in Euro-cool. Its high ceilings and suspended lights create a sense of airiness that is a respite from the oft tiny spaces that Brooklyners find themselves in. You’ll relish the multiple mirrors interspersed with art along the wall as a nice diversion for daydreaming. Ask anyone and they’ll recommend Martin’s equal parts cappuccino with an emphasis on cream as being unlike any other. He also walks confidently to the beat of his own drum, passing up known favorites like Stumptown, Intelligentsia and Counter Culture for a brand of Arabica up north. While Martin might be the known consistent staple here for now, the other developing variables in the months to come will make for an adventurous visit.

3) Trait: Openness | Type: Free Spirit

Park Slope: Roots Café
While the apparent low lighting contributes to its mellow vibe, it is touches of hands-on elements – worn-in couches and liberal choice of Stumptown coffee – that make the Roots Café quite the contrary. The space is infused with a combination of owner Jamey Hamm’s Alabama hometown charm and a Brooklyn neighborhood energy that creates a vibrant experience for each visitor. “It’s not about being part of ‘the scene’ … I want Roots to be a place where people feel that we’re all family,” says Hamm. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a daily regular or a one-timer, we want you to feel like you matter.” This explains why its unpretentious environment is intentionally communal and why you’ll often find folks crammed inside for local art and live music. A visit here for whichever part of their motto – coffee, community and culture – will surely put you in touch with more. It will connect you to the root of you – your soul.

Prospect Heights: Sit and Wonder
Gemma and Lucien Redwood made sure the name of their coffee shop also embodied their community ethos. Sit and Wonder was constructed so that customers will temporarily lose track of time and purpose. “We are free spirits ourselves and we didn’t want to be absent owners. Our coffee is for everyone and we want people to gather, to people watch, to feel happy and important,” says Gemma, who credits growing up in France as a major inspiration. Indeed, it is easy to just “sit and wonder” in a horizontal space with lines that lead you to circular tables, wrought iron cushioned seats, street-facing stools and reclining chairs. Here, your activity is as exposed as the brick walls, and it feels liberating. Once settled, there’s Hair Bender Stumptown for espresso, a rotating single origin drip to sip and always Holler Mountain. With a rotation of 6-7 beans during the week and bi-weekly deliveries, there’s no doubt about the Redwoods’ emphasis on quality coffee. If you’re used to grabbing your cup of joe on the go this will easily free you of the habit.

4) Trait: Agreeable | Type: Laidback, People Person

Windsor Terrace: Southside Coffee
Joshua Siddis and his partner Ben Jones are neighborhood staples who aren’t looking to impress you with the frills of fancy furniture, elaborate interior design or high-end machinery. Rather, the founding ambition of their little-coffee-shop-that-could is to woo your drinking sense with, “quality coffee and a sense of community,” according to Siddis. It’s not uncommon to see both partners pulling shots, doing an occasional pour-over or steaming organic milk alongside their long time friend and barista Amanda. The seating at Southside Coffee is diverse – window seats, outdoor benches, Lay-Z-Boys, couches, work tables and regular chairs, but so is the roster of high pedigree coffee from around the country – Intelligentsia (Chicago), Counter Culture (North Carolina), and PT’s (Topeka, Kansas). “You can have the best beans and machines but it also has to be in the right hands,” says Siddis. “We’re all here because we care a lot about what we do.” These factors combined are why Southside isn’t a destination coffee shop; it’s the people’s spot.

Park Slope: Red Horse Café
Upon entering you’ll feel like a regular even if it’s your first visit. Owners Brent and Carolina have created an everybody-knows-your-name-and-drink feel to the Red Horse Café. There’s an expansive coffee bar with everything you want on the menu – beer, wine, edibles and, of course, coffee in all its traditional sizes. If you’re staying, you can opt for a seat with a view from their lookout windows. The flood of natural sunlight a is highlight of being indoors. The walled art consistently beckons your eyes and incites conversation. During the day there’s sufficient quiet and calm for day workers. Chatter picks up in the mid-afternoon as does the social component. By evening, dimmable incandescent bulbs set the scene for intense lounging until its closing time. No matter the time of the day, there’s always room for intimate exchange, like an eclectic indie music playlist and an on-duty barista who usually excels in latte art. What better reason to sit back and enjoy it all.

5) Trait: Extrovert | Type: Social Butterfly

Park Slope: Tea Lounge
One of the longest running coffee shops in the Slope, the Tea Lounge wants your company by any means necessary. Luckily, it caters to everyone. There’s the mommy-and-me crowd, day workers, and students. Later you will find night owls with an arsenal of goods, games and alcoholic amenities. “I try to focus on the community and make the atmosphere and environment accessible,” says owner Jonathan Spiel. The Lounge’s coffee-sphere includes everything from live music, vintage videogames, beer, wine, more than 60 teas, smoothies, edibles and weekly bean deliveries from a micro-roaster in Maine. How is there room for all this? Tea Lounge is essentially a big living room. Plus electrcial outlets and free wi-fi can power up to 60 laptops. Tea Lounge offers up to 200 drinks including a signature Shot Chocolate and provide a space well into the night. It’s easy to love Tea Lounge for what it does best: being a social hub for the Slope.

Park Slope: Postmark
Postmark is not for tourists. And when it comes to baristas, it’s like a co-op of coffee shops: Postmark is famously run by outgoing volunteers from the Church of Park Slope. The happy medium of this altruistic space is that it’s equal parts community haven and coffee lounge. Don’t be taken aback if you find yourself being the only coffee consumer in the room (a rarity in Park Slope) or if you wind up amidst a group of activity seekers after 9 p.m. (also a rarity). Nonetheless, your experience will be a welcomed respite from a harried New York day. While tucked away off 5th Avenue path, there’s enough individualized attention at Postmark where you’ll feel like someone actually notices you. Now the name makes sense: Postmark will leave a stamp on your palate – and your heart.

Whether we’re a regular to one of the above establishments or a frequent visitor to a few, the plethora of locally diverse coffee-holes will surely nurture character and community – the heart of our neighborhoods.