Three Coffees In Williamsburg, Brooklyn

When I lived in New York a few decades ago, hardly anyone went to Williamsburg Brooklyn.  It wasn't that safe and only a few intrepid artists occupied cheap spaces in an otherwise desolate neighborhood.  Today, I don't even recognize the place.  Ultra modern apartment buildings are springing up everywhere and there's cool restaurants and coffeehouses on almost every block.  Lots of young, attractive hipsters with expensive tattoos walk the streets.  It's an exciting vibe but one that has become so trendy that  operators offer guided walking and bike tours of the 'hood to visitors from out-of-town looking for an authentic urban safari.

Rents in Williamsburg are not as high as Manhattan and the size of the coffeehouses reflect this.  My first stop was at Toby's Estate Coffee who I had contacted before my arrival.  I was invited to meet roaster Deaton Pigot and I took the opportunity to pepper him with questions.  Toby's home is located in what was once a meat provisioning house.   They opened their doors in 2012, creating a beautiful space.  3,000 square feet in all, 900 of it carefully designed and laid out to maximize the customer's experience.



The roasting philosophy is different that what you might experience if you ordered a Toby's in Australia where 90% of all coffee served is espresso done in the Italian style.... a dark and heavier roast.   Pigot told me that at Toby's Brooklyn, the goal is to let the beans fully express themselves and their lighter roast accentuates the fruit components of the beans.  Emphasis is on Direct Trade and Toby's has relationships in Colombia, Honduras with Panama on the way.  I tried an espresso made with the Ethiopia Sukie Quto, a perfect example of what this roaster strives for, bright fruity flavors with nice crisp acidity.  Next I was given a V60 of Coasta Rican Finca Salaca, bolder with interesting notes of cherries, earth and marmalade jam. 



As I sipped my second cup, I sat down with Toby's Coffee Educator Allie Caran to chat about the coffee industry in general, Toby's role within the Third Wave movement and the importance on demystifying the artisanal cup.  Allie's priority is sharing the philosophy of  great service that makes customers feel comfortable and at home in their shop and others they supply.   Allie feels that one of the most crucial aspects to moving the "Third Wave" industry forward is to present the coffeehouse as a place of welcoming education.  Why would you pay $5.00 or more for a cup of coffee if the barista makes you feel uncomfortable or intimidated?   Allie put it this way (I'm paraphrasing), "I've gone to a shop that has mediocre coffee made by a friendly barista over another shop who seemed put out."

I think that to love coffee as much as Allie and the rest of the staff you must have an inquisitive mind and an artist's soul.  They guys at Toby's exemplify both.

[caption id="attachment_402" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Sweetleaf[/caption]

My next stop was Sweetleaf, just a few blocks away.   Sweetleaf shares their open space with real estate broker Modern Spaces.  The decor is reclaimed wood, the main bar was made from antique doors.  Barista Justin poured me some Heartroaster's Ethiopia Chelba espresso from the constantly rotating roaster program.  Justin is the perfect example of what Allie and I were discussing earlier.  He is warm, down to earth and extremely helpful, greeting everyone with a warm smile and interesting suggestion.  After finishing my cup Justin recommended "Best Pizza" about eight blocks away, a fantastic New York style brick oven joint.

[caption id="attachment_403" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Parlor Coffee[/caption]

My final stop was perhaps the smallest coffee shop in the US, Parlor Coffee.  Located in the back of Persons Of Interest barbershop, only one customer at a time can comfortably fit.  Thus your forced to get to know the barista which in this case is not a bad thing at all.    It's kind of like visiting some sort of coffee confessional.  My Priest Barista was Brice, an interesting guy who's worked in some of the best coffeehouses in the city.  Parlor roasts their own at The Pully Collective, a new coffee-roasting plant on the Brooklyn waterfront that members rent out by the half-day (Joe and Ninth Street Espresso are part of this group as well), wholesaling to various shops around Brooklyn.  Their espresso is what I'd describe as a medium roast, carefully crafted and not overdone.

[caption id="attachment_398" align="aligncenter" width="392"] Street art, Kent Ave., Williamsburg[/caption]

Williamsburg has come a long way since I've called this city home.  The coffee culture is arguably even more forward thinking than Manhattan.  I plan on making this Borough a regular stop whenever I'm around.

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Toby's Estate Coffee: http://tobysestate.com

Sweetleaf: http://www.sweetleaflic.com