Menagerie Coffee: A breath of fresh air in Philadelphia

A year ago I met April Nett at Elixr one of the premier coffeehouses in Philadelphia. A gifted barista, April was also very interested in wine and coffee pairings and hoped to start a program at the shop if they obtained a license. I invited her to a huge industry tasting and got to meet her partner Elysa DiMauro who worked at another Philly coffee institution, Bodhi Coffee right in Headhouse Square (see my post "Two Beautiful Coffeehouses In Philadelphia" http://wp.me/p3AERF-5r).

[caption id="attachment_538" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Inside Menagerie Coffee[/caption]

Fast forward a year and witness the birth of April and Elysa's dream coffeehouse, Menagerie. Situated in a part of Old City that is wofully lacking in great coffee choices, Menagerie fills a void and then some. Although open for just a few weeks, I predict Menagerie will quickly take its place along side the other great coffeehouses that are transforming the city such as Elixr, One Shot, ReAnimator, Shot Tower, Bohdi and Ultimo.

The first thing you notice is the beautiful decor. From the blond wood counter, white tiled wall to the white La Marzocco GB5 espresso machine, the shop's design is artfully done with clean lines and a welcoming homey feel. Design is by Niko Dyshniku who specializes in repurposing salvaged materials in a sustainable manner.



The coffee program introduces Philadelphia to two of the countries top Direct Trade roasters, Ceremony from Annapolis, MD and Dogwood of Minneapolis, MN, a first for this city. April and Elysa blind tasted roasts from a number of suppliers and decided that these two earned their place as the house selections. In my opinion, Ceremony roasts some of the finest coffee in the US (I'm also looking forward to trying Dogwood's beans the next time I go to the cafe). I first tried their coffee at New York Coffee Fest in 2012 and was blown away by their offerings. Menagerie currently features four from Ceremony and the Simalungun from North Sumatra didn't disappoint. Elysa told me that they plan on introducing Ceremony's bourbon barrel conditioned coffee down the road. I've heard about their experiments with wine and bourbon conditioned coffees but have never tried them. Elysa and I discussed doing a public bourbon and coffee sampling when some of this special lot arrives. If you'd like to taste some of this special coffee, I'm told they will have a limited amount in house in about a week.

Menagerie also offers pastries by local favorite Flying Monkey and a limited selection of sandwiches. This part of Old City finally has a welcoming laid back alternative to the bars and pizza joints that line Market Street. I can easily see Menagerie becoming one of my favorite city haunts.

CoffeeGuru features over 7,000 independent coffeehouses in the US, Canada, UK and Ireland. Download the app here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/coffeeguru-indie-coffeehouses/id547969523?mt=8

Ceremony Coffee Roasters http://ceremonycoffee.com

Dogwood Coffee http://www.dogwoodcoffee.com

Niko D Design http://nikodyshniku.prosite.com