Town Hall Coffee
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| Tim Noble pulls a shot at Town Hall Coffee |
When I walked into his shop, Tim Noble was well into his second 12 hour shift grinding beans. Such is the life of the owner of two of the best coffeehouses in Philadelphia. For the last two years if you were anywhere in Philadelphia's Main Line, Bala Cynwyd was the only place you could get a well crafted shot of a rotating selection of some of the best micro-roasters in the country. When the owners of the Benjamin Franklin House on Chestnut Street asked Noble to consider opening his second location in their historic building, he leapt at the chance.
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| Window seating, Town Hall Coffee |
On the day I visited, a customer in front of me asked when Novo's beans would be back as their guest roaster. The question brought a smile to my face. Just a few years ago, I never would have dreamed that a Philadelphian would have asked such a question. If you wanted "specialty coffee" La Colombe was pretty much the only game in town. Tim's constantly rotating selection of both local and the best microroasters from around the US has helped to educate Philly's java geeks to the rarefied world of single origin small production coffee. Tim pulled for me a "God shot" of ReAnimator, a local roaster that's killing it with consistent brilliantly roasted selections. About 80% of Tim's business is take-away but it's all prepared to order on Tim's pour-over bar. There are also a few comfortable seats for those who want to relax and experience one of Philly's finest coffee destinations.
DiBruno Brothers
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| Mayor Frank Rizzo Watches Over The Italian Market |
A few posts ago I reviewed Mario Batali's Eataly food market in New York City's Flatiron District. I came away from the experience quite underwhelmed (Great and Mediocre Coffee In NYC). Terrible coffee, high prices and too much sponsored product placement made me wish I was shopping in Philly's Italian Market, the oldest outdoor market in The United States. Up and down 9th Street some of the best Italian shops anywhere offer their wares. Some of my favorites include Talluto's for Pasta, Grassia’s Italian Market Spice Company, Fante’s Kitchen Wares Shop, Isgro Pastries, and Fiorella Brothers Sausage.
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| DiBruno Bros. 9th Street |
One of the Italian Market's oldest institutions and a must visit for any foodie is the orignal DiBruno Brothers. Crammed within their tiny shop are some of the finest cheese selections in the city, aged balsamic vinegar, vats filled with marinated artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, anchovies, olives and along with other artisan products.
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| DiBruno Bros. at The Benjamin Franklin House |
At about 4,500 square feet, DiBruno Bros. Benjamin Franklin House is spacious and well stocked, catering to a more upscale clientele. There's much more of a takeout / quick and easy meal feel to the offerings, a nod to the 400 residences within the building.
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| Pastries with your coffee? |
There's also a cafe area for coffee to go. Initally DiBruno's brewed Illy as their house. Back in August, Coffee Director Ian Peacock launched a new coffee program. Counter Culture has replaced Illy and each DiBruno Bros. barista spends time training at Counter Culture's Philly training lab. The result is a house coffee made with finesse. Walk into any of their four locations and take home beans from local and national micro-roasters.
Links
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- Market Tour: Di Bruno Bros., Philadelphia (seriouseats.com)
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