Coffee Crawl: Absolute Coffee
Since the beginning of 2018 – I had been looking forward to March. Not to get too deep, but Spring is a very spiritually-significant season for me, and March has historically been a month where I make impactful advances and ascensions. Well, this past month has certainly lived up to expectations – I moved into an apartment of my own, reached my 1-year at my job and achieved an Instagram follower count I’ve been striving for. And this is just the start of things – there’s always more to come.
Before I get too off track, on the topic of moving to a new place, I am now currently located about one mile south from my previous apartment. With that, I am no longer as close to the Brooklyn Roasting Company that I love so much. I will miss going every weekend, but there is no shortage of coffee shops in the city, so I have started prospecting my new neighborhood for some hot spots. These past couple of weekends, I walked through the streets of Downtown Brooklyn, indulging in the crisp Spring air. In my little adventures, I came across a couple of shops that are mere blocks away from my apartment.
Let the coffee crawl begin.
Just A Good 'Ole Coffee Joint
My first stroll through Boerum Hill brought me to the 4.5 star-rated coffee shop, Absolute Coffee. From the outside, it looks like another simple and modest coffee joint sandwiched in between a few other establishments. When I walked in, the shop’s popularity became clearer to me. All tables were filled with people, either in their weekend work-flow or engaged in casual chatter with their friends. Being used to the spacious atmosphere of the BRC, coffee shops as tight and packed as Absolute are usually a turn-off.
Gotta Keep It Moving
If I plan to chill at a coffee shop, I prefer elbow and breathing room – so I knew I would be paying just a short visit and sitting outside. For the sake of the ‘Gram, I ordered a latte so that I could have one of those cute foam designs to show off. Also got a croissant since I had not eaten breakfast yet. I had to move quickly through line, as people were already piling up behind me. From what I was able to photograph, Absolute has a solid menu with plenty of delectable looking pastries to select from. Not much to say as far as décor – the tables and fixtures are simple and semi-industrial (but not as much as BRC).
#BestCroissantEver
I am not usually one for lattes – a simple cup of hot black coffee or a cold brew does the trick for me. But as far as this Absolute latte – it was standard. A nice milky consistency and taste, but no real bold coffee flavor that came through. Like I said, was great to get for the sake of an Instagram post. But super surprisingly, this croissant was literally one of the best I have ever had in my life. I’m not kidding – I have no idea how this croissant was good. It was flakey, not too buttery and tasted like it was made by a true professional. Usually croissants taste like plain bread, very buttery or preserved – but this one from Absolute was . . . fresh! That’s the word, it was fresh. You know something is good when it doesn’t have to be fresh out of the over to still taste amazing.
Cute & Simple
As far as first impressions go – Absolute Coffee is cute. Not much more to say about it – I would have to go and hang out for a few hours to get any additional perspective on the place. I would say, if I was walking around town with some friends and wanted to pop into a coffee shop to chat for a little, then this would be a delightful place to make a pit stop, assuming there is room to sit. Or even if you’re alone, this is still a good place to roll through – grab yourself a cup o’ joe and a croissant, and your Saturday or Sunday will be off to a good start.
