Coffee Crawl: Blue Bottle Coffee
Continuing along with my coffee conquests, my last blog post discussed how I have started checking out coffee shops in my new neighborhood after moving into my own place. If you follow me on Instagram, then you know how fond I have become of the Brooklyn Roasting Company. Having been spoiled with that shop and knowing that most of the coffee shops in NYC are holes in the wall, finding a second favorite shop won’t be easy. Or at least that is what I thought before discovering a gem not too far from me.
After visiting Absolute Coffee, a couple of weekends ago, I was hoping I would find something a little more intriguing this past weekend. To narrow in my search, I did some quick Googling to see what was in the area. Absolute was the closest to me (which makes sense given how easy it was to find), and then the next closest shop was one by the name of Blue Bottle Coffee. In looking at their website, looks like they're a franchise with locations throughout New York, California and Japan. The pictures looked lovely and I found the name interesting, so knew that was my next destination. I walked past it at first (even with Google Maps), because the entrance isn’t exactly obvious. As you can see from the cover image above, all you get is some simple wall art signaling the shop’s entrance.
Great Things In Small Places
I didn’t know the definition of a small coffee shop until Blue Bottle. I was able to get almost the entire shop captured in a single photograph, that’s how small it is. And yes, there were of course several people in there already, with more following closely behind me. This naturally made getting multiple images a little challenging and awkward. Fortunately, everyone was super nice and seemed used to it, which made things easier. Because it is so small and well decorated, Blue Bottle makes you feel like you walked into one of those cute little homes that people make out of vans or something. The wood floors and paneling give natural and zen vibes to the place, which despite being super packed, made me feel surprisingly comfortable.
Friendly, Neighborhood Coffee Shop
Pastries were in abundant supply, but I decided to pass this time around. They had a jar of free doggie treats for visitors – little things like that speaks a great deal about the character of the establishment. The baristas were very attentive, asking if I needed help deciding or if they could explain anything about the menu. I found this very accommodating and welcoming, but considering that they asked me if I needed help a few times, I suppose it could have also been a subtle way of saying, “can you hurry up and order?” I guess I probably appeared a little clueless looking around the shop, but I was honestly just trying to figure out what images I wanted to capture.
The Best Coffee Takes Time
The menu is simple, but exotic. I had a little trouble deciding what to get – with their unique menu items, I wanted to make a thoughtful selection. The Burundi sounded like a wonderful choice – from the looks of its ingredients, I was expecting a sweet, but bold flavor. Not 100% sure why, but it kinda took them a long time to make the coffee. I assume that is because they make the coffee, like, extra fresh. The exact process isn’t clear to me, but as the above image displays, it seems like it involves putting fresh grounds over a cup, and slowly pouring hot water over it to get a fresh brew. Regardless of how they make it – the coffee is amazing.
When It's Good To Be Blue
It was a lovely cup of coffee indeed – the honey and peach gave it a sweet flavor, and the black tea brought in a bold, rich taste. This was a winning experience, and there is no doubt that I plan to visit Blue Bottle regularly. Between the quaint and friendly environment, culturally rich coffee menu and iconic logo that I won't forget, Blue Bottle is a must visit if you’re in the Boerum Hill neighborhood and looking for a refreshing coffee experience to boost your morning or afternoon.
