Longtime readers know that I love drinking and writing about coffee. I've pondered how to get fat faster at Starbucks, whether Starbucks will start selling booze, menu mischief at Starbucks drive throughs, Starbucks secret menu, and coffee at the AALS. Yes, there has been an obsessive focus on Starbucks here - which is an artifact of its ubiquity. In my own defense, I have advocated for fine alternatives such as California's Graffeo and Philly's La Colombe.
Today I want to make the case for the roaster of the tastiest, brightest java I've had in a very long time: Counter Culture Coffee, out of Durham, NC. Why am I so moved? One totally awesome cup of Papua New Guinea coffee which spirited me through an entire exam review session in Criminal Law this morning. And while I'm in the mood to promote things that bring me joy, let me also mention the best prepared coffee in all of Philadelphia - a little gem named Town Hall Coffee in (gasp!) suburban Merion Station, Pennsylvania. Every cup is prepared via pour-over, with freshly ground coffee. It takes forever, but the result is spectacular.
Last class of the term. Incredible cup of coffee. Is this a day for Lotto or what?
Dan - you really need to take the obsession to the next level and start roasting your own beans. Then you'll have assured access to fresh premium coffee (and at about half the cost of roasted beans). It's as easy as popping popcorn. sweetmarias.com is the best place to start and to source green coffee.
Posted by: Brian Ray | April 21, 2011 at 12:37 PM
Dan, you have to try Kopi Luwak or civit cat coffee. At $600 a pound not too many people start the day with a cup. My son bought a small amount as a Christmas gift for his brother-in-law who is a genuine coffee lover. Brother-in-law said it was great. For those who do not know about this delicacy, the coffee beans have first been eaten by a civit cat and then in a partially digested state are harvested from the cat feces. Yum! The cost and other factors have kept me from "enjoying" a cup.
Posted by: Bill Turnier | April 21, 2011 at 02:38 PM
At Wegmans you can have the coffee beans roasted while you grocery shop. To be frank, it smelled great, but I didnt notice much difference in flavor. Maybe it's all in the coffee selection ;-)
Posted by: Jeff Yates | April 21, 2011 at 07:34 PM
I still say that the High Point Cafe in Mt. Airy has the best coffee (and pastries!) in Philadelphia- clearly better than La Colombe, though La Colombe is much better than most. Their beans, from the True North Roasters in Seattle, are great.
Posted by: Matt Lister | April 22, 2011 at 01:57 AM