Quick Queer Coffee Review - City Girl Cafe

Is it my imagination or does the Times run an article every six months to a year about how New York City is finally getting good coffee?

The latest iteration of this theme includes a long list of "The Best Coffee Places in Manhattan and Brooklyn."  I was pleased to find my favorite coffeehouse, Cafe Grumpy, again listed among the best.  If you're in Chelsea, stop in and see them at 224 West 20th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues.

I am a creature of habit and having found Grumpy, I rarely venture elsewhere for a special cup or bag of beans.  After all, only at Grumpy have I actually tasted the alleged flavor notes that every bean claims.  The first time I sipped an espresso that actually tasted like blueberries, I nearly fell out of my chair in amazement and delight.  Why mess with success?

The Times list had me wondering, however, if perhaps I was missing something by confining my epicurean coffee enjoyment to one place.  I had an appointment with my tattoo artist in Soho after work, so I scanned through the Times's list and found City Girl Cafe.

Day One - No Caffeine, No Alcohol

By Father Tony

I am inclined to rave about the excellent coffee offered at Joe, but that is probably because I am beginning an experiment in body management today. Even though I consume coffee and wine in moderation and have no health problems related to their daily ingesting, I realized a few days ago that it has been many years since I experienced a day without those commodities. I wondered if perhaps it might be good to embark upon a finite abstention just to see how life feels without them, because I have rather forgotten how life feels without them. They are my norm.

How does it feel thus far? It is almost noon, and I seriously miss the ritual of my morning coffee more than the coffee itself although I fully expect some physical reactions to show up within a day or two. I miss the warmth and weight of the mug and the feeling of privately and specifically engineered indulgence. I know I will miss this again at lunch.

I won't be reaching for a glass of red wine until this evening so there's nothing yet to report about that.

I heartily recommend the coffee at Joe on West 23rd Street (There are other NYC locations), but at this point I would drink gas station coffee and am questioning the merits of this experiment.