Coffee at Noma. Photo taken by Annie. |
René Redzepi wanted the best restaurant coffee in the world. Noma’s staff trained for eight months before debuting their new coffee program. They installed a reverse osmosis filter that’s sole purpose is to filter water for coffee. They hired an extra staff member. Noma decided to do pour over to make a soft coffee unlike any other coffees around. Noma serves ants regularly, but after implementing their new coffee system, they were given a lot of grief from their guests. The man in charge of the coffee had this to say about the terroir “I really want to meet farmers, because for me it’s very important to know the people. The people are where everything starts and ends, and it’s the same with wine. More or less, all the wine that we serve here on a daily basis is from people that I’ve met and visited. For me it’s a very important element of what we do and I intend to do the same with coffee–I want to meet the people and see the places where they grow it, and really understand more about what they do, what they don’t do, and why.”(A Quest For The World’s Best Restaurant Coffee At Noma) |
NOMAStrandgade 93, 1401 København K, Denmark |
 Coffee at Café du Monde. Photo taken by Annie.
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Café du Monde has been around since 1862 and is more than a New Orleans staple. If I had to pick only one experience to highlight New Orleans’ terroir, Café du Monde would be in my top three. It’s open 24 hours, and located in the French Qaurter. Each time I’ve been (always later in the evening) there is amazing people watching to be done and powdered sugar to inhale. The coffee is blended with chicory (endive root was available, coffee was scarce during the American Civil War when the port of New Orleans was blockaded), adding a warm finish and changing the mouthfeel. Café du Monde speaks to the city’s history and lively spirit. Having beignets and coffee at 3am is equivalent to having a Domaine Leroy in Burgundy at sunset. |
Café du Monde800 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70116 |
 Coffee at La Colombe. Photo taken by Annie
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La Colombe makes delicious coffee. I frequented their Chicago location and visited their new tasting room while in Philadelphia. Their mission is hopeful: educate people in order to create better coffee and a better planet. They have fun workshops and an accessible blog with posts like “Jammin’ Out On Kenyan Coffee” and “Coffee Varieties – They Vary.” They break down coffee lingo and while they like rare, single-origin coffees as much as the next shop, their focus is on education and a good time. Their terroir is purely enjoyable. |
La Colombe Fishtown1335 Frankford Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125 La Colombe West Loop Chicago955 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60607 |
 Slate coffee. Photo from The Boston Globe.
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In a city saturated with coffee shops, Slate, is the most memorable. They offer a deconstructed cappuccino. Once ordered, the barista perfectly makes each component of the cappuccino and presents each one with a lengthy explanation. Each time there are details about the origin, the roast and tasting notes of the espresso. And, the same goes for the milk! I’ve been presented two different farms’ milk along with their individual tasting notes. They also offer a two-hour coffee tasting menu. |
Slate in Ballard5413 6th Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107 |
 Careful Siphon brewing in Osaka. Photo taken by Annie.
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I stumbled into this place while waiting for a reservation and it ended up being one of the best coffee adventures I’ve had. The man behind the counter represented the wonderful mindful attention to detail and to graciousness implicit in the terroir of Japan. He was very meticulous during the brewing process, then so warm when presenting the beautiful cup of coffee. He checked on me twice during the cup to make sure I was enjoying it. Even if the coffee hadn’t been brewed perfectly in an extremely (the most) complicated way, it still would’ve been a great cup. |
Osaka, Japan |
Favorite Cafés
