Swanky Coffee Splurges

Green Beans

by Kelly White

	print	email	reply	rss feed

Published: Jan 8, 2008

Ten pounds of Jamaican Blue Mountain will set you back $265. But you can also indulge in the roast — grown in Jamaica on a protected reserve of land — for $8 a cup at Ray's. Watch the rare, full-bodied brew drip through a maze of beakers before it's transferred to a fancy china cup and served with a chocolate-dipped cookie.

What makes XIX's Illy coffee so extravagant? Perhaps it's the exclusive pressurization method that preserves the freshness of the beans. Just rest assured that your $4 dose of java was prepared especially for you by the class-act staff.

What's the ultimate caffeinated luxury? Brewing your own rare blends for cupping at home. If you're so inclined, your shopping list should include Old City Coffee's $39/pound Hawaiian Kona, harvested in the state's famed "coffee belt." There are certainly worse things to drink in your own bed on your own silk sheets.

So you want the (extremely uncommon) goods? Local roaster and wholesaler Torreo has the hot stuff for you. The El Salvador Los Alpes will challenge your taste buds, with its flavor combination of cocoa, apple and spices. A 12-ounce bag priced at $16.50 should satiate your inner coffee snob.

A quick, exotic café getaway can be found in NoLibs in the form of Arbol's decadent mate dulce latte ($4.75 for a large). A spin-off on the national drink of Paraguay, coconut-creme-infused mate (steeped from the yerba mate plant, somewhat comparable to tea) is pumped up with espresso and drizzled with chocolate for a beverage that's both sweet and potent.

 

All reader comments are subject to our Terms of Use. By clicking Post Comment, you acknowledge that you have reviewed and agree to these Terms.

Name	please enter your name
Email (will not be published)	please enter a valid email
Comment	please enter a comment
Enter the security code on the right in the textbox below.
Security Code	please enter the code
	Join the City Paper Mailing List

Feeding Frenzy
Cult of Seasonality
Positively Fourth Street
The Week In Eats