DAVIDsTEA Opens in Westport

On the twelfth night of Christmas, my true love brewed for me,” 1 buddha’s blend, 2 matcha matsu, 3 long life oolong, 4 la la lemon, 5 chocolate orange...and so the song goes. New to Main Street in downtown Westport, just in time for the holidays, is DAVIDsTEA, a Canadian company started by two cousins who wanted to introduce the masses to the ancient world of loose leaf tea in a fun, modern environment. Initially successful in Canada with over 80 stores, the cousins decided to set up shop in the U.S. with Westport following the likes of NYC, Chicago and San Francisco.

Click to read more ...

NEAT Artisan Coffee Bar Now Open in Greenwich

Good news for people living and working in Greenwich CT. The espresso NEAT we know and love from Darien has just opened a coffee bar in the lobby @ 100 West Putnum in downtown Greenwich. NEAT will be serving beverages, pastries, lunch & sweets. Don't look for a sign because there is none, but you are now "in the know," so just walk on in and they'll make you your favorite NEAT drink just like in Darien.

They be open from 7:30am to 4:30pm during the week, and are offering an assortment of breakfast and lunch items from Wave Hill Breads Bakery & Cafe as well as a selection of Vegan-friendly food items from Green & Tonic.  

Get caffeinated!

Click to read more ...

Guide To Great Sustainable Coffee in Fairfield County

Coffee joints have always been key meeting grounds, but in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, good quality caffeine and WIFI reign supreme. However, cafes such as Green Leaf Organic Bakery and Cafe in Wilton, Terrain in Westport, Sugar & Olives in Norwalk, Tusk & Cup in Ridgefield, & espresso NEAT in Darien are going beyond basic coffee service. Here's why...(re-posted with permission from the Fairfield Green Food Guide)

Ah, it’s getting to be hot-beverage season (but then again, maybe it always is). Are you a mom who is back to inhabiting cafes with friends now that the kids are back in school? Or a traveler passing through Fairfield County? Either way, a great cup of joe is always on the destination list. But where to get one? And, more importantly, where to enjoy a sustainable cup of coffee? That’s the trickier part because not all joe is created equal.

Click to read more ...

Tusk & Cup Coffee Shops Opens in Branchville

Bleary-eyed Branchville commuters now have a few more options for their morning caffeine fix. Tusk & Cup Fine Coffee has opened across the street from the Branchville train station at 51 Ethan Allen Highway (Route 7) in Ridgefield. Owners Joe and Laura Ancona, the same family that owns and runs nearby Ancona’s Market and Ancona’s Wines & Liquors, opened Tusk & Cup in November, a fine complement to the family-owned businesses and this burgeoning neighborhood of small businesses. 

Click to read more ...

Say Good Bye to Doc's Cafe in Westport (w/ a Party!)

Longtime Westport favorite, Doc's Cafe, will close this Saturday as the building is being torn down for development. But fear not, before they close the doors Docs will be throwing a party to say "thank you" all of their loyal customers on Saturday November 19th between 3-6 p.m. Complimentary coffee, espresso drinks, beer, wine, hors d'oeuvres and sweets will be served. Plus...read on for info on a possible move. 

Native Texan and longtime Westport resident Yvonne Dougherty opened Doc’s Café in September 2000, and her eclectic, family-friendly coffee shop has been a fixture in the town’s Saugatuck neighborhood ever since. Yvonne fell in love with the coffee business in the mid-nineties while serving as an entry-level barista at Juba’s, a small café housed in the former Peter’s Bridge Market space. Over the past decade, Doc’s Café, buoyed by a loyal following of commuters and lunch patrons, has served tens of thousands of expertly crafted cappuccinos, lattes and cups of their signature French roast blend, Sledgehammer.

Click to read more ...

espressoNEAT: Home Brewing Class

espressoNEAT in my biased opinion serves the best espresso in Fairfield County. Located in Darien, their baristas are well trained experts, and their devotion to their craft is obvious from the first sip of any of their coffee based beverages. 

For anyone who appreciate a good cuppa, you'll want to check out their home brewing class on November 5th @ 7:30 pm. Learn how to translate espressoNeats's passion for the perfect coffee into your own home. In this one hour session, NEAT will guide you in the fundamentals of buying, storing, grinding, and brewing and help you get the best out of your coffee. 

Who: NEAT folks who like good brew at home

What: 1 hour home brewing basics course

Where: NEAT (20 Grove Street)

When: Saturday, November 5th @ 7:30AM (8 person limit)                

email info@espressoNEAT.com to sign up.

World Barista Champion Pulling Shots @ espressoNEAT

Coffee + Chocolate + 1 Coffee Celebrity= Fun. What more could you ask for on a Thursday night?

Come to NEAT this Thursday (August 11) at 8pm to meet the World Barista Champion, Michael Phillips, taste delicious coffees paired with chocolate, and enjoy a late night espresso prepared by Michael himself.

Michael is going to be spending a bit of time this week right here in CT, working with NEAT in their constant pursuit of top notch coffee and deilghtful service.  They are thrilled to be able to host him at NEAT.

He'll be working behind the espresso machine at NEAT a bit as well, so look for him on Friday and Saturday. 

Meet Michael Phillips
In addition to being one of the nicest guys you've ever met, Michael also has quite a resume in the world of specialty coffee.  After winning the US Barista Competition in 2009 and 2010, he took home the World Barista Championship in 2010, making him the first (and only!) from the good ol' US of A to ever win the WBC.  Michael ran the training program at Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea prior to co-founding Handsome Coffee Roasters earlier this year with two of his cohorts from Intelligentsia.

Babycat Milkbar Opens in Wilton

With a cup of iced Ruby Slippers tea in hand, I made my way through Babycat Milkbar, Fairfield County's latest pop up shop and cafe in Wilton.   

The brainchild of Jeena Choi, Babycat Milkbar is a temporary shop designed as a gathering space and small retail hub for coffee, tea and often hard-to-find locally sourced treats. The shop's items include the owners own brand of tea, Mamacat’s Q. Tea and others we know and love such as Cake Box in Ridgefield, SoNo Baking Company in Norwalk, Red Bee Apiary in Weston, Zumbach's Gourmet Coffee in New Canaan as well as other local artisans, photographers and crafters. 

Click to read more ...

Arogya Tea in Westport

Photography by Pam Zaremba

Woodsy, flowery and herbal scents wafted towards the entrance of AROGYA as I sought shelter from the cold drizzle of the damp, spring day.  Part tea boutique, part apothecary, AROGYA is committed to providing the ultimate tea drinking experience to novice and devoted tea connoisseurs alike.  There were two contemporary glass teapots  filled with  steaming liquid on the reception desk.   I made a bee line for the golden hued warmth, placed both hands around the handsome ceramic cup that was offered to me and inhaled the deep, earthy flavor of Pu-erh.  The knowledgeable and friendly woman behind the counter explained that I was drinking organic Yunnan Pu-erh tea leaves combined with organic ginger. She proclaimed it to be the perfect warming  anecdote to the chilly damp day. She was correct.

Click to read more ...

Breakfast @ Fat Cat Pie Co.

Did your mother ever scold you as you reached into the fridge in the wee hours to grab a slice of leftover pizza? Bread, cheese, tomatoes…breakfast of champions, right?  Fat Cat Pie Co. which is well known for their wafer thin crusted pizzas laden with decadent toppings (see our pizza shout out), has validated this college craving by mastering the fine art of pizza for breakfast. Yes, it is a little known fact. Fat Cat opens its doors in the am serving a casual breakfast and lunch daily from 8am to 2pm.  You may not find a hash brown to speak of on this diminutive menu, but you will find more interesting fare including breakfast "pies" with local organic eggs, sandwiches boasting the culinarily renown Bloodroot bread, as well as a selection of home made baked goods and granola. It is a laid back affair with top notch coffee and a barista who cares (note the latte art). For a diner seeking something beyond the "diner," Fat Cat is a breath of fresh air...and fresh ingredients. 

Click to read more ...