More about coffee. Who could tire of it?

There are few things in life as simple as a good cup of  joe. Every day, in virtually every country in the world, millions and millions of people enjoy a seemingly endless array of coffee.  I have set out to explore as many different kinds from as many different places as humanly possible. If it’s a bean or brewing method that I haven’t seen before, I’m going to try it.

One of the great things about New York City is that the world comes to you. So beans and brewing methods from across the globe can be found in the Big Apple – as long as you’re willing to look beyond the corner Starbucks and the 24-hour Dunkin Donuts.

These are some of my favorite coffee shops, old friends and new– a variety of coffeehouses, for the coffee snob like me.

1.    71 Irving Place Coffee and Tea Bar
71 Irving Place
212-995-5252

Any place that takes the time and makes the effort to get freshly roasted beans to the consumer the way that Irving Farm does gets kudos from me. The beans are roasted on a farm in upstate New York and then shipped down to Manhattan. You know for sure that these guys know their coffee and care about what they serve. There are several Starbucks in the Union Square area alone – but take a slight detour to Irving Place for a much more authentic coffee experience.

2.    The Mud Truck

Since we’re talking about Union Square – if you don’t head to 71 Irving Place, look for the bright orange Mud Truck – usually hanging out on the corner by Virgin Records. Unlike the brown sludge that most street vendors pass off as coffee, The Mud Truck takes its Arabica beans seriously. The novelty of the Mud Truck is taking off – four bright orange trucks now dot Manhattan streets. If you’re not keen on standing on a street corner waiting for a cup,  head to the flagship Kiehl’s store at 109 Third Avenue (13th Street), where the Mud Truck has set up shop indoors.

3.    Aroma Espresso Bar
160 Wooster Street

Israel’s answer to Starbucks recently hit NYC with the opening of the Aroma Espresso Bar in SoHo. Who knew the Israelis had such a knack for coffee? More European than you might think, Aroma consistently serves up a fresh brew – grinding its beans every 2-3 hours rather than pre-grinding every day like most places. Aroma makes my list for being open 24 hours, which is something you appreciate in NYC.

4.    Telegraphe Espresso Bar
107 West 18th Street

My favorite kinds of places are the holes-in-the-wall that you might miss this one if you blink as you walk down 18th street. I’m not the only one who walked passed Telegraphe on the way to the subway or to work without taking note. But when I finally did stop and look, I found a fantastic espresso in an oddly shaped space on a street known more for big box retailers than cozy cafes. Grab a seat by the window and sip your latte as you watch the people go by for a purely New York experience.

5.    Grey Dog Coffee
33 Carmine Street

Grey Dog reminds me of every little town in New England or the Pacific Northwest – where you taste the charm of the place almost as much as the coffee itself. The only difference of course is that when you walk out after getting your cup, you’re hit with the sounds and smells of New York and not some beach town in Maine or Oregon. Rustic charm gets me every time and Grey Dog’s House Blend doesn’t disappoint.

6.    Jack’s Stir Brewed Coffee
136 W. 10th Street

I can see how the organic/fair trade/shade grown thing might attract business. Socially conscious and environmentally friendly coffee is a big hit these days. But Jack’s reeled me in with a new brewing technique that is definitely worth the trip. Stirring the beans as the coffee is brewing results in a cleaner, more authentic flavor. It’s the kind of thing you wonder how it could have taken so long for someone to figure out. Jack’s is another hole-in-the-wall that serves an incredible cup in a hip, friendly environment that makes you wish you lived around the corner.

7.    Oren’s Daily Roast

Oren’s is a small chain that doesn’t really act like one. Since each store gives you the impression that it’s the only one, I find myself looking for Oren to pour a cup for me. Oren’s does what a small chain can do – they buy fresh beans and roast them at their own plant. The only way to get fresher coffee is to roast the beans in the store itself. It’s good to have such quality around as an answer to the inferior brews being peddled as “freshly roasted.”

8.    Porto Rico Importing Co.
201 Bleeker Street

If you casually glance inside, you’ll see giant burlap sacks of coffee in organized stacks all over the floor. But if you trek a little further inside, you’ll see a tiny bar in the back where you can get a great cup of coffee. These guys know everything you need to know about the almighty bean. I owe a friend of mine a debt of gratitude for taking me to Porto Rico for the first time – because if I’m even close, I’ll make the trip over for a cup. This is also a perfect place to try creating your own blends as the coffee experts will guide you to what works well together and what surely doesn’t.

9.    Café Grumpy
224 West 20th Street

Relatively new to the coffee scene in Manhattan, Café Grumpy serves up one of the most unique brews I have ever tasted. Going completely against the Starbucks grain of quick-serve coffee, Café Grumpy makes sure you get the best cup you can possibly get. They do this with the Clover machine – the coolest thing I have seen in a coffee shop. Although it takes 40 seconds to get your cup, it comes out exactly how you want it. No guessing game here – you give your specs to the barista and 40 seconds later, out it comes. Apparently these machines are ridiculously expensive, but I hope more places start using them.

10.    McNulty’s Coffee and Tea Company
109 Christopher Street

I’m cheating here and I accept full responsibility for doing so. McNulty’s has been around since 1895 but to my knowledge, they do not serve coffee in the store. They do however sell some first class beans and they know their stuff. So McNulty’s makes my list because of a little device called the French Press. If you’re in NYC for business or pleasure, that cheap little coffeemaker in your hotel room just isn’t going to satisfy you. This is where McNulty’s comes in. Head down to the village and pick up a French Press and a pound of coffee. You’ll be living it up every morning while the guy next door is drinking the sludge from the hotel restaurant. All you need is some hot water, which you can conveniently get from the aforementioned cheap hotel coffeemaker.

Jeff Mandell is a coffee fanatic who, sneaking sips of his mother’s coffee as a child, was under the impression that it would stunt his growth. Overcoming that popular parental coffee myth, Jeff downed gallons upon gallons of brewed delights in college before becoming a Starbucks barista. That experience opened his eyes to the world of coffee that he has been exploring ever since.