Joe: The Art Of Coffee

When researching the best coffee shops in New York City, you are guaranteed to see one name mentioned in all blogs: Joe. Joe Coffee is one of New York's most reputable coffee shops, and I decided that it was time for me to see if its coffee lived up to its reputation. I screwed up this past weekend by not going to the original location for Ninth Street Espresso, another one of the top dogs in New York, and made sure not to make the same mistake with Joe. There are five different locations around the city, but the one most often talked about is located on Waverly Place in the West Village. The West Village is home to some of the best coffee shops in New York, including my personal favorite, Grounded coffee on Jane Street.

I had first heard about Joe because I had read that Amy Sedaris would occasionally sell her famous cheeseballs and cupcakes there. I called Joe almost every free day I had asking if they had them in that day. I was always met with them telling me she rarely does that anymore, but I refused to accept that. In my mind, she would have to make them eventually, and I was relentless with my calling. It wasn't until after the daily phone calls that I began reading about Joe online. So many bloggers, and even sources like The New York Times, would praise Joe as one of the best coffee shops in the city. I still continue to think of it as "The Amy Sedaris Place," and after reading so many positive reviews, I decided it was finally time for the baristas to meet the man behind the phone.

Considering its prestige, I expected a line out the door. It wasn't chaotic, but there weren't any seats available inside. I decided to go with the drip coffee without milk or sugar, in order to get the true Joe experience. The coffee was fantastic, and the baristas were very friendly. In fact, they even have biographies for all of their baristas on their website. Joe gets their coffee roasted from Ecco Caffe, a company from California that roasts high quality, fair trade coffee from around the world. It is clear why Joe is considered one of the top in New York. They even offer classes for those interested in learning anything from basic brewing to making the perfect espresso.

I'm sure if you're a New Yorker with a coffee habit, or obsession, you have at the very least heard of Joe, and most likely have gone there. This is maybe at the top of my list of "must visit" coffee shops in the city. I have only been to the Waverly Place location, which I believe is the original, and definitely most popular location. I plan on going back here, and to Ninth Street Espresso, to really get a grasp of the entire menu.

Location: Waverly Place and Gay Street in the West Village.

Directions: 1 and 2 trains to Christopher Street, A,C,E,B,V,F trains to West 4th street.

Website: www.joetheartofcoffee.com