11.06.2009

And I Thought Our Place Was Small...

REMINDER: NORMAL HOURS SUNDAY NOVEMBER 8TH, HOWEVER THE "BRUNCH MENU" IS TAKING A WEEK OFF


We had the great pleasure of visiting Abraco espresso bar this morning. This tiny (emphasis on tiny) cafe serves up Counter Culture Coffee using a La Marzocco Linea and what appeared to be (I couldn't get a close look) Robur E. Forget the equipment specs, what is most important was that the coffee tasted damn good.


Really good. I sampled both a macchiato and an espresso that were made from CC's 'aficionado' blend, while Ali had an appropriately sized americano (bonus points that their default americano size is 4.5 oz).


While I imagine that there are some patrons who might complain of the overtly intimate space, I found it downright comforting to stand shoulder to shoulder with strangers while I waited for my drink. And hey, I know a thing or two about using every square inch of a commercial space; and why pay for an inch of space if isn't going to be filled by some strangers ass on a regular basis? We drink coffee to get us going, right?


Equally as amazing as the coffee was the limited food menu this place churns out. We sampled both a slice of their olive oil cake, as well as a simple cheese and cabbage sandwich (both pictured below).


Spot on.


I found the entire experience inspiring. It brought me back to the simple idea that made us want to open LRBC in the first place: good coffee, good eats, all under one roof. Now more than two years into our own experiment, it makes me laugh to think how far away from that simple concept we have traveled. We're currently stuck in this weird place where we're not quite a coffeehouse, yet something less than a full service restaurant. Somehow we're more often regarded as a restaurant, and whenever we are chastised on the world wide web for not living up to some stranger's expectations, I wish I could reach through my computer screen and into another person's monitor and shout, "We're just a neighborhood coffeeshop people!" But alas, at some point we grew bored with our limited menu and decided to get a little more creative, thus shooting ourselves in the foot (we're not in coffee land anymore, Toto)...

...sorry, I am not quite sure what I am blathering about. This post is about Abraco, not the LRBC.

Bottom line: Abraco kicks f*cking ass! If you're in NYC, go there.

Abraco
86 East 7th Street
New York, NY 10003
(212) 388-9731


5 comments:

Unknown said...

Yes, you are more than a coffee shop and you are not a full-blown "restaurant." What are you? Heaven, that's what. My most favorite place to eat in the world. Seriously, your food, the Courier Coffee, your people, it's all perfect, all the time, for me. If I'm happy I want to go there, if I'm sad I want to go there. Thank you for being you and LRB.

Tim D. Roth said...

I keep trying to find an appropriate simile for the word swoon, but it seems so appropriate for how I feel about the places you visit and the place you own. Love—Tim

Unknown said...

I am SO glad you found this place! I had a meeting there when I was in New York and loved it, but it took forever to find! -Colin

Ali and Evan said...

Jonlyn,
We love you. Thanks for being our "other Mom." We've come to learn that one cannot have too many of these. XO

Mr. Roth,
To be fair, you make us swoon, too.

Colin,
Thank goodness for people who know this city and help us visitors navigate it with such ease. Glad you/we made it here too!

Anonymous said...

hey guys don't underestimate yourselves. i'm constantly in awe of what you do. it may seem humdrum to you since you turn out product on a regular basis. but i promise you, people come to you because you got a good thing going on.
however, with that being said, if you feel unhappy so will we. so do what you gotta do to feel fresh. discover the amazing and continue to pass it on. i trust the two of you.