Drinking it in.

The last couple of weekends, I've taken advantage of the near-perfect early autumn weather to enjoy a few laps around the Central Park Reservoir followed by a stroll down to Joe for a post-workout caffeine hit.

These outings have only added to the love I've been feeling for the Upper East as of late.

We're something of the red-headed stepchild up here, what with our reputation for stuffiness and terrible restaurants, but things have been improving like mad. Plus, we have most of the good museums.

 It's okay; your Metrocard will work up here, I promise. Come visit!

PSA.

Blue Bottle makes one remarkably delicious caffé mocha. Consider yourselves informed, insert a The More You Know gif here, etc.

Either way, get yourself to the nearest Blue Bottle as soon as possible.

Recently.

I've been trying to enjoy the last of summer's bounty these days. The evenings are falling earlier and earlier, but I managed to sneak in a meandering twilight stroll around my neighborhood last week. The Guggenheim looked gorgeous all lit up by the setting sun to the west.

 

The tomatoes have been ridiculously good. I made a little sauce with the San Marzanos and ate the heirloom ones with avocado and red onion.

A couple of Saturdays ago, I stopped into Joe for a pick-me-up cappuccino and a delicious hour of reading. I've been plowing through books on my Kindle this summer; I just finished The Dog Stars and started a Louise Penny mystery.

I spied this cookbook when I popped into Barnes & Noble to pick up a gift for a friend. I'd never heard of Leon (a restaurant in London), but I think I might need this book sooner rather than later. Anything with a cover like this one has to be full of deliciousness. 

Queenie's Treasury: The caffeinated edition.

Happy weekend, my doves! I've been on something of a Treasury hiatus for a while, for which I heartily apologize. Between the trip to Maine and my brother's actual 30th birthday last week (gougères, chocolate chip cookies, and Vietnamese lettuce wraps for 100 were involved), it's been a bit nutty on this end. But I'm back, baby, and ready to rock. This week, we're all about coffee.

First up, some great tips from the wonderful women of Food52 (assisted by the folks from Craft Coffee) on how to brew the perfect cup. Some highlights? Store coffee at room temperature, not in the freezer or refrigerator. Grind the beans fresh, preferably with a burr grinder. And make sure the water you use is actually below boiling - otherwise you're going to get a bitter brew.

But, kids - it is, after all, summer. Which means that cold coffee is at least as important right now as the hot kind. Thank goodness, then, for Bon Appétit's no-nonsense recipe for cold-brewed coffee concentrate. Keep a mason jar of this in your fridge, and you'll never find yourself settling for Starbucks again. (My favorite beans for cold coffee, by the way, are Brazil Rainha from Joe.)

And, finally, a little something to help you brew your best on the go. I'm a sucker for Intelligentsia's iPhone app, which contains step by step instructions for a variety of brewing methods - extremely helpful during the summer travel season, when you find yourself confronted with a variety of unfamiliar coffee makers in varying locales. (A rental vacation home in Maine, for example.)

Stumptown pitstop.

Monday was Presidents' Day here in the States, which meant I had a full extra 24 hours off. I spent my morning going to the gym and drinking a lazy, giant cup of coffee, then headed out for an afternoon of errands and a showing of The Artist. Afterward, I made my way down to 29th and Broadway to stock up on coffee (the lazy, giant cup having rather depleted my stash) at Stumptown.

I grabbed an Ethiopian blend from the shelf and ordered myself a cappuccino. I drank it standing in the window, watching dusk fall over the neighborhood. It was a bittersweet moment, knowing I had to head home to do a bit of work before the evening was out. But the sweet outweighed the bitter - just enough.

Hipster Chicago.

While in Chicago, I got a chance to see its hipster side in full effect. Examples include this meticulously-curated collection of vintage kitchenware at the Randolph Street Market (the whole place was lousy with hipsters)...

...and this chair at Buzz, a coffee shop in Oak Park. (Oak Park, I understand, being the place where Chicagoan hipsters go when they pop out the babies.)

Warm beverages I've known and loved (recently).

Hot chocolate (with melty marshmallow) at Peels.

Cappuccino at La Colombe on Lafayette.
La Colombe cappuccino, take two.

Cappuccino at my new neighborhood Joe.

Joe's adorable to-go cup.

Einspanner (double espresso with whipped cream) at Café Sabarsky.

Adorable and caffeinated.

Healdsburg is one of my very favorite places in all of Napa and Sonoma. It's small and charming, but chock full of excellent shopping, food and coffee. And they decorate the pine trees in the park in the center of town, too. So freaking adorable!

On this trip, we made a stop at Flying Goat Coffee before making a circuit of the town. I haven't made an exhaustive survey or anything, but I feel comfortable saying it's unlikely you'll find a better cup in the area. I had a bittersweet mocha, and it was delightful. Rich and interesting, and not at all too sweet. My friend Jeff had the Mexican version, with a whole host of ingredients that sounded overcomplicated, but actually turned out to join together and sign in perfect, delicate harmony.

And such pretty machines, too.

Flying Goat Coffee
324 Center Street
Healdsburg, California

Mixed feelings.

Nick, Louisa and I enjoyed a lovely breakfast at The Breslin last Friday. The coffee was stupendous, the baked eggs with tomato and chorizo simply glorious, and the service, frankly, lacking. At a restaurant of The Breslin's quality, I shouldn't have to wait ten minutes for sugar for my coffee.

But, man, what good coffee it is. Love you, Stumptown.

Braving it.

If you weren't in New York on Sunday, you might not know this, but...man, did it rain. Not pretty, misty rain. Serious, pounding, stay-inside-unless-you-feel-like-getting-soaked rain. It was one of those days that you're pretty sure you'd prefer to spend curled up with a cup of tea and a novel, you know?

But I didn't just curl up with a book - in fact, I had a pretty fantastic afternoon on the town, which started with a lovely brunch at Vandaag. Vandaag, opened its doors about a year ago in the East Village, and is one of my favorite eating spaces in the city. It feels cozy but open - nothing's crowded, but everything is intimate, if that makes any sense.

I've been for dinner, and I've been for cocktails, but this was my first brunch visit. My very favorite thing was the coffee, a pour-over brew of single-origin beans. Delicious - smooth, round and full. The way coffee should always be, but so rarely is.

I ordered the slow-poached eggs, which arrived cooked to oozy-yolk perfection and surrounded by mustard greens, some cherry tomatoes, croutons, a bit of corn, and the best part of all: pickled beets. The beets were sweet and just a bit piquant - and tasted to me as if they'd been tossed with a bit of butter on their way to me. Not a bad idea.

My friend Caroline ordered one of the house specialties: hette bliksem (hot lightning). A cast-iron crock arrived bearing the dish, which was made up of crispy potatoes and bacon tossed with a stroop syrup. (You know the filling in a stroopwafel cookie? That stuff.) Except that this syrup had a spicy kick to it. So it was a big ol' bowl of potatoes and bacon coated with spicy caramel. Crazy delicious and interesting, but perhaps better as a shared side than a main course.

I can't wait to go back and try the pork belly and scrambled eggs, or the other coffees. And since it's a straight shot down the east side, I don't think I'll have to wait too long.

Chill out.

Summer is here, people! New York is fully immersed in the season, right down to the thunderstorms, torrential flash floods and fluctuating mugginess. There's good stuff, too, like free outdoor movies, striped shirts and even sunny days!

High up on my list of good stuff, as you already know, sits that caffeinated seasonal wonder: iced coffee. I've figured out my perfect formula for iced coffee at home (your mileage may, no doubt, vary), so I thought I'd share a recipe of sorts with you. It's mostly proportionate, since everyone has differently-sized coffee makers. I do recommend going with French press or pour-over coffee (like that made with a Chemex), since it will be both richer and less bitter.

And don't forget the coffee ice cubes! I typically make an extra pot of the same-strength coffee and freeze it in a designated tray, then pop the cubes out individually when it comes time to drink and enjoy. And if you like your coffee sweet, you'll want to scroll on down to the simple syrup recipe. Granulated sinks to the bottom, but syrup mixes right in.

Queenie's Homemade Iced Coffee

Your favorite coffee beans, ground
Water
Half and half, if you wish
Simple syrup (recipe follows)

This isn't really so much a recipe as a method. Make a pot of coffee with about 25% more coffee beans than you normally would. (For example, to make a full pot in my little French press, I use four scoops. To make my iced coffee and iced coffee cubes, I use five.)

Pour the coffee into a mason jar and allow to cool on the counter. Once it's a reasonable temperature (not too steamy), close up the jar and place it in the fridge to chill.

Pour into a glass (leave room for ice) and doctor as you wish with half and half and simple syrup. Add ice (or coffee ice cubes) and enjoy the caffeinated refreshment.


Simple Syrup

1 cup sugar (either granulated or Turbinado)
1 cup water

In a small saucepan, mix together the sugar and water with a wooden spoon. Turn on the heat to medium-low and gently cook the sugar into the water, stirring occasionally until it is completely dissolved. Allow to cool and pour into a container. Store in the fridge for up to two months.

Coffee & donuts.

I am normally staunchly opposed to stuff in my ice cream. Ben & Jerry's has never been my favorite, in large part because they tend to add a whole slew of stuff to their flavors. For most, this is a prime attraction. All I see, though, are pint-sized minefields of over-frozen pretzels and chunks of chocolate, all chilled for far too long and at far too high a temperature to actually taste like anything. Bleh.

But. But, but, but. At Shake Shack, the special flavors that have, well, stuff in them are different. For starters, the custard is soft-serve, and so the added bits and pieces are in no danger of freezing to the point of tooth-cracking stiffness. And since everything is made fresh, the add-ins have just enough time to integrate, but not enough time to assimilate. In short, you can chew on and taste everything, as opposed to eating around chunks of chocolate hard enough to shatter your enamel.

I like.

And I especially like this month's special flavor for Saturdays: Coffee & Donuts. The coffee custard is rich, creamy and just a little bit salty, in the way that all of the most delicious sweet things are. The donuts are a light cake, and have a slightly maple flavor to them. They're soaked in the custard, but are a bit spongy instead of just soggy - kind of like (you guessed it) a donut that you've dunked in really good coffee.

Go forth and enjoy, free from the fear of the deeply frozen pretzel.

An unexpected treat.

As a tried and true caffeine fiend, I can typically be trusted to show up pretty much anywhere with a coffee cup in hand. My current favorite is Stumptown, the Portland, Oregon based roasters and brewers who've recently opened up (limited) shop here in New York.

I'm far too busy (read: lazy) to make my way to the Stumptown shop at the Ace Hotel on a regular basis, so imagine my delight when I discovered that Balthazar Bakery, which brews Stumptown, also stocks a couple of different bean blends.

I stop in to Balthazar for a fix a couple of times a month (They're near my stylist Holly's salon, and my new 'do requires bang trims approaching the fanatical.), but I'd never noticed the wall o' beans before. I quickly snapped up a pound of the Balthazar blend, roasted on May 18th. It's round and rich and strong, but not bitter. Pretty perfect, right?

My apartment, it must be said, smells divinely of coffee at the moment. Bliss.

Queenie's Treasury: Caffeinated Edition

It's a very rainy Saturday here in New York, but I've already been below 14th Street - twice! I visited the Greenmarket (ramps, asparagus AND lilacs on offer - spring is truly here) and stopped in to say hello to Miss Holly and have my bangs trimmed. Now I'm reveling in the aftermath of a delectable asparagus-egg-and-bacon lunch (recipe to come) and pondering all of the Easter-related cooking to come this afternoon. In the meantime, let's take a look at this week's all-coffee Treasury!

First up, a super-helpful guide to New York's coffee scene, courtesy of Eater. Ever wanted to know the difference between Cafe Grumpy and Joe, or what the heck the deal is with Abraco? No longer shall you have any excuse to visit Starbucks.

In further coffee news, Merrill of Food52 has published her definitive guide to homemade iced coffee, just in time for the warm weather that (I'm told) is currently sweeping much of the nation. (Jerks.) As opposed to the oft-advocated cold brew, Merrill suggests a cooled, strong French press coffee and espresso ice cubes. Approved on both counts!

Jupiter, Florida. November 6, 2010.

Some photos from my trip to Florida back at the beginning of the month. Coffee, pool...only thing missing? The giant Manhattans served at my grandmother's country club. Kudos, Nonie. Kudos.

Coffee. Coffee! COFFEE!

It's no secret that I absolutely worship a good cup of coffee. As proof, I thought I'd do a little coffee porn retrospective. Think of it as coffee Queenie has known and loved. Or think of it as the sort of thing that gives you a contact high. Whichever you prefer. Either way, enjoy!

The basics: French press, drip, whichever. You brew it, I'll give it a go.

Chez Queenie, 2009.

Hotel Fauchère, Milford, Pennsylvania, June 2009.

Chez Queenie, June 2009.

Café Sabarsky, February 2010.

Cold coffee, a classic summertime choice.

88 Orchard, August 2010.

Joe, August 2010.

Cappuccinos and lattes - milk does make everything better, or at least creamier.

Joe, April 2009.

Joe, December 2009.

Joe, April 2009.

And, finally, the perfect end to any meal: espresso.

Chez Queenie, August 2008.

Camille, Paris, November 2008.

Charlie Trotter's, Chicago, November 2009.

Joe. Upper West Side, NYC. 5:00 PM, Saturday, August 29th.

This iced Americano? Is full of win.

Coffee upon coffee.

Iced coffee with coffee ice cubes is pretty freaking amazing, right? I mean, I make iced coffee at home all the time, but I never take the effort to actually make the coffee ice cubes. But after the fabulous, strong-to-the-last-sip coffee I had yesterday at 88 Orchard, I'm really wondering why not. WHY NOT?

In fact, please excuse me while I go get the French press all ready for an ice cube-bound pot of brew.