Cafe Royal in Greenpoint-BBQ-All-You-Can-Eat for Memorial Day!

Go to Cafe Royal in Greenpoint for your regular Stumptown coffee or some yummy BBQ.  Cafe Royal will be serving All-You-Can-Eat BBQ for $20 today, Memorial Day.  This special menu will be available starting at 4pm. Cafe Royal is located at 195 Nassau Avenue between Jewel & Diamond.  Call (718) 472-2150 for more info.

Milk & Roses Coffee Shop in Greenpoint, Brooklyn

In almost ninety-degree weather, Diego and I rode our bikes to check out Milk and Roses, the new café in the Greenpoint neighborhood.  In our visit we had the chance to meet owner, Tommaso Mazzoni.

I asked Mazzoni if I was right to think his business was a coffee shop. He said, “it’s a café with the purpose of being a special gathering place for people”. When they get the beer and wine license it will be a wine & beer garden as well.

“The business was not born for business, it was born to give people peace of mind.” I guess that explains why the indoor room is almost bare with only eight tiny tables, a chesterfield sofa, and a piano.  Tommaso says he is not worried about turning tables, he wants the place to be somewhere where people come for fresh air, quiet and a small taste of good food.  “Yes, there could be more chairs and tables but that is not what I wanted to create.”  He is counting the days until the grass fully grows in so that people can bring blankets and lay in the backyard among the Japanese Cherry Blossoms and Fairy Roses that he himself picked and planted.

This airy space with bookshelves is inviting and the coffee from Espresso Emporium (Miscelad’oro blend mailed from Sicily) is strong but delicious.  You can’t miss the place if you just look for Vespas and motorcycles (Tommaso parks them in front).

Milk and Roses is located at 1110 Manhattan Avenue between Clay & Dupont.  You can take the G to Greenpoint and walk 7 blocks to Dupont.

Atmosphere-5 Stars

Pastries- N/A

Coffee-4 Stars 

Service-Benvenuto

Price-$

Tillie's of Brooklyn in Fort Greene

Tillie’s makes everyone feel like they are at home.  When passing the place, you can’t help but feel like people inside will know you.

This corner neighborhood hangout is a staple in the Fort Greene neighborhood and every Pratt student and artist living here has come here at sometime or another.  They have it all; food, coffee, a ton of vegan treats, peanut butter cheesecake, art on the walls, reliable wi-fi and easy-going staff.  The place gets crowded but I hear it’s not a problem during the week.  Warning for the people that use coffee shops as their temporary office space-there are no outlets for computers. 

Tillie’s hosts open mic nights every other Thursday, have a huge community bulletin board and hold frequent performances by local artists.  The coffee isn’t perfect but one should definitely come here for the snicker doodles and company.

Tillie’s is located at 248 Dekalb Ave. between Clermont & Vanderbilt in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Take the C or G to Clinton-Washington Ave. 
(718) 783-6140
www.tilliesofbrooklyn.com

Milk & Roses Coffee Shop in Greenpoint, Brooklyn

Milk and Roses coffee shop in North Greenpoint opened 22 days ago! We will check it out tomorrow and post something soon. Milk and Roses cafe is located at 1110 Manhattan Avenue between Clay & Dupont.  
(718) 389-0160

Urban Vintage Cafe in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn

Six weeks ago yesterday, Urban Vintage, a cafe, tea house, and antique furniture store officially opened for business on the quiet corner of Clifton Place & Grand Avenue in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn.   Sisters, Elizabeth and Emily, daughters of Maria and Errol Hazelwood, opened this unique coffee business in Clinton Hill, the neighborhood they grew up in.  I say unique because we have yet to see a coffee house in New York that sells antiques and things quite like this.

The place is inviting, warm and full of light.  And members of the family make you feel like you are not in New York because they greet you with a smile and take care of you.   An antique sofa, marble coffee table, and chandelier make you feel like you are in grandma’s living room.  Other wooden tables with old-fashioned fans or plants are spread throughout the place to give guest a nice variety of seating options.   People with laptops seem to be attracted to the small bar facing the large windows.   The place is sometimes very quiet because clients are mindful of noise but if you are lucky you will hear someone playing great tunes on the piano.

Some of the pastries are from Balthazar and the coffee is from Crop to Cup.  We will definitely be back to taste the meals that we heard so much about from excited Clinton Hill locals. 

Urban Vintage is located at 294 Grand Avenue between Lafayette Avenue and Clifton Place. (718) 783-6045.

http://urbanvintageNY.com

Urban Vintage Cafe & more in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn

Since we are checking out the cafes and coffee shops in Fort Greene and Clinton HIll all week, we thought you should see this place we stumbled upon.   Urban Vintage cafe opened six weeks ago, today.  It is located at 294 Grand Avenue between Lafayette Avenue and Clifton Place.  We will be visiting Urban Vintage this week.  

Outpost Coffee Lounge, Juice Bar & Gallery in Clinton Hill

Outpost Coffee Lounge, Juice Bar & Gallery in Clinton Hill is a cafe with electric energy.   You either feel it or you don’t because some people say they still don’t get why people are drawn to the place.  The lounge has been on the South side of Fulton between Grand Avenue. & Downing Street for five years and it is fairly easy to get to by train.   

When you enter you don’t want to stop and order, you want to keep looking to see what you can find.  The café feels like a wide, railroad style lounge with a European bar, a spacious middle room full of mismatched tables, couches and chairs, and a garden blocking the sun, bringing in the shade and a good internet connection. 

The food.  Wow.  We tried a lot and all of it was fresh and appetizing.   Salmon, tomato, and cucumber sandwich - tasty.  Roasted tomato soup with goat cheese - smooth and delicious.  Mozzarella and tomato - oh, definitely too much, but we fit it all in.  Sweet potato bread and coffee had to be ordered to go. 

One of the owners made me a special double espresso with caramel and it kicked a buzz in me for hours!  Thank heavens Diego can’t drink this stuff.  Coffee drinks are a must here and the names of their specialty drinks are displayed at the left corner of the bar on creative little signs.  They have fun names like Bed–Stuy Chai, the Mayor of St. James, The Rockaways, and more.   All of their coffee (Dean’s Beans from Massachusetts), tea, and cocoas are 100% organic and fair trade.

Check out the calendar on their website because they have a good amount of events and art exhibits that may interest you.  Outpost is located at 1014 Fulton Street between Grand Ave. and Downing St.  (718) 636-1260. www.outpostlounge.com

Bittersweet (Coffee, Espresso & Ice Cream) in Fort Greene

Is Bittersweet sweet, or what?  It’s super sweet and so is the staff.  Bittersweet  espresso & ice cream joint perfectly located by Fort Greene Park, is quaint and irresistible.   An outdoor sign with delightful messages lets you know that your day is about to get better. 

You almost stumble upon the counter when entering but it’s all right because the staff is ready to serve you with a smile.  On the right hand side a circular sign screams, “ice cream” and another describes all the hot and cold coffee drinks and Serendipi Teas.   Homemade ice cream flavors include bittersweet chocolate, classic vanilla, Jamaican grapenut, Fort Greene tea, blackberry, passion fruit sorbet (vegan) and coconut sorbet (vegan).   However, they only serve six flavors at a time.

All specialty coffee drinks are made with two shots of espresso (Corsica).  A variety of pastries are available: cookies from Choice Market, croissants and scones from Balthazar, and Rugelach from Margaret Palca Bakes.  We will definitely be back to taste the “Espresso Float”.

Bittersweet Café is located at 180 Dekalb between Carlton Ave. and Cumberland St. To arrive, take the G to Lafayette or the C to Fulton St. (718) 852-2556

Atmosphere- 4 Stars

Pastries- 5 Stars
Coffee-4 Stars
Service-Lovely
Price- $

Clinton Park Cafe in Clinton HIll, Brooklyn

Clinton Park Cafe is coming soon to coffee drinkers and residents of Clinton Hill and Fort Greene.  This coffee shop is located at 274 Hall Street between Fort Greene and DeKalb and next door to Pratt's sculpture garden. 
Read more: http://www.brownstoner.com

Le Gamin on Franklin Street in Greenpoint, Brooklyn

Le Gamin, new cafe on Franklin Street in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, officially opened.  We found them putting the final touches on the cafe.  Le Gamin is located at 108 Franklin Street between Noble and Oak.   
(718) 770-7918 
www.legamin.com

City is Buzzing with Cafes by V.L. Hendrickson (amNewYork)

Story from today's amNewYork Dining Out section.  
City is Buzzing with Cafes
by V.L. Hendrickson
http://www.amny.com

Fort Greene & Clinton Hill Coffee Shops Photo Blog

Pillow Cafe Lounge

505 Myrtle Ave. between 
Grand Ave. 
& Ryerson St.

Clinton Hill/Bed-Stuy

(718) 246-2711

pillowcafenyc.com

Bittersweet

180 Dekalb Ave. 
between 
Carlton Ave. & 
Cumberland St.

Fort Greene

(718) 852-2556

Tillie's

248 DeKalb Ave. between

Clermont  &

Vanderbilt

Fort Greene

(718) 783-6140

Smooch

264 Carlton Ave 
between 
Dekalb Ave & 
Willoughby Ave
Fort Greene

(718) 624-4075

smoochorganic.com

Outpost

1014 Fulton St between 
Grand Ave. 

& Downing St.
Clinton Hill
(718) 636-1260

outpostlounge.com

Nero Doro 
(cafe/wine bar)

395 Classon Avenue 
between Clifton Pl 
& Greene Ave

Clinton HIll

(718) 484-8822

Desserts by Michael Allen

1015 Fulton Street between 

Downing St & 
Grand Ave.

Clinton Hill

(718) 230-3360

michaelallendesserts.com

Coffeebeaner Diego Doesn't Know Much About His Mom (Happy Mother's Day)

Coffeebeaner Diego does not know that much about his co-blogger mom. His dad asked him questions about her and this is what he answered:  My mom is 7 feet tall.  My mom is 17 years old. My mom weighs 70 pounds. My mom's favorite food is lettuce. My mom's eyes look like jujubees. My mom's favorite thing to do is doing blogs. My mom's favorite color is purple.  My mom is as pretty as Conejito Knuffle (Mo Willems' Knuffle Bunny). 


He was right about the favorite thing to do.  Happy Mother's Day from thecoffeebeaners!

The Coffeebeaners visit the Veronese Gallery & Garden Cafe in Fullerton, California while on vacation

A roomy coffee shop, to say the least!  Veronese Gallery & Garden Cafe, on Commonwealth Avenue in historic downtown Fullerton, is our favorite coffee destination in Orange County, California.


This bungalow turned café & gallery is what café owners dream about.  Each enclave looks essentially different from the others so you can pick that which most entices you.  You can choose a room that feels like the middle of the woods, an artsy one, or a classical American room.  White picket fences lined with long grass, mini gardens, French doors, outdoor fireplaces, and bamboo trees surround coffee drinkers in the backyard while art from local artists decorates the walls in the gallery (the artwork changes seasonally).   The front patio has lunch tables, reclining furniture, and floors decorated with chalk like paint.                            

Be prepared to pay a pretty penny because coffee drinks start at $5.95 (and they won’t reveal where the coffee comes from).  They also serve a list of Korean fruity teas and foods.   The place turns into a bar at night so don’t be upset if you are eighteen years old and get kicked out.  Veronese Gallery & Garden Cafe is located at 419 W. Commonwealth Ave. between S. Richman and Short St. www.419cv.com 

Atmosphere-5 Stars 

Pastries-3 Stars

Coffee-4 Stars 

Service-Courteous

Price-$$$