Roots cafe

We've been venturing south of Prospect Avenue/Parkway lately on 5th Avenue. It's funny how that part of town has always been off of my radar, even though it's certainly closer than some of the other areas we have explored recently. (Until recently, the only reason we would cross Prospect was to get to Eagle Provisions for their unlimited beer selection.)

If it weren't for the sandwich board, you's never know

This week we went to Roots Cafe one morning for coffee and a breakfast pastry from someplace other than our regular haunt at cafe 474. The cafe itself is adorable, but might be trying a little too hard with their plethora of quirky objects on the wall. Some comfy chairs and a bookshelf with a few board games were signs that it's just fine to stay a while.

Comfy Adorable Interior

The baristas are friendly and the patrons were all relatively young and cool and babyless. In the 40 minutes we stayed about a dozen people came and went and they all seemed to know the guys behind the counter, so there's clearly a regular crowd.

Iced coffee isn't the best indicator of a quality cafe, but it's pretty good here. The bagel with cream cheese and tomato I ordered took about 15 minutes to hit the counter, but it was delicious with flavorful fresh tomato slices that could have easily been skimped on. My everything bagel turned out to be whole wheat, which was actually kindof a nice surprise.

Everything bagel, Cream cheese and tomato

I'm not getting all food critic on this place. Just enjoying the little details. I can see why so many people come here, despite the faded storefront that's almost invisible from across the street. If you can find this place, it's a nice comfortable spot to spend an hour or two.

SdJ

Ted and Honey, Cobble Hill

On a very long walk the other day, we found ourselves in Cobble Hill in and thirsty. We had wandered too far north on Columbia street and had to turn east before the expressway. The map app on my iPhone showed Ted & Honey as the closest place to get a casual beverage during that strange afternoon time between 3 and 5 when nobody is open. Like other places I've mentioned, this is a business which has exactly two locations. (The sibling is in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.)

Cozy Sidewalk out front

The bright red entrance, complete with babyholding couples out front, was welcoming and assured us that a little perspiration wouldn't be frowned upon. Once inside, the Helpyourself water pitcher confirmed that we were in the right pace to quench a thirst. The staff behind the counter, (although the website gives the impression that there is table service during dinner hours,) were friendly and happy, even to the point of singing along a bit with the old jazz playing over the speakers when they weren't helping patrons.

Happy sunflowers

There's a full espresso-bar menu, and iced coffee was my original intention. Something cold and invigorating at the same time. And the coffee here is good and strong. But then I noticed the drink specials. There doesn't seem to be a full liquor license here, but beer and wine are well chosen. The specials are of a variety that I've grown to appreciate lately: lighter summer drinks made with beer or wine rather than hard stuff. These are the kinds of things you can drink all afternoon and keep a nice buzz without blacking out after dark. The Shandy, a mix of pale beer and lemonade, is the perfect summer afternoon beverage. They also had a nice dry soda and red wine cocktail, and the "Sunshine in a glass" which was basically a prosecco-based mimosa with some dry rose mixed in, all for only $6! considering I'd just had a much smaller mimosa for $9 during brunch, this was a bargain. I still went for the Shandy because of some misplaced notion that mimosas are only for breakfast.

The inevitable iced coffee

Drink the Shandy!

There's a little wall of treats you can take home with you, including pre-packaged beverages, branded coffee mugs, local honey, and "Ted's Orange Apricot Jalapeno and Chipotle hot sauce." There's also Wifi, so feel free to stay a while. (Although to be fair, you should probably vamoose around 5 for the dinner setup. But I'm just guessing about that.)

Market shelves

Don't forget to try the Shandy.

-SdJ

Cozy Entrance

Kahawa cafe, park slope

Kahawa just opened less than a week ago on 15th street and 5th avenue. It's a little coffee and pastry shop with a good selection of cold beverages too. A tiny little corner space, cute without trying too hard.

They use Illy coffee, which I haven't seen much of here in Park Slope, but the iced coffee is pretty flavorful. The staff is super friendly but you can tell they are still getting comfortable with the new space.

The pastry selection looks great, with lots of the things you expect to be able to order with a latte or cappuccino, but there are some happy extras like the homemade Twinkie-like-concoctions that come in different flavors like Red Velvet and Almond Cream. Red Velvet was really intensely red with cream cheese filling, while the almond cake was moist and marzipan-y with a lighter cream filling. Both were delicious, and everything was super affordable. Try this place before they start raising prices.

-SdJ

Couleur cafe, revisited

I said this place warranted a return visit, and I went back to try something other than coffee. (There was coffee, too, of course.)

C'est adorable!

A special of the day was a Croissant D'Avignon. I love little sandwiches on croissants, so I gave it a try. The croissant itself was good but maybe a little stale. It was loaded with fresh summery radishes and cucumbers, though, held on with herbed cream cheese. Hard boiled eggs (but with slightly translucent yolks, so not boiled as hard as some might be used to,) and cornichons finished the presentation. It really was a perfect little bite for a warm August morning.

Croissant D'Avignon

The fact that everything here at Couleur Cafe is presented on little mismatched porcelain plates and that the bottle of cold water you're given comes in an old French lemonade bottle just add to the charm of this cafe. The staff is young and energetic, considering the early hours, but good caffeinated offerings like you can find here probably help. I'm looking forward to a lunch visit in the very near future...

-SdJ

Cafe Regular, 11th Street

You've probably been to one of the two locations here in Park Slope. Cafe Regular and Cafe Regular du Nord are, like a lot of other businesses here in Park Slope, chains of two. Twins wouldn't be accurate, but siblings, certainly. Both are tiny little cafes you can barely squeeze into, yet they are somehow so comfortable that you really don't want to leave. The word "swaddled" comes to mind. The "tables" here are just big enough for two drinks and a small plate, and the window-box seats seem like the most perfect place in the world to hole up on a rainy day and drink a hot beverage. Their website has some links that aren't really current, but there are some much more artistic photos there than what I'm loading up here:

The tiny facade

The more convenient of the two for me is on 11th street, where the usual barista is apparently the most popular guy in the neighborhood. I come here at least once a week, and I don't think I can remember a time when I've been in ordering my coffee where one of the female patrons wasn't openly flirting with him. Well he does make a mean cappuccino, after all.

Goat: "I'm hot from unicycling now"

Unlike a lot of little places around here, they not only take credit cards, but they don't even have a minimum charge. When you're in a hurry to get to the subway and you don't have time to stop at an ATM, it's nice to still be able to enjoy some really good coffee. (They use La Colombe, based in Philadelphia. One of my favorite roasters.) Their cold-brew is amazingly rich. Hands down my favorite iced coffee I've found so far in the neighborhood. Their pastries (From Colson, I've heard,) are delicious, especially the chocolate croissants and raisin danishes.

Also, get a punch card!

Other than basic breakfast pastries, you can sometimes get soft-boiled brown eggs here, and they fresh squeeze the orange juice to order. Their 11th street location doesn't sell coffee beans, though. (No space!) but the slightly larger Berkeley Place du Nord location does sell bagged beans in your choice of grind. If you haven't been, go. And if you can find a seat, take one. And thank me later.

-SdJ

This is the whole place

Couleur Cafe, Park Slope

I found myself on 7th avenue the other morning on my way somewhere and in need of an iced coffee. Between 14th and 15th streets is the little jewel box called Couleur Cafe.

I was really just popping in for a cold beverage and leaving, but this place is adorable enough to warrant a return visit. The owners must at least be aware of the song by the late Serge Gainsbourg of the same name about his love of dark-skinned women. (the husband of Jane Birkin and father of Charlotte Gainsbourg was famously down with brown... There's a clip of an appearance by him on a tv show where a young Whitney Houston was also a guest and he was so lewd and forward with her that it caused quite a scene... NSFW so don't click play if you're going to get in trouble)

The theme here is low-key French cafe, and they do it up perfectly. From the menu of standards like soupe a l'oinion and ouefs aux pain, to the decor and the knickknacks used for the condiments straight from the marches aux puces, it would be easy to be transported for a morning or an afternoon. It's not a Disney version of a French cafe, it's just a neighborhood French cafe.

I've found several coffee shops to love since moving to Park Slope, but I haven't wanted to be a regular anywhere as badly as this place. Like I said, it warrants a return visit, and you may hear more in the near future.

-SdJ