Ninth Street Espresso
The late psychedelic philosopher Terence McKenna saw coffee as a drug of the “dominator culture”. The history of caffeine use in western civilization is intertwined with the birth of modern capitalism, colonial exploitation, and the operation of Dickens-era industrial sweatshops. New York City - the living, breathing heart of Mammon - fuels its scurrying minions with a weak, foul brew derived from the coffee plant, but blanched of its more epicurean delights. Why is it that a drug so popular, delivered in a form so ubiquitous, in a town unrivaled in its refined palate, is nearly without a drinkable cup of coffee?
But there is some hope for those prisoners of New York to recieve the divine elixir. Just off of Avenue C on 9th street in the East Village is the unassuming awning of Ken Nye’s Ninth Street Espresso, a modest looking shop that could easily hold its own among the top tier of Seattle coffeehouses.
Their espresso blend has great body, sweetness and delicate notes - easy on the tongue yet rewarding. A series of drinks from barista Rob off their Faema E61 (consistantly well pulled) and the straightforward design of their menu left little doubt that the holy light of coffee goodness is shining upon them. If you find yourself on the island of Manhattan, desperately clutching an oversized paper cup of coffee-flavored hot water to get your fix, do yourself a favor a score some of the good shit. These guys’ll hook you up right.
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November 4th, 2004 at 7:12 am
you aren’t visiting NYC, are you?..
November 5th, 2004 at 1:18 am
Maybe we could use great coffee to help win the culture wars. Lets send coffee from Victrola and Ninth Street Espresso to all those misguided folks in the “red” states. I’ll bet they’re all drinking Brim or Folgers Instant Crystals. I guess I’d be delusional and religious too after a few gallons of that.
The French and Italians may be on to something.
November 5th, 2004 at 7:30 am
An interesting plan Juan Pablo, though I suspect there might be something in the water in those red states. A good water filtration program might be a prerequisite.
November 6th, 2004 at 12:20 am
I’m not sure. We might need the water filtration system when society begins to implode. I’m in favor of starting some sort of Coffee Special Forces Unit (CSFU) to infiltrate the “red” states and start giving them good coffee. If we can just get them to try an espresso drink, I think the warm lushness will make their poor little hearts grow two, maybe three times bigger or more. Pretty soon their ice caves of fear will soften and melt into a chorus of perfect harmony.
Folgers today, short double cap tomorrow! Allora la vita comincia…
December 27th, 2006 at 1:52 am
I think there must be a few true believers at 9th St. Espresso but they seem more like a business model that serves okay coffee than a coffee shop. I like the French Press there as much as the espresso, though I’ve had more than a few flat espresso shots and a couple of lame lattes as well. It’s a nice neighborhood coffee shop. Ken Nye talks of coffee bidness nicely, better than Starbucks, but I get the sense he’s more interested in engineering a three-ring binder that turns people, coffee, and real estate into a revenue base that’s IPO friendly. And all those reviews? Hmmm, read a dozen and you get the sense that a bunch of it is astroturf. Really? 30-40 steps to making espresso? The crema art is better because the neighborhood is filled with artists and the barista’s have sideburns? No. If anything–and you can judge the astroturf on this–it’s better than most because the crowd rocks and expects the coffee to suck.