[My Favorite Park Slope]: Sit-Down Coffee Break Spots

Image Via Chinae Alexander

New York has officially made me a minor coffee snob. Some days I wish I could just go back to thinking a cup of joe at Dunkin' was the fucking jam. But I can't...and you probably can't either. 

For a runaway cup of coffee, I'll do Gorilla or Cafe Grumpy -- my favorite coffee in the Slope. The drinks are excellent and there's never any room to sit...anywhere (unless you want to sit in the garbage collection area outside of Gorilla, where you'll find me pretty much every Saturday morning). 

But sometimes you just want to sit and actually enjoy the fine art of coffee-ing, rather than using it to prevent waterboarding a co-worker before 10AM.

Here are my two favorite sit-down coffee joints in the Slope:

Ambiance Award: Cafe Regular Du Nord 

Photo via www.cityrover.com

If you want to feel like you've stumbled onto an unknown hideaway (even though everyone already knows about it), go to Cafe Regular. I mean, that adorable orange sign, the uber French rustic interior...SHIT. If you are a human, you'll want to sit and stay awhile while gazing into the eyes of a hot foreigner. Ehem...or just take a load off and drink decent coffee. I'd give their shop a 10 and their drinks a 6. 

Taste Award: Noella Brew Bar

Image via Chinae Alexander 

Last month, fellow FiPS gal Kerri gave us a first peek of the new joint. I stopped in over the weekend to see what all the noise was about. As I approached Noella, I was like WTF. The store front was a total construction zone...but I'm glad I stepped inside and gave Noella a chance. Walking in it seemed like the typical Park Slope coffee joint, but I was delighted to see a great selection of drinks, including a selection of Counter Culture Coffee pour-overs that ranged from $4-6, fixed up right in front of your face. I sat at the bar and asked the owner to walk me through the process, which took a ton of time, but in the end was worth it. She explained to me why she was doing each step and why it mattered in the long run. It was like one of those factory segments on Mr. Rogers, but with fewer factories and cardigans.

After my pour over was done, they sent me on my way to the next level of the shop with tray in hand, to enjoy my mini pot of brew. And I did just that. One thing I really liked was listening to the folks that work there try to remember every customer's name. Stuff like that really matters, especially while trying to stake out a spot in the hood. The coffee was well worth the money, and the only critique I have with Noella is the general decor, which I am sure will improve as they get the construction finished and get settled in. All in all, a great place to take your time and enjoy a lazy afternoon.