While I consider myself to be a mid-level foodie (as I really love foods, different varieties, high quality, exotic goods, etc.) I don’t find myself to be snobbish or overbearing in such matters. Sure, I can be quite picky at times, but I can also get a coffee from, gasp, Starbucks or get a Southern Chicken Sandwich from McDonald’s.
NYC is a foodie paradise, and there always seems to be a new trend to go all out for. Recently, there’s been outbursts of BBQ, Vietnamese Bahn Mi (French influenced sandwiches), Neapolitan pizza, hot dogs, burgers, and gelato. Now, one of the hottest things is coffee. Real, true, barista-intensive coffee. And some of these places are really serious about their trade. Temps, water levels, up-to-the-second bean grinding, and very recently roasted beans are important factors to the experience. Sometimes, it gets to be too restictive for some, but I feel it’s the people taking true pride in their work and the product they produce…they stick to their guns and I like that.
NYC was an also-ran in this area for a long time, with places like Seattle and San Fran taking up the reins. Now, NYC is all over it and really on top of its collective game. This is a great map and two articles in the Times talking about it. I’m all about it…though I do like double espressos, in the same cup!