BRICK & MORTAR
ALL PHOTOS BY CHANNALY PHILIPP/EPOCH TIMES
Extraction lab manager Meredith Enzbigilis pours freshly brewed coffee.
By Channaly Philipp I Epoch Times Staff
At the new Extraction Lab coffee shop by Alpha Dominche, located in Brooklyn’s Industry City, people often pull out their phones when the brewing process starts.
At the center of the action is the Steampunk, a toffee and tea brewing machine developed by Alpha Dominche. It is neither sci-fi, nor particularly Victorian in look—but with a few swipes on a nearby tablet, a barista can adjust a variety of perimeters to brew a cup of coffee, or tea, exactly as the coffee roaster or tea producer intended it.
Steam is the central element; it is used to heat the water to the desired temperature. Pulses of steam shoot out in an upper chamber, providing different levels of agitation as needed. A vacuum then forces the brew down to a lower chamber when it’s ready. It’s mostly hands-off for the barista, who is left free to chat with customers.
ALL PHOTOS BY CHANNALY PHILIPP/EPOCH TIMES
A rotating list of coffees from about 10 to 15 roasters will be featured regularly, including from Tim Wendelboe in Norway, Maruyama in Tokyo, Ditta Artiginale in Florence, and Verve and Samovar in San Francisco.
Alpha Dominche distributes the Steampunk to 35 countries throughout the world. CEO Thomas Perez estimates that half of the machines are used for coffee, half for tea.
Coffee shops, for the most part, don’t usually accord much attention to tea. Order tea and “you’ll get a tea bag,” said Perez. On its opening day, one of the teas offered at the Extraction Lab was a sencha green tea from Kyoto—brewed properly, it carried a grassy sweetness that lingered, free of any bitterness.
For aficionados of both coffee and tea, it is a boon to see them accorded equal attention.
“I truly love both,” said Extraction Lab manager Meredith Enzbigilis. “It’s like a candy land for me.” Soon she will be roasting direct-trade coffees from Ninety Plus Gesha Estates in-house.
The Extraction Lab, which seats 50, is airy and has a warm vibe, with small green plants and wooden tables throughout. Prices range between $3 for a house cup of tea or coffee, to $18 for the more exceptional varieties. Pastries from Meyers Bageri are also available.
Open Monday to Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Extraction Lab by Alpha Dominche
51 35th St. (between Second & Third avenues)
Industry City, Brooklyn
Hot dogs and hamburgers get a makeover at the new eatery Kings of Kobe, with American wagyu beef and imaginative toppings. Among the hot dogs, you’ll find the Sweet Munchies with Coca Cola-soaked caramelized 14, red onions and cream cheese, and the Manhattanite, with caramelized apples, frisee, shaved cheddar, and wasabi aioli. The burger menu includes the Better Than Caesar, with burrata, baby arugula, and stone fruit relish, and The Queen Rules, with prosciutto, pepper jack, frisee, and sweet chili jam.
“Hot dogs and hamburgers embody the essence of the American social experience,” managing partner Etai Cinader said in a press release. “Kings of Kobe was created to honor hot dogs and hamburgers by enhancing them in a manner consistent with New Yorkers’ cosmopolitan palate.”
Open daily from noon.
Woo of Kobe
790 Ninth Ave.
(between 52nd & 53rd streets)
Hell’s Kitchen
212-247-3703
La Milagrosa (or “The Miracle” in Spanish), in Williamsburg, encompasses two concepts in one. An extension of Cerveceria Havemeyer, La Milagrosa Deli carries hard-to-find Mexican ingredients (think dried chilies, prickly pear, and moles) and serves made to order fresh-squeezed juices and coffees. The other concept is a mezcal bar and listening room, accessible through the freezer door from the deli. Make sure to have made a reservation ahead of time.
The list of mezcals and tequilas is extensive, and the drinks can be paired with ceviches.
The listening room features different genres of music, with list of rotating DJs and live entertainment, enhanced by a high fidelity sound system; a vintage jukebox also offers a selection of classic 45’s. Owner Felipe Mendez (of the popular Williamsburg taqueria La Superior, and Cerveceria Havemeyer) is also a DJ—you’ll find him spinning sometimes—and a drum and bass musician.
JASON GREENSPAN
Ceviches are served at La Milagrosa.
COURTESY OF LA MILAGROSA
La Milagrosa
149 Havemeyer St. (between South First & South Second streets)
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
718-599-1499
Jay Nir, inspired by the cafes in Amsterdam, recently opened River Coyote, a coffee and wine bar located on the Lower East Side.
“When I spent some time in the Netherlands several years ago, I fell head over heels in love with the Dutch culture and lifestyle—Amsterdam in particular resonated with me,” Nir said. “There was this one ‘aim! moment’ that I’ll remember forever: I saw the person to my left was sipping on a hot cup of coffee, and the person to my right was enjoying a glass of wine. And it was just normal, it didn’t matter what time it was. Everyone’s day is different after all, and it was clear to me that New York needed a place like this.”
Nir has chosen to source beans from Brooklyn-based Nobletree Coffee, which grows beans on its farm in Brazil and roasts them in Red Hook.
River Coyote currently carries 16 wines on tap, with a curated list of boutique wines from Italy, France, and New York. Except for one kosher wine, the bar doesn't serve bottles, thus reducing waste. It offers beers from Barrier Brewing Company, Greenpoint Beer & Ale, Grimm Artisanal Ales, and Kelso Beer Company. The pastries are from Dough Doughnuts, and the cheeses are from Saxelby Cheesemongers at the Essex Market.
Open daily from 8 a.m. (wine served from 11 a.m.).
River Coyote
121 Ludlow St. (between Rivington & Delancey streets)
Lower East Side
212-477-0100
Upper West Side Italian restaurant Bella Luna has relocated half a block away from its original location, which was opened in 1988.
Executive chef German “Primo” Angelo continues to head the kitchen, after 10 years. A brick oven in the new location enables the addition of pizzas to the menu, which continues to offer its classics: bruschetta on Tuscan bread, pesto linguine with shrimp, and braised lamb shanks.
The new space features a mural that was discovered during renovations.
Open daily for lunch and dinner.
PHOTO COURTESY OF BELLA LUNA
Beef carpaccio.
PHOTO COURTESY OF BELLA LUNA
Bella Luna
574 Columbus Ave. (between 87th & 88th streets)
Upper West Side
212-873-2267
Compiled by Channaly Philipp/Epoch Times Staff