When I was in college in Minnesota, there was a perfect coffee shop called Coffee News just a few blocks from campus. A few days a week, I would park myself at a table after breakfast and stay through lunch, working my way through lattes, salads (they had the best salads) and, if I was there long enough, a giant chocolate chip cookie to go along with my English reading. Coffee News has since closed, and though I’m not living in St. Paul anymore, it makes me said to think of Grand Avenue without it.
If you give me a lazy day with nothing to do, I will most likely take myself to a coffee shop with a good book. If I’m in a social mood, I’ll call a friend, and we’ll sit for hours talking and laughing, sharing a freshly baked treat and mugs of hot coffee. Cafés are, like bookstores, my “happy places.” They’re spots where I can go alone or with another, checking my worries at the door. Unfortunately, after the explosion of big-named coffee brands in the 90s, those perfect coffee shops were hard to find as I was growing up. However, I’m happy to report that within the past 5-10 years, there has been an explosion of independent cafés and coffee roasters in our city.
One such place is a gem called Jack’s Stir Brew, an organic, fair trade, shade grown coffee company. Jack’s first location popped up a decade ago in the West Village and has been reeling in loyal customers ever since.
Keelie Sheridan, who manages the company’s social media, recently reached out to see if I’d be interested in coming in to the shop on Downing Street for some coffee and treats. How could I say no? I’d also met Keelie back in 2012 at an event for ZonePerfect, and it was nice to see her again!
As soon as I walked through the door, I was greeted with one of my all-time favorite smells: baked goods! Jack’s Stir Brew has an in-house pastry kitchen, helmed by vegan chef and baker Camillo Sabella
As a woman who loves bread and cookies but is sensitive to gluten, it’s been sad to have to abstain from my favorite treats most of the time. Lucky for me, Chef Camillo whips up awesome goodies each day, and is very attentive to his customers’ dietary needs. Each pastry has an available card with every single component on it, so there’s no question about hidden ingredients.
Keelie treated me to an Americano with almond milk (soy is also offered, in addition to dairy milk), a mighty muffin (fruity gingerbread!) and macaroon. Both were fabulous, and I somehow was able to bring a bit back to share with Brien.
So, in addition to good ingredients and a cozy atmosphere, what makes Jack’s so special? The coffee! The “stir brewing” coffee maker was first designed and implemented by Jack himself, and ensures the coffee grounds “are uniformly mixed, saturated and blended. The stirring substantially maintains an evenness and freshness of depth of the ground coffee, further aiding in the flavor-extraction process, ensuring a rich, uniform taste in every cup.” The brew is always strong and dark (just how I like it!), and the same beans are used for espresso drinks as regular coffee.
In addition to the pastry case, there’s a refrigerator with cold drinks and artisanal yogurts.
I’d heard so much about Dan Barber’s veggie-based yogurt debut, so Keelie sent me home with a container of butternut squash. [I ate it for breakfast this morning (with leftover crumbled mighty muffin, banana, and cashew butter) and it was delicious! Can’t wait to try out the other flavors, like tomato and parsnip!]
There are all sorts of local products, from jam + raw chocolate…
… to maple syrup (in a flask!) and beef jerky.
I especially like these on-trend sweatshirts, and will be returning to pick one up!
Thanks to Keelie and the whole Jack’s Stir Brew team for showing me a great time, and helping me revisit the coffee shop experience.
What do you look for in a coffee shop? What’s your typical order? It depends on the time of day for me (I try not to drink caffeine after 3 PM), but I’ll usually order either an Americano or a latte. And if there’s a Katie-friendly treat available, I’ll always get that, too, for coffee dipping!
