Caffe Bene: New York, New York

There is a strong misconception that real New Yorkers don’t go into Times Square, well if that is true they sadly haven’t experienced Caffe Bene. Nestled on the corner of Broadway and 49^th, Caffe Bene is the perfect stop to forget about the tourist infested streets right beyond the floor to ceiling windows. Mixing rustic urban architecture with the classic feel of a New York coffee shop, the café could be patented with the hugely famous term “hipster.”

The front room housed the in-and-outers, the upstairs collected the coined business men and women mixed with the hum of couples seeking their usual seats; the back room, however, was my personal favorite. The back of the café was compiled of two full wall bookcases filled with cookbooks, classics, encyclopedias and much more. Large tables allowed for group studying, and small tables allowed book nerds like me to sink into the bookcases, eaten by pure delight.                

As if the atmosphere wasn't enough, Caffe Bene offers food that will put a smile on your face (if of course the bookcases and well-dressed men surrounding you didn't already do that). Their trademark item, the waffle, seems to be a simple food, but by Caffe Bene’s terms is not. Chocolate Waffles, Red Velvet Waffles, Pistachio Waffles, Strawberry Chocolate and the special combo of a waffle and coffee—what more could you want? If you do want more or you don’t care for waffles (blasphemy) there are wraps, sandwiches, salads and every dripping-with-caffeine drink you could ever imagine, including a Red Velvet Latte. (Insert Foodgasm)  After I got over the impeccable shoes of the man sitting diagonal from me, I was able to have some great sweets laced with conversation. Caffe Bene was a stumble upon that will now become a must go. Whether you are just stopping to grab a drink or you need to study, Caffe Bene has the means to accommodate.

        I can hear the I-phones unlocking now, plans being canceled, and Times Square meeting a few new faces, because Caffe Bene is the place to stop and refresh.  

On Orange: Lancaster, PA

Whether you’re in the city for Sunday morning service or admiring galleries, the perfect place to stop for lunch lies right “on Orange” street.  On Orange is nestled between art galleries and a small bookstore, “Winding Way Books.” Open from 7 am to 1:30 pm every day, On Orange gives you gourmet breakfast just when you want it. In search of the perfect Sunday lunch, my family and I stumbled upon On Orange only to spend an hour of our time falling in love with the old apartment feel of the building, the filling but not excessive plates, the nearly full but no line amount of customers, and the loving-their-job staff.

                After getting through the embarrassment that I didn't know how to say the name of the dish I wanted to order, I was soon on my way to eating away any discontent I may have had. The ChilaQuiles (you try and say it) came in a bowl and left down the front of my shirt. This isn't the dish for the mild salsa buyers; it was a fiery dish of tortilla chips simmered in Spicy Red Chili Chorizo Sausage Sauce,

Queso Fresco, and over-easy eggs. To say the least I quite enjoyed myself as I licked the bowl with my side of toast. They have a wide variety of dishes from omelets, gruyere grilled cheeses, the ever-popular Lancaster favorite of cream chipped beef, to never-before-served sandwiches. The light conversation in the air paired with the large windows and cream colored paint matching the light, friendly dishes that On Orange had to offer.

                The corners were filled with young couples (notice that I came with my family, no lover in sight; not that I’m bitter), the elderly, the middle aged and the families of Lancaster. The staff was just as diverse as the customers. They were young, middle aged, artsy, grunge, friendly and always smiling. A personality for everyone. 

                This holiday season will be a busy one and as you are out Christmas shopping or admiring the streets of Lancaster City you might want to do yourself a favor. Head on over to On Orange, where you’ll be greeted immediately and have waters on your table before your thirst can even croak. Come with an open mind and leave a new regular of On Orange. 

The Grey Dog: New York, New York

It was Parent Weekend here at Hofstra, this meaning free dinner: ate elsewhere; free concert: didn't go; free brunch: slept late and called it lunch. I did, however, participate in the Parent part of Parent Weekend. This being said, my parents and I decided to make our own agenda. We headed into the city, East Village to be exact. We found ourselves at the Grey Dog. With three locations you have no excuse but to have a cappuccino, an espresso, a beer, or an I-am-skinny-and-pretty-in-order-to-make-your-self-esteem-go-down water to complement your meal.

The wide framed double doors were left open during our Saturday night Grey Dog experience, raising the appeal quite a bit. The Grey Dog is a good kind of claustrophobic --the sitting-upon-strangers-fighting-for-a-table-most-intimate-meal-you’ve-had-with-family kind of claustrophobic. The walls are mostly exposed brick which I have previously expressed my love for. I’m convinced that the workers all paint in their free time and drink special concoctions that make you sweet, funny and rather attractive. If any of you guys are available, call me. Area code (I’m); Number (totally but not really) Extension (kidding).

The food is food that makes you that perfect amount of full. Where you stand up at a normal rate, not the “All you can eat” restaurant stand where you cautiously grip the table with one hand the other on your chair, moaning all the while as your legs hold the newly added weight. When you order, you give your name thus leading to a special moment of hearing your name yelled throughout the restaurant until you promptly alert the employee that those dishes are yours. And with how the food looks, trust me it will be promptly. I had an Arugula salad with Avocado and Chicken. It was meant to get Salmon but I’m a diva, so what are ya gonna do. My mom had the #1 (in order to figure out exactly what that is you will have to give yourself the pleasure of heading to Grey Dog). Lucky enough for my mom she was able to get that on gluten free bread. (Insert cheers from my mother) All the while, my dad ravishing over his portobello mushroom sandwich. Topped off by a cheese board to be shared among the three of us, we left very happy people.

If you like good food, an artsy atmosphere and an overall quality experience then make sure to head to University Place, West 16th Street or Mulberry Street in Manhattan to get your fix of Grey Dog. Warning: you may and will most likely become addicted, so much so you will want to become a regular thus leading to you ultimately moving to NYC. So thank you Grey Dog, for the over populated city that we all love so dearly.

The Shoppes at 301: Lancaster, PA

The Shoppes at 301 North Queen located on the corner of Queen Street and Walnut Street in Lancaster City is not like the cafes surrounding it. With a flare of Southern France and a hint of NYC hysteria, Café at 301 is not just a café, it’s an experience.                 

As soon as you enter you are surrounded by a mix of French class and Southern hospitality. The tablecloths are mix-matched ranging from chicken to flower print. This isn't the café for sitting with just drinks. If you feel the need for that though, you can claim a seat up at the coffee bar. The conversation travels throughout the café, led by the owner herself. Personable, the owner mingles among the customers speaking of café inspirations, the quaint nature of Lancaster and NYC. I spoke of all three with her but lingered longer on the latter. 

The food is “this-looks-like-you-can’t-afford-it-but-surprise-its-actually-quite-reasonable” kind of food. The portions are French style, meaning they are sized like they should be—not the American way. My dad had a PBJ with bacon. Yes, you heard me right. As you can presume there was not a crumb left on the plate. After eating my “almost-too-pretty-to-eat” meal, I was the perfect amount of full. That is until I went home and ate Nutella straight out of the jar but that’s simply the American way. Your lattes and cappuccinos are there for the picking but the salads, open faced sandwiches, cheese and olive assortments, pastries, desserts, etc., are what make the café into something truly special. If you have a spare moment and are in the mood for a delicious meal only paused for fascinating conversation then you should try out The Shoppes at 301 North Queen.

Gregory's Coffee: New York, New York

There is a difference between being IN New York and BEING in New York. I prefer the latter. Times Square is great, Rockefeller Plaza is grand, but what’s wonderful and fascinating are the local hotspots. I don’t know about you, but I’m past getting asked if I want to go to a comedy show in Times Square, going into the NBC store and commenting on the same collection of Office mugs and T-shirts, and having to change my entire route because of the potentially pedophilic man dressed up like Elmo dead ahead. I’m ready for the local spots. Spots like Gregory’s Coffee. With five locations throughout New York City, you are promised your fix of coffee no matter where you are.

                As I stepped off of Avenues of the Americas and into Gregory’s Coffee, I was instantly transported. The tourists become engulfed by the ritzy buildings that cause that God-knows-we-don’t-got-none-o’-them-there-kind-of-things-in-our-small-towns distraction. What they don’t realize is just how much of New York they are missing as they stare simply at the skyline.

Gregory's Coffee Logo

                There was a small line in front of me, nothing compared to most NYC lines, as I decided what I wanted to try. Cappuccinos, espresso, croissants, muffins, tea and what I personally enjoyed, a dirty chai. I think 90% of the reason I ordered it was because I enjoy saying the words dirty chai in public and feeling accepted. I’m still working on getting my voice to a level of sultry that this drink order demands, but that will come with time, I suppose.

                Mocha colored walls match the color of the drinks (unless of course you are using unheard of amounts of creamer, which if so I advise you to try tea, you’ll save yourself about 5,000 calories). The decoration is quite modern with clean lines, wooden tables and tall chairs. My feet dangle from the chair as I stare out at the taxis, people, and trash that seem to fly past the floor to ceiling windows. The serenity of Gregory’s café offers a polar opposite to the busyness that lies just beyond that window. The workers chatting coffee, “Gregulars” scattered around utilizing the free Wifi, and me attempting to get my brother to engage in conversation instead of texting his girlfriend, causes for one of my favorite café feels.

                So I suggest all you New Yorkers, “gregulate” your schedule to include time for a sip at Gregory’s Coffee. I promise you’ll have a “greg” time. Ok, the puns are done. So get your cup and your Gregulars’ card at Gregory’s Coffee where "they see coffee differently." 

Cafe One Eight: Lancaster, PA

Cute. It’s used too often, like “that child is so cute.” Well, no because he is crying and throwing food at people but sure if you wanna say cute that’s fine. Or “that dog is so cute,” well it’s about to bite you, but if you think bleeding is cute then by all means call it cute. To describe the café in Lancaster city, Café One Eight, the word cute, with its true meaning, is very fitting. City chic meets cute. With exposed brick walls, hanging basket seats, and a chalkboard painted wall where the specials are written, it’s cute.

I’m a sucker for exposed brick walls. I swear I spent about twenty minutes gushing about the brick walls and the paintings hanging from them. My friend was most likely planning her exit during my impromptu lecture on why I love brick walls. Chalkboard paint added an earthy feel. It was their very own handwriting lining the walls. The handwriting was of course perfect, since the café as a whole is just that, perfect.

                All the employees, on the day that I visited, were Plain Mennonite causing me to feel a bit sinful for wearing pants but I’ll repent later. Yes, it has the coffee drinks that everyone so desires, but it also has a full menu of food selections. I personally chose a Santa Fe Chicken Salad. To. Die. For. After consuming that salad the thought did cross my mind of attempting to work there. That salad was so good I would easily and happily start wearing a long jean skirt and head covering. I am from Lancaster afterall, and have more than my fair share of Mennonite blood running through my veins.  

My beautiful friend Erin 

                My best friend, Erin, and I sat towards the front of the café where floor to ceiling windows allow for the perfect people watching. A construction worker, a mom with a Duggar Family amount of children, the scenery outside is quite eclectic but inside the mix of people seem to be business waiting to get take out, mom’s meeting up for a get-me-out-of-the-house kind of lunch, and people like my friend and I who had a we-see-each-other-everyday-but-we-act-like-its-been-years kind of lunch.

                If you have a chance and want to be embraced by the true definition of cuteness and their amazing mission statement, then head on down to Orange Street for a bite to eat at Café One Eight. 

Ocean City Coffee Company; Ocean City, New Jersey

                Vacationing doesn’t mean a break from coffee, unless of course you WANT to see the ugly side of your family. You all know what side I’m talking about. That side where crow’s feet appear more prevenatly, to the point that you don’t recognize your mother as she mutters some speech about the good old days. Mini-golf trips turn into who can beat the other person with the club the hardest, picking the perfect place on the beach to set up becomes an hour long event and so on. That is beside the point. If you are lucky enough to find yourself in the quaint town, Ocean City, New Jersey then you may find yourself searching for a café to quench your coffee thirst. Ocean City Coffee Company in New Jersey; the opportune place for vacationers to grab their java. 

                With no door, you simply meander in right off from the boardwalk, still clinging to the sea licked air as you order your coffee. This café doesn’t distract you with sandwiches, salads etc. they have their coffee, cappuccino’s, lattes, chai, tea, muffins and a few other small snacks but for this café it’s all about getting the customer their Fix. While many of the stores as well as condos at the beach focus their interior design on that seashells-plastered-on-the-walls-this-is-the-beach-so-enjoy-the-fish-wallpaper feel,  The Coffee Company doesn’t. Their interior is a bit rustic. Your path as you enter is lined on either side with full bags of coffee beans which they roast in shop to your left. Mahogany shelving lines the right wall, displaying mugs, coffee beans the whole lot, not too much to distract but enough to catch the eye.

                With no seating, you grab your coffee and go. A coffee drive through, so to speak.  This avoids frustrated moments of searching for a table, old men in the corner waiting for girls in bikinis, and small children screaming for the 9,323 time that they want a milkshake. Well send the kids to Kelis’s yard to get that milkshake because you don’t want to miss your daily stop at Ocean City's Coffee Company.