Variety Coffee Roasters

Variety Coffee is a Williamsburg-born roaster that has 5 locations in New York. They opened in 2008 and have since expanded locations to serve coffee-lovers in Bushwick, Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Chelsea and the Upper East Side. 

The first thing that jumped out at me was the vintage lettering outside the Chelsea location. The inside is a beautiful large space with leather booths, and plenty of tables conveniently located close to outlets. I love the high, curved wood ceilings, gorgeous tile designs and the natural light that floods in through all of the windows. The wood accents, gold trim and long coffee bar added such a nice friendly and welcoming feel.

The day we popped in the vibe was a mix of young couples, older individuals and techie-looking people hammering away at their laptops. The coffee menu is short and simple. I had a drip coffee and Alan got a cappuccino which were both delicious. I really loved the graphic design on their cups too. Everyone online leaves reviews saying that their coffee is consistently delicious and that’s why it’s their go-to spot!

You can buy hand-brewing equipment and also subscribe for bi-monthly deliveries. They also sell their coffee at Whole Foods – just look for the package with lips and you won’t miss it!

Travel Tip: Get your coffee to go and walk along The Highline for some great views of Chelsea.

The Doughnut Plant

NYC is known for having some of the best food, dessert and coffee. I was so excited to discover a Doughnut Plant location right next door to me since it was referenced in a guide book of hidden gems that I received as a gift a few years ago!

The Doughnut Plant doughnuts are handcrafted every day, and do not contain eggs, preservatives, transfats or anything artificial . You can find so many different and original flavours and types so it’s a good idea to check out the menu online before you decide to stop by. You can find the following types of doughnuts:

Yeast doughnuts: light, airy, fluffy yeast-raised doughnuts with a slight chew

Cake doughnuts: Leavened with baking powder, the cake doughnuts have a texture somewhere near the intersection of a classic birthday cake and a buttery pound cake.

Filled doughnuts: Filled with their house made jams, creams and custards. Their filled doughnuts include flavours like Tres Leches, Carrot Cake and Black Seed (think chocolate on chocolate).

Doughseeds: Mini, filled doughnuts including flavours such as Creme Brûlée (the original), Rose (with a rose water pudding and dipped in a rose water glaze, topped with an edible rose petal), Hazelnut Chocolate, Matcha Green Tea, Peanut Butter & Blackberry Jam, Pistachio, Strawberry & Cream and Wild Blueberry & Cream.

Everyone who knows me well knows that I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but I have to say, I am salivating as I’m writing this. Coffee and doughnuts are the perfect pair and I’m happy to say that their coffee was also delicious. It paired perfectly with the coffee cake doughnut. (Can you tell I like coffee?) If you’re not a coffee person, they have plenty of other drinks including tea and plant juices. If I haven’t convinced you to visit, then browse through these photos or take a stroll past a store in the morning. Maybe you’ll be drawn in after seeing the long lines and adorable doughnut themed decor!

Travel Tip: Visit the Chelsea Hotel right next door (currently under construction). This iconic hotel housed writers, painters, filmmakers and musicians for over a century. This is the place where Jack Kerouac wrote On the Road, Bob Dylan penned Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands, Madonna photographed her book Sex, Leonard Cohen composed Chelsea Hotel #2, Arthur C Clarke wrote 2001: A Space Odyssey and Arthur Miller recovered from his split with Marilyn Monroe.

Life Update

Hey friends! 

After 7 amazing years of living in Montreal, I've officially moved to New York. I'm super excited to explore this city of endless restaurants, cafés, parks, and festivals. Thanks for following me for the past 4 years, and I'm looking forward to continuing this journey with you in a new city!

Cheers,
Melissa

PS How crazy are these summer storms? Here is a stormy view from my new office.

Le Dépanneur Café II

Although it's taken me some time to write about all of these adventures, the 2017 edition of the Indie Coffee Passport officially comes to a close with this blog post. Le Dépanneur Café is an awesome café in Montreal's Mile End neighbourhood and doubles up as a music venue in the evenings.  During the day you might get lucky and hear some live music on the piano too!

I love this café because they support local artists and musicians and source local produce for their food items. Their coffee is great as well! So if you find yourself in the Mile End, make sure to find the iconic street with the bird cages, and drop by Le Dépanneur Café to support some local artists and musicians while sipping on some great coffee!