Posted Sun Aug 31, 2003, 3:43pm Subject: Review -- Gorilla Coffee in Park Slope, Brooklyn
I happened upon a new coffee shop in Park Slope the other night -- Gorilla Coffee on 5th Avenue and Park Place. I didn't have time to stop in that night, but I made a mental note and went back on Sunday morning to give it a try. I have to say – I was pleasantly surprised!
I’ve been sorely disappointed by many of the coffee shops I’ve tried in New York City. I’ve been given some very good recommendations, but not many in my neighborhood. It’s very nice to see a shop open up reasonably close to home that’s really trying to make excellent coffee.
The first impression I had when walking in is that everything is new, clean and very orderly. The décor is modern but with a vintage feel – nicely rounded out by a gorgeous, original Faema E-61 espresso machine. This is the first Faema I’ve seen in person and I was stunned – what a showpiece. There is also a large roasting unit near the back of the shop.
I spoke with the barista for a few minutes before placing my order to get an idea of the coffee they are serving. Everything they offer is fair-trade, organic, and roasted on the premises daily. A good sign so far…so I ordered a double espresso. I was happy to see that the barista ground my coffee to order (all too rare in my experience) before he made my espresso. It was a very tasty shot, with subtle hints of chocolate. All in all, a little bright for my tastes, though. The cofee they use for their espresso is a relatively light roasted Brazilian bean which produced a mildly acidic drink -- mostly I tasted something I can only describe as “lemony”. I really do wish I had more experience in describing the many tastes of coffee, because it deserves a much better description. It was better than 90% of the coffee I’ve had outside of my home.
I took a look around the shop after finishing my drink. They have a selection of beans available by the pound, all freshly roasted. I picked up a ½ lb bag of the Brazilian (labeled as having been roasted 2 days earlier), curious to see if it would be similarly acidic when brewed in my home machine. Sure enough – almost exactly the same as it had been in the coffee shop.
All in all, my first trip to Gorilla Coffee was really wonderful, and I’ll definitely be back. I’m curious to try out some of their darker roasts and see if they’ve got anything else I like. I’d gladly recommend that anyone in the neighborhood give it a try and possibly even make the trip from Manhattan. Well-made coffee is something I’ve found all too rare in Park Slope. As always – any other recommendations in the New York City area are welcome.
gauperaa Senior Member Joined: 22 Dec 2001 Posts: 326 Location: Oslo, Norway Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Euro2000 Junior, Rancilio... Grinder: Mazzer Mini, Rancilio Rocky,... Vac Pot: Mini eSantos Drip: OBH Nordica King of Coffee Roaster: Imex-CR100, Princess popper,...
Posted Mon Sep 1, 2003, 12:33am Subject: Re: Review -- Gorilla Coffee in Park Slope, Brooklyn
Cool, I've never heard of a shop that serves espresso based on a Brazilian as single origin espresso. I wonder how that works out in the bigger milk drinks. Maybe they use some of the darker blends you mentioned for that.
High quality Brazils are great for espresso, especially as a base in a blend. You should try blending it with something else you buy there. It is very educational.
Posted Mon Sep 1, 2003, 6:02am Subject: Re: Review -- Gorilla Coffee in Park Slope, Brooklyn
I was under the impression that espressos were almost always made from blends. I would like to try it blended with something a little "heavier" as well. But the espresso they made was lovely -- very thick with lots and lots of crema. Definitely a good start.
Posted Tue Jun 8, 2004, 7:04pm Subject: Re: Review -- Gorilla Coffee in Park Slope, Brooklyn
I just went there last week during my stay in Brooklyn...I was pretty dissapointed. The single orgin espresso was sour in every way...lots of crema...sour crema...It's a miss use of the faema e-61 if you ask me. The staff were friendly and they will make you a french press of almost any coffee they carry...which I got to get the espresso taste out of my mouth...and they do only organics... but they have plenty of coffees that would blend well to help improve the espresso...they also roast their own but apparently not for long. Somebody also told me that the lady who does the roasting and owns the place is more of a tea drinker than anything...a slightly negetive omen for sure. Over all if you want a french press it a cool scene...but do you self a favor and avoid espresso.
malachi Senior Member Joined: 5 May 2002 Posts: 1,758 Location: SFCA Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Monster Mia (for now)_ Grinder: Monster Cimballi Junior Vac Pot: Not any more Drip: never Roaster: Ecco, Stumptown, Intelli,...
Posted Wed Jun 9, 2004, 1:21pm Subject: Re: Review -- Gorilla Coffee in Park Slope, Brooklyn
Deferio Said:
I just went there last week during my stay in Brooklyn...I was pretty dissapointed. The single orgin espresso was sour in every way...lots of crema...sour crema...It's a miss use of the faema e-61 if you ask me.
Posted Thu Jun 10, 2004, 2:42pm Subject: Re: Review -- Gorilla Coffee in Park Slope, Brooklyn
No I did'nt tell them...I'm really no good at confronting people on there lousy drinks...it may have been a fluke...who knows...but it was consistant from what others were telling me about them... It may be a roast issue because the roaster does'nt have alot of experience...but I think it's more a technique issue....it came across to me that they were more about the scene than the cuisine. Maybe I will e-mail them about my experience...but again...they did have a great french press...so it was'nt all bad :-) -Chris Deferio
Posted Thu Dec 16, 2004, 12:20pm Subject: Re: Review -- Gorilla Coffee in Park Slope, Brooklyn
I've always had good shots from there and I will agree that the Brazilian that they use for the espresso can be ... lemon-y (that is a very accurate description) and a bit bright for some, but it's one of my personal worldwide favorites. If you don't like the Brazil, they do have a blend that is darker and a bit earthier (and of course now that I describe it, I can't remember which one it is) check the site... gorilla coffee, I think it's the Sumatra, which they might be willing to do shots with (I've never asked, but I will next time) Anyway, if you're in Brooklyn, give it a try, there are very few other places to get this quality of stuff anywhere near here. I don't work there or know anyone who works there, just a big fan and I was very happy to discover them.
Posted Wed Dec 22, 2004, 8:06am Subject: Re: Review -- Gorilla Coffee in Park Slope, Brooklyn
dalton Said:
I was under the impression that espressos were almost always made from blends. I would like to try it blended with something a little "heavier" as well. But the espresso they made was lovely -- very thick with lots and lots of crema. Definitely a good start.
Posted Sun Jan 23, 2005, 9:00pm Subject: Re: Review -- Gorilla Coffee in Park Slope, Brooklyn
As owner of Gorilla Coffee, I'd like to get some facts straight:
** 100% our coffee and tea offerings are Fair Trade Certified. ** All coffee is roasted in-house at our 5th Avenue store on a 27lb./batch Diedrich drum roaster. We roast 4 - 5 times a week. ** We roast date every 1lb. bag we sell. Everything is bagged fresh and, usually, still warm from the roast. ** Stephen Diedrich, the maker of our Idaho-born roaster, taught me how to roast. In the roasting world, he's a demi god. ** We did use a single origin Brazil for our espresso because we liked it. New York Magazine voted Gorilla Coffee "Best Espresso in New York". Our wholesale accounts have made us rethink this because MOST people are only comfortable with an espresso blend. We now have a signature, custom blend that we pull at the store daily. ** I never drink tea.
We take pride in our coffee product. We love what we do, and we all drink coffee all day long...
bloocanary Senior Member Joined: 17 Nov 2003 Posts: 345 Location: boston Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: rancilio silvia Grinder: solis maestro Vac Pot: yama (imploded)
Posted Sat Apr 30, 2005, 3:00pm Subject: Re: Review -- Gorilla Coffee in Park Slope, Brooklyn
yucka ... are different coffeegeeks commenting on this thread? the standards seem to be significantly lower than what's used for places like Gimme. yes this place roasts its own coffee, but beyond that i don't see any major improvement over your average starbucks.
darleen, i'm sorry to pan your place, but feel free to respond. i'm not suggesting that people shouldn't go to gorilla, because you sound like you do care, so i do hope you succeed ... but some major changes need to be made to appeal to this clientele i think.
i visited gorilla today after reading this thread and was sorely disappointed. i started off by ordering a cappuccino -- that's to ease myself in so a crummy shot would at least be tempered by some milk. the barista did not grind fresh, she did a poor tamp (i.e., tamp haphazardly, tap, then tamp haphazardly again with no spin or any care about pressure, level, etc), and then she built the drink in one of those standard thick diner coffee mugs. the steam wand was dirty, and the milk was definitely not microfoamed ... she built the drink in standard starbucks fashion by pouring in hot milk, then spooning soap bubbles on top.
after that, i thought maybe at least it'll taste good ... but it was bitter, on top of the expected problems with a hot milk & bubbles drink (burnt tongue, no mouthfeel, etc). i made it thru half the cup and couldn't finish it.
i then gave up on espresso (since no care seemed to go into making them anyway) and ordered a cup of coffee. that too was bitter and had an unpleasant aftertaste. i ended up tossing that cup also. before everyone starts thinking i'm a finicky coffee drinker who tosses anything but the perfect cup, note that i almost never toss coffee ... i'll even drink office swill on occasion, and can stomach dunkin' donuts or starbucks coffee when there's nothing else available.
anyway, darleen, i would recommend dropping by Gimme in Brooklyn to see how they work ... a few small changes would be a good start, like wiping the steam wand, tamping correctly, and microfoaming. good luck.
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