Fika Coffee: The Perfect Drug

FIKA [fee:ka] = Swedish verb that roughly translates into “take a coffee break”

I love a good cup of coffee and in a world filled with Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts this can be hard to find. Now before I come off as a pretentious douche let me explain something: I go to Starbucks and DD all the time. I’m not above it. In fact, I use to drink about 3 cups of StarB’s addictive gruel a day when I worked at Morgan Stanley due to the insane work schedule (mental note: never work for an Investment Bank again). But just because I drink their coffee out of necessity, doesn’t mean I love it.

I decided to make my way over to Fika after sampling some of their fine chocolates at this months NYC Chocolate Show. The chocolate was so delicious, the coffee HAD to be at least a notch above mediocre. I walked into the somewhat small cafe and ordered myself a mocha.I had planned on ordering a sandwich but the lack of a bathroom in this cafe made me change my mind. With one sip I was sold. It was smooth, creamy, and hot without being scalding. Finally! A cup of java that doesn’t initially burn my tongue. The coffee needed no addition sweetness and had the most lovely layer of ‘crema’ ontop of it. Divine. The only thing that might turn someone away (besides the lack of a bathroom) is the price. A mocha is about $4.25 – which I’m sadly ok with given NYC prices for..uhh…anything. Think it’s too much money? Think of it this way: a Starbucks grande mocha is the same price.

Location #1
41w 58th st.
between 5th & 6th avenue
New York, NY 10019
Tel: +1 212.832.0022

Location #2
407 Park Avenue south
between 28th & 29th st.
New York, NY 10016

Argo Tea

If you are going to Chicago and love tea like I do – go to Argo Tea. I make a point to go to one everytime I’m in Chicago or Evanston I stop by and grab yummies. Its like the Starbucks of tea but only in Illinois (for some ungodly reason!). Why arent these hear? C’mon! Vosges Haute Chocolat branched out to NY. Why can’t Argo?? They literally have over a dozen locations in Illinois so find one wherever you’re going. If they arent near by – grab a cup while you’re at O’Hare…cuz odds are you’ll be there for awhile (shakes fist in anger at O’Hare Airport).

My Favorites

Iced Pom Tea^TM – pomegranate juice and iced red tea. Simple and Delicious.

Red Velvet^TM – red tea, raspberry and white chocolate. What a surprising combination – I love it!

Chocolate Mint Tea – a mixture of chocolate milk and mint tea. It sounds weird but this is the best tea drink ever. I crave it monthly.

Mojitea - mint tisane with lime juice over ice. Probably the most refreshing thing to drink when its warm

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Best of the Coffee Drink World

Coffee and I have always had a rocky relationship. We hang out everyday for months, spend way too much time together, then I get physically sick and we go our separate ways for a short period of time…but I cant stay away too long. Seriously, if I make a 6 cup pot of coffee – I’ll drink all 6 cups of it. The aftermath is disgusting but I just can’t help myself! This is why I’ve recently turned to coffee drinks – if I buy one, I drink one and have a much harder time overdosing. Here’s my review on the drinks I’ve tasted so far.

The Stars

The Chocolately One:
Nescafe Mocha – this is serious mocha ladies and gentlemen. It’s brew is strong, the liquid itself is thicker than most (but not unpleasant at all), and the chocolate taste is delightful. It’s not sugary chocolate mind you – this is semi-sweet cocoa. Mmmmmmm….

 I really like this drink but I’ve only seen it in Eastern European markets around my neighborhood. Am I wrong? Does anyone else see this in their local supermarket?

 
The Creamy One:
Starbucks Double Shot – this is cream central. It’s also one of the most caloric given the small dosage. However, if I want something small and super creamy I reach for one of these.

Another plus? It’s in just about EVERY supermarket and bodega. Thats what you get when Starbucks and Pepsi work on a joint venture.

 

 
The Perfect Combo:
Café Bustelo Café Con Leche – this is my favorite coffee drink by far. It’s not as watery as the Starbucks Iced Americano but its not heavy either. Known as the ‘poor mans gourmet coffee’, its’ creamy without being too milky and has a hint of sweetness. Who doesn’t love a nice café con leche??

 I find these in local bodegas in my neighborhood but that might be becuase Cafe Bustelo was started in NYC in the 20s.

 
The No-Frills One:
UCC Coffee – this one is light, sweet, and delicious. It’s a fantastic alternative to regular coffee because it doesn’t have any extras. No mocha, no heavy cream, no super sugary aftertaste: just a delicious iced coffee.

The only problem is this isn’t as easy to find – unless you’ve got a large Japanese population in your area. If you do – these will be everywhere!

 

 
The Organic One:
Adina Coffee Drinks – these are the organic green version of Starbucks Frappucinos – except without the cloying sugary aftertaste StarB tends to give you. They are all pretty delicious but the caramel is too sweet for my tastebuds…in fact, it doesn’t even taste like caramel. I suggest a do-over on that flavor Adina, think about it.

These are very popular in the organic market. Go to your local health food store

 

The Rest…

Dydo’s Demitasse: this drink has a pretty dark brew but it’s not half as pleasing as the Nescafe Mocha. In fact, one could say its super watery. Watery, dark, not milky, and not too sweet. Blech.

Then there’s the Starbucks Frappucino line, a total miss in my opinion. They dont even remotely resemble coffee.  Am I alone on this? Does anyone actually like these?

Coca -Cola is doing their best to compete with Pepsi’s Starbucks in 2 ventures: Caribou Coffee and Illy. Caribou’s iced drinks have been out for a while and are ok…but I rarely pick them up when I’m out buying. They are too dark for me with a real bitter aftertaste.

The latest partnership with Illy had better results – but then again they were working with Illy. The Illy Issimo coffee drinks have a much smooter aftertaste. The cappucino one has a delightful hint of chocolate but I have to admit I wanted more from an Illy canned coffee line which is why I cant put these in my ‘stars’ category. Its like they arent even really trying here. C’mon Illy!