By Bill McAllister and Cindy Liu
Georgio’s Coffee
146 West Jericho Tpke., Huntington.
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631-470-7797
While Georgio Testani is a roaster first and foremost, he and his wife Lydia brew an impressive cup of coffee. Testani recently premiered the only siphon bar on LI, which he uses to prepare many of the more exotic coffees he roasts. Siphon pots are heralded by many coffee enthusiasts as the best way to prepare drip coffee and are a sight to see. The premium beans and excellent preparation make this our choice for the best brewed coffee on Long Island. Besides the excellent coffee that he serves up, his shop is a museum of coffee equipment, with machinery ranging from pulpers to antique roasters to hand mills.
Pisces Café
14A Railroad Ave., Babylon.
631-321-1231
“If you could get it better somewhere else, why would you come here?” says Jeff Arthur, co-owner of Pisces Café with Justine Poldino. That being said, the staff’s barista skills fall within this mindset. If you want some good coffee or espresso, Pisces will easily sate you, but the eccentricity of the staff and menu will bring you back. Drink favorites include the Darth Vader, a milk shake so rich and evil it could go by no other name, and the Mystery Shake, which will always be delicious even if you don’t know what it is…and is free if you can figure out the ingredients in three guesses.
Massapequa Perk
117 Front St., Massapequa Park.
516-541-PERK
The only traditional espresso bar on Long Island, owner Lisa DiBenedetto is trying to change the way Long Islanders think about coffee. “We try to re-educate our customers,” she says. The country of origin for their drip coffee changes daily and is displayed prominently behind the counter, the point being to make people aware of what they’re drinking and present them with “a little geography and history lesson in a cup.”
Mo’Joe
95 Mineola Blvd., Mineola.
516-294-0714
Aside from its lively aesthetic, Mo’Joe places a growing emphasis on their barista skills. Their house drip blend includes seven different beans, including at least one award-winning coffee. Besides their custom blend, they also offer coffee from Sumatra on a daily basis. While Mo’Joe is continually evolving in the realm of craftsmanship, at their core is always good coffee.
Love Lane Kitchen
240 Love Ln., Mattituck.
631-298-8989
Having been in the business for just three years, the Love Lane crew demonstrates their enthusiasm not just through words, but also in the cup. Their drip offering is diverse, featuring a house blend that combines beans from Costa Rica and Guatemala, as well as single origin coffees from Ethiopia, Sumatra, and Kenya. However, any coffee enthusiast absolutely must try their espresso, expertly blended by Roast Master Greg Heinz and beautifully prepared by well-trained baristas.
Bill,
Thanks for the reply. My post had also been based on an experience there and not just your mention of the shakes. However, as my single visit there had been some time ago, I thought I should give it a reevaluation, and so stopped by,
My experience:
the ground beans were dosed out of a big bin of grounds. It was not apparent whether they buy it pre-ground or grind a LOT of it in advance.
Shot extraction took about 14 seconds; it should take 23 to 25.
In short: rather stale beans and an underextracted shot. It’s hard to see how that can be called taking their barista skills seriously.
I keep telling myself that I’ll visit the Pisces Cafe in Babylon one of these years, and yet I never seem to get there. There’s always so much to do on L.I.
But knowing now that they serve a milkshake called the Darth Vader…well, it’s safe to say that I’m officially caught in their tractor beam!
:-)
~T
Scott, I just want to clarify that Pisces offers a good cup of coffee or espresso, and they do take their barista skills seriously. My point in mentioning those two shakes is that what tends to draw people to the cafe is the creativity exhibited by the staff, and those two drinks exhibit that better than the simple quality of their coffee offerings.
Pisces? Really? When all they can really talk about is their shakes?
Interesting article. I would have to say that Georgio and Lydia are roasters extraordinaire. They are THE roasters on Long Island. The brew the most rare and exotic coffees around. They are passionate and dedicated to their craft.
Being the first to have a siphon bar (which produces the ultimate cup of coffee!) is no surprise and adds the perfect touch to a fine establishment. They also serve “Cup of Excellence” winners on a yearly basis, giving all coffee lovers the opportunity to taste the best coffee from around the world.
Thanks for bringing coffee to the forefront, but remember for the best coffee, from the best roaster you need to go see Georgio and Lydia.