Free Coffee at Greene Grape Provisions RIGHT NOW

I’m pretty sure it’s continuing through the afternoon (corner of Fulton and South Portland), if anyone is feeling the need for a little pick-me-up…

Be Your Own Barista

Kitten Coffee, a Clinton Hill-based coffee roaster on Skillman between Dekalb and Willoughby, not only distributes coffee to many of this city’s fine establishments, it also offers a chance for you, the closeted coffee connoisseur, to perfect your roasting and brewing skills.

On the first Sunday of each month, Kitten Coffee experts teach three-hour workshops for $40 per head.  They describe the class as follows:

The Espresso Enthusiasts’ Workshop will answer all the secrets to perfect espresso:What is an espresso blend? How important is the bean?  The roasting process.  The difference between Arabica and Robusta?  How should a true espresso coffee be made?  How to achieve that smooth, textured microfoam milk?  How to handle and store the coffee – delivering all the pro barista’s secrets for you to take home or to your next employer.

 The next class is on January 6th.  Advance registration is recommended.

Bittersweet: Nothing To Be Bitter About Here

I never realized how much I coveted a coffee shop like Bittersweet, Fort Greene’s newest, until it actually arrived.  The concept is kept simple here: great coffee, genuinely friendly service, fantastically addictive ice-cream, fresh pastries, and a welcoming room with wi-fi for the laptop set.  There’s not a gimmick to be found, just a solid, charming coffee shop that is quickly becoming my second office.

(I could do without the owner’s kids running around the place amped on ice-cream, but that happened only one of the several times I’ve been there, and anyway I’m the first to acknowledge that kids tend to annoy me rather more than is probably healthy.  Still, this stands as my only complaint.)

Bittersweet
Dekalb Ave, between Cumberland and Carlton
(phone, exact address, and hours forthcoming)