5 BEST New York City - ICED COFFEES

So, coffee isn't local. Or is it. the LOCALVORE uses the 80% by weight rule. And a coffee is nearly 97% water. So as long as the water isn't imported, then coffee is local.

So here's my list of the best iced coffees. No, I have not been to each and every coffee shop in New York City. No, I didn't hermetically seal 20 iced coffees, rush to my lab and taste them blindly.

What did I taste? Well, all drinks are ICED LATTES and the smallest size. Why a latte? Well, it ensures that an espresso is pulled fresh and thus the concerns over how long as the iced coffee been in the fridge, how often is the tupperware container washed, what detergent was used to wash the container - all are moot.

Here we go:

1. Cafe Grumpy - I believe that they are the only place that uses a specific coffee roast for iced beverage drinks. It takes a LONG time, but is worth the wait.
2. Gorilla Coffee @ GORILLA - Somehow, the iced coffee tastes better when at Gorilla.
3. Taralucci Y Vino - TyV uses a very mild coffee and noticeably fresh/clean equipment INSIDE (at 18th street - note the little kiosk is not very good).
4. Blue Sky Bakery - they simply do everything very well.
5. Ciao For Now - A newcomer and the MOST expensive iced latte at 4.50, but the use of Hudson Valley Fresh (also at Blue Sky) gives this coffee a nice mouthfeel. The morning barista does a slightly LONGER pull for the iced coffee.

Notables that were left off: Cafe Regular, Sit & Wonder, Mojo, 9th Street, Joe - the art of coffee (btw, the 23rd street location feels very dirty, no?)

Still to try : Cafe Pedlar, Clover, Simon Sips, Abracao

a dinner gone right!

cocina alla casa - cooking at our house - has been, well, not great for the last month. We've been uninspired to make anything really tasty.

All that ended yesterday as the farmer's market inspired some creativity.

"Fricassee of scallops & black fish"

Serves 2

Prep time = short

Cooking time = short

Ingredient procurement = moderately difficult

1. 1/2 pound of Long Island Sea Scallops
2. 1/2 pound of Long Island Black Fish Fillet
3. 1 pint non-greenhouse cherry tomatoes (heirloom preferably)
4. 1 fresh, local white onion
5. 1 lb. haricot vert, blanched
6. 1/2 pound Israeli Cous Cous (non-Local alert), cooked like pasta
7. salt / pepper
8. Best Olive Oil you can afford

Slice the onions as thin as you can

Quarter the tomatoes

WASH the scallops

Pat Dry the fish and cut into three

---

Heat Non-stick pan to medium high

Add sliced onions and more olive oil than you think

Just before they burn, add 4 oz water and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt

When there's no more water, add all the tomatoes and a 1/2 teaspoon of oil

stir occasionally and let cook 10 minutes

toss fish/scallops with salt and pepper

add fish to pan

2 minutes later add scallops and 2 oz water

stir

add a little salt and olive oil

after 2 minutes, turn off heat and leave pan alone for 4 minutes

To plate:

mound cous cous

surround with haricot verts

add a piece of fish, 2-3 scallops and some onion-tomato sauce onto the mound

ENJOY