Sarah F.
Yelp
Worth a visit, but no restroom! 1/4 mile walk to the very very nice clean Essex public restroom.
Good Quality drinks and Noms:
Drinks: Organic is the focus of their coffee and tea selection. The default House is organic and tres decent. Light and caffeiney. Ask for a mug if you don't want to waste a cup. Looking forward to trying one the the fancier drinks next time, who can resist a name like Chai-a-leBouff?
Loose tea: it's a pretty standard tea selection. A decent variety (all the standards plus Roobios, oolong, ginger tumeric, cinnamon plum, mini pu-erh cakes etc, etc) to satisfy most needs and good quality organics, but overall I wouldn't call this a major tea destination as in, drive 30 miles to get tea here. It IS however a great resource in this area. When I run out of Earl grey, oolong, etc, I'll get tea here, rather than supporting corporate brands.
Snacks: I had a chocolate mini macaroon that was not overly sweet. Lots of subtle flavor of amaretto and the coconut itself shines! I can't wait to come with a friend and split a black bean brownie. (I've had home versions of this but haven't often seen them offered in public.) 1/21/15 indeed, tried one black bean brownie, and they are huge and delish and terribly decadent. Plus, you can tell yourself it's healthy!
Cuteness: Located in an adorable section of town. Great lounge area with a vinyl record collection and player!
The bad:
No public restroom?!?!??? Argh! I happened to drink a giant bottle of water on the road, and timed things to get to the coffee shop in time. My bad. It was 20 degrees out and I basically had already tossed off my coat on a chair all ready to pee, but, joke was on me! I was sent to find some town green with some public restrooms, but I have absolutely zero sense of direction. Argh. I couldn't find it and my hands were going numb, and I had to beg at another restaurant to use theirs. Curse my tiny bladder, I had not even finished my coffee and had I go again. I'm sure this is not an easy thing to fix, what with the laws around disability accessibility in public restrooms, the old building, etc. Still it really diminished the experience for me. ((So why a five star? That should tell you how adorable and high quality delicious this place is))
Overall I'd visit again but I'd be careful to come dehydrated. :)
**1/21/15 I have now found the public restroom which is quite clean and nice