a tale of three cups of coffee
Ritual Coffee Roasters: in a place (San Francisco) that already has a coffee nerd culture, they're at the top of the heap for nerdy coffee pedantry and attitude. They also have decent hours and do, indeed, make a superb cup. The best baristi look like famous tennis players.
Ninth Street Espresso: in a place (New York) that doesn't have squat for a coffee nerd culture, they're at least as hard-core in their coffee nerdiness as Ritual, though without nearly so much attitude. (Though they still have plenty.) Yes, they all wear those hats. No, I don't know why.
Spin Caffee: a testament to the unthinkable notion that you can still make a really superb cup of coffee without the attitude! Maybe it's a thinkable notion in Rochester; they certainly get lots of other things right.
I highly recommend all three.
Ninth Street Espresso: in a place (New York) that doesn't have squat for a coffee nerd culture, they're at least as hard-core in their coffee nerdiness as Ritual, though without nearly so much attitude. (Though they still have plenty.) Yes, they all wear those hats. No, I don't know why.
Spin Caffee: a testament to the unthinkable notion that you can still make a really superb cup of coffee without the attitude! Maybe it's a thinkable notion in Rochester; they certainly get lots of other things right.
I highly recommend all three.