Who is the guy in the office who seems to always fall asleep while doing his thing at the urinal? He always puts his head on his arm against the wall and snoozes off. What does he have in common with the crazy woman on the bus who shouts in devil language and smacks her hand against the window and the seat in front of her, and then takes a nap? They both drink cup after cup of the cheap, flavorless, good-for-nothing office coffee that simultaneously makes them hyperactive sleepwhackers. They also don’t know about two hidden gems in downtown Manhattan that are often visited by yours truly and a dozen of lost tourists on a rainy day that are lucky to find these java treasures ahead of their shop-till-you-drop adventure at Century 21.
Enter runner-up, Kaffe 1668, a unique well decorated establishment serving a fantastic choice of organic teas and a bold-flavored set of African and South American. Tried the delicious cappuccino, this isn’t the burnt and musty Starbucks, and enjoyed the high note and balanced flavors of the Ethiopian and Costa Rican. All three had fantastic aromas (very important if you have a slight hearing impairment and have a fetish for coffee smells and often visit Porto Rico Coffee Company – see my recent adventure with Ziggy). And the Winner is, Manon Cafe! What’s so special about this usually empty hole in the wall? Chocolate! You leave with a chocolate taste in your mouth that lasts longer than your strongest eau de toilette. You get a cup of Illy Italian coffee or cappuccino, with slightly subdued aroma, and a deeply dimensioned yet elegant taste. Accompanying this coffee, you get a choice of a free Leonidas Belgian Chocolate, dark or milk chocolate? It doesn’t matter which one you choose, this isn’t some cheap stuff made by Hershey, it’s a combination of coffee and chocolate that’s truly divine and makes you go Oooooooh!
Eating With Ziggy 