DISH OF THE WEEK: Cold Brew at A LITTLE TASTE CAFÉ (ALT)

Every week, I document another dish that impressed and satiated me during my food adventures around New York City

Over the last ten years or so, my food journeys have taken me to many neighborhoods all over the city. But one neighborhood that has never shown up in my tags until right now is the Flower District.

I’ve had tourists ask me about this neighborhood and while I’ve seen it listed on the map, it is not an area most New Yorkers think of as being a true neighborhood. It’s really just a street or two. But anyone who walks down West 28th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenue could not call this area Chelsea or Midtown or Nomad. It is most definitely the Flower District.

And without a doubt, the best coffee shop in the Flower District has to be the unassuming little boutique counter known as ALT, or A Little Taste Café. It sits in the front of a showroom also called ALT selling fabrics and furnishings. It’s one of the few businesses on the street that doesn’t sell flowers.

I discovered this little place when I was temporarily commuting to the suburbs from Penn Station. I was pleased to see a well-curated selection of local pastries and bags of their own roasted coffees.

I was very impressed that they roast their beans weekly at a facility in Brooklyn. I was even more impressed when I tasted the smooth nuttiness of their cold brew blend. I’m picky with my cold brew – some places let it steep for too long or not long enough. This was the perfect balance.

And even better is they prevent it from getting watered down by using cold brew ice cubes. This is a novel idea that hasn’t quite caught on as well as I would have expected. It takes time and effort and ALT clearly has put that into their offerings.

Turns out that flowers are not the only reason to stop through this mini-neighborhood. You also have to stop and smell (and taste) the coffee.