Café Grumpy - Lower East Side

still searching for somewhere that treats the coffee as seriously as you do. essex street on the lower east side puts you right in one of the city's most layered neighborhoods, where the old tenement history and newer independent businesses have been coexisting for years now. café grumpy has been well regarded in new york for a reason that's pretty simple: the focus stays on the cup rather than on the spectacle of making it. no performance, just attention to what's actually in the glass. the lower east side location at 13 essex st sits in a part of manhattan that rewards the slightly off-grid visit, and this is one of those spots worth building a morning around. start with an espresso, stay longer than you planned.