LES Espresso Explosion!

October 14, 2003 B14 correspondent Joey A. writes to us of an apparent rebirth of caffeine on the LES. "On Friday, I was walking from the Delancey F stop to home on Orchard St. There was a woman on the sidewalk handing out free coffee samples for a coffee shop that opened that day at 106 Delancey (between the KFC/Taco Bell and Payless). I went in there today, and the place is called Alchemy 106. Besides the usual espresso-based drinks, they have a wall covered with different flavors of coffee beans, and they have about eight rotating daily coffee choices. I had a delicious blend called Icing On The Cake, which was brewed with chocolate, vanilla, and cinnamon. They had tables, chairs, couches and two (!) plasma TVs. Then, I happened to walk by the space next to Barrio Chino today. Always thought it was going to be a bar, because, well, they built a wooden bar in there. But as they were working on the space today, I noticed the installation of several new espresso machines." (N.B. On a related note, we had the donuts at Schiller's for breakfast today. Not to be missed.)

The place on the corner is going to be a cafe with sandwiches, I think it's called cafe 88.
Had the Bar steak for lunch at Schllers and it rocked. Saw Benico Del torro there as well.

Posted by: sy klopps at October 14, 2003 08:35 PM

One excellent new LES coffee place: Monterone, on Forsythe between Broome and Grand. Improbable location, but great Danesi coffee.

Posted by: Felix at October 15, 2003 11:51 AM

This place - Alchemy 106 - has a great selection of teas also. I had the herbal winter blush today and was amazed by the taste. A young store with young people running it, but they have a good thing going there. Curious what they will be doing for their grand opening

Posted by: GumbyfleX at October 15, 2003 02:01 PM

Maybe all the druggies that hang at Micky D's and walk that block will have a new place to loiter now.

Posted by: Sy Klopps at October 16, 2003 09:36 AM

i had a sample of Alchemy's coffee the other day, it was french vanilla... yeah i'm hooked best coffee in the universe and i'm not even a coffee drinker

Posted by: just josh at October 17, 2003 06:06 PM

Man, thanks for the tip guys!! I went to the store @ 106 Delancey Tonight and let me tell you, they had the nicest selection of coffee and teas I have ever seen on the lower east side. Thank the coffee GODS, I was getting sick of the happiness Deli Colombian Bagged Coffee, :O Oh yeah I had the snickerdoodle and it was delicious.

Posted by: Dro at October 18, 2003 04:50 AM

What about poor Cafe Lulu...? Man they're sooo slow in there and the environment is oddly set-up but they have great coffee...Maybe this will get their act together

Posted by: midge at October 20, 2003 05:32 PM

Here is a link from the Sun about some of the area's new joints. I walked by that New alchemy and it seemed really creepy from the street, wierd lighting mix. Cold grey color, but all that said, it seems to have a great location and the video stuff should expand the appeal.
Anyway here is the sun story:

http://daily.nysun.com/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib:ArticleToMailGifMSIE&Type=text/html&Path=NYS/2003/09/03&ID=Ar01900&ChunkNum=0Article%20-%20Block%20Party%20Publication:The%20New%20York%20Sun;%20Date:Sep%203,%202003;%20Section:Food%20&%20Drink;%20Page:19

Posted by: Sy Klopps at October 21, 2003 09:24 AM

Re: Happiness Deli bagged coffee...

Are you telling me their neon "Best Coffee" sign can't be trusted?

Posted by: joey at October 23, 2003 02:06 PM

I think you all should try the coffee and stop being so hesitant, the coffee is great. They told me the lighting is soon to be fixed, as well as internet browsing and gaming is coming sometime soon.

Posted by: Jim at October 25, 2003 10:49 PM

I've walked into a parlor of aesthetes on the philosophy of coffee and it is fab. Hey, Bach liked coffeee, right?

Posted by: Ron Mwangaguhunga at October 28, 2003 03:10 PM

ya alchemy 106 is sicky, go there, good stuff...

from: the skimr kid skimonline.com

Posted by: SilentKill at November 22, 2003 08:25 PM

That Alchemy 106 place is SICK!!! The most amazing coffee I have ever had, young and vibrant staff that doesn't sneer at you if you order you beverage before the size or the flavor, Plasma screen TV, a lower level FULL (let me reemphasize FULL) of top of the line PCs to play games on, and an upstairs full of couches to lounge in. I should file for bankruptcy now, and just make it easy on myself.

Posted by: Hex at December 13, 2003 02:21 PM

Ok

So I went to the city. Missed the bitch. Got off on the first city stop in the city. Went looking for a web cafe. See this guy looks like a coffee guy looks like something I can't quite place. he seems to be in charge. He is haning in front of the establishment. Name Alchemy106. It has some wierd dride ice smoky bowls thing going on int the windshield. So I go to ask him if he knows where there is an internet cafe. 'cept Lucky me I look in first and see Hey it is a web cafe itself. Go inside. 30 minutes of net time with a cirtain drink. It's like 3 bucks. two americanas on ice later I get ushered into the upper room where my favorite java client might actually work with some free net time and some free halo online gaming forced on me... These guys are cool. " Play this now!" they say... I am going to move back to queens just so I can take the train and hang out here. These guys are so cool it's really scary. There was even a guy sleaping on the couch. It was the first day that the upstares computers were online. I walked around manhattan and made my way back to A106 and chilled there for the rest of the nith from like 11 to 2:45am for like 12 dollors and also I bought a vitamin water. I am sure it would be more expensive later on. I would give those guys 200 dollors a month just to have the privalidge of hanging out there. Only bad part was there was no chicks. Well there was a brief apperance of the girl friends of like two guys that worked there and there were chicks working downstairs. And There were two teeage chicks giggling the the bathroom but they bounced as soon as they left the facilities...

All in all an freaking awsome night. Too bad they don't have there website up. I am wondering what they are doing there for newyears.

Email me @ cyborgsoulmate@guess my free email provider you wankers.com

Posted by: Syllibus at December 30, 2003 08:13 PM

Alchemy 106 is the best coffee shop that I have been to. let me tell you I have been to a lot of places with great coffee and internet. But alchemy 106 has the great custermer service and it feels like home.Once you come in you never want to leave "really".......

Posted by: Maria at January 8, 2004 09:52 PM

Now, I love alchemy 106 as much as anyone else who's posted a praise to it, but some of these reviews read like NYtimes classified one line ads. I wonder what the owners and employees, who are notoriously 'anti-advertising' (probably why the place has such underground charm) would think of this page.

Posted by: Saint Episode at January 20, 2004 12:48 PM

So, mister and misses fancypants found the little shop of horrors. Well, burn, the whole lot of you... if you yuppify my coffee spot, I'll burn it down. Fair warning from a regular customer.

Posted by: Diggs McGee at January 20, 2004 02:50 PM

wow, burn down...that's a tad harsh...

Posted by: r*a*C*h at January 21, 2004 07:41 PM