Zibetto
1385 Sixth Ave.
Don’t blink, or you’ll walk by this tiny Italian espresso bar. Two impeccably dressed barristas serve up what Carmich-ael calls “the espresso your mama used to make.”
This classic taste is created by a base of Brazilian coffee beans (“Brazilian beans are like olive oil for the Italians. They are in all of their coffee.”) and a sprinkle of robusta (the strongest variety of coffee), which adds a peppery kick.
Start with a classic Italian to “form an appreciation for the classic and establish a horizon of what you like,” Carmichael says.
Astrid Stawiarz
2 of 4
Blue Bottle Coffee
1 Rockefeller Plaza, concourse level
Blue Bottle is for the hardcore.
Most places use 7 grams of coffee beans for a shot of espresso. But Carmichael says that this Oakland-based company prides itself on using 21 grams per shot.
The result of that amped-up serving is a very acidic taste.
“If we’re talking music notes, this is a high-pitched soprano,” Carmichael, never at a loss for coffee metaphors, says.
“It screams for attention.”
Astrid Stawiarz
3 of 4
Saturdays Surf NYC
31 Crosby St.
This surf/coffee shop feels thousands of miles away from Midtown. Carmichael, an avid surfer, says he loves to go to Saturdays to “pretend I’m near a wave and have a coffee.”
The laid-back shop sells surfboards, wax and wet suits but has a coffee bar that serves a blend that is “smoky with some minerality and cocoa” from Carmichael’s own La Colombe coffee company. Customers park their bikes on the huge back patio (right) and bundle up with their coffees.
“A coffee shop can be more than a fueling station,” he says. “It’s the personality of the neighborhood. And Saturdays has that ‘Yo, dude’ thing going on.”
Saturdays Surf NYC
4 of 4
La Colombe
400 Lafayette St.
Carmichael started La Colombe in Philadelphia 15 years ago and has shops around the world. But he calls his NoHo shop his “crown jewel.” The barrista working behind the counter of the packed shop greets him with a big hug.
“I don’t like written word in my shops,” he says, “no merchandising, no menu, no bulls – – t.”
Carmichael describes his own coffee as “elegant-tasting, smooth, round, balanced.
“It’s like how some guitarists like to show off with a bunch of crazy riffs, and others like to work with the band. I’m the echo guy. I want to make beautiful music, and the beauty is in how you hold back.”
Astrid Stawiarz
