Starbucks is out. Café Grumpy is in. Starbucks has been out for a long time, in our book. Unfortunately, with all the traveling we do, we often find ourselves in the position of having to go there for what we call coffee-on-the-run-in-unknown-territory. But that doesn’t stop us from hunting down alternatives, whenever we have the time. Last week, we had the time.

It had just snowed in NYC and we gave ourselves plenty of time to relax before meeting our clients in Chelsea. We shared market plates at Westville, a favorite of mine that a client turned us on to last year. I love it. Chris tolerates it. With an hour to kill, we headed over to Café Grumpy on 20th, between 6th and 7th Avenues.

Ahhhhh. Café Grumpy. How I love thee. Beans measured, ground and brewed to order. Ahhhh, the wait for the piping hot cup, served in either a ceramic mug or to-go version, both tattooed with the Grumpy logo.

Best of all? No tap, tap, tap, tap. That’s right. Grumpy’s is a no laptop zone. Instead, people read the paper (NYT strewn everywhere) and talk,  to each other not to somebody on their cell phone a million miles away. It all seemed so novel. Good conversation, newspaper ink on your fingertips and a killer cup of java. Heaven. Especially on a snowy day.