The door is red, but it's a retro red. It's warm, and inviting. The wallpaper is bronze. It's a pattern similar to the one I grew up with. (In the lounge room, the one my mother wallpapered herself, up a ladder, with a swimming cap on her head, to stop the glue from falling onto her head.)
In theory, I could come to this place just to drink the Cortado, a favorite here that showcases their dark oily espresso, with just the right amount of steamed milk. But in reality I come here, because it's run by an adorable couple that will make you feel so welcome the moment you walk in the door, you'll never want to leave. This place is called De Luxe. Andy's at the front, making coffee. (Their coffee's called Doma, it's from Post Falls, Idaho, and they are the only people selling it here in New York.) Try their El Tigre Del Norte (that's their house blend coffee) which is great as just a regular drip brew. One of their goals is to offer up a great cup of coffee that's ready to go—that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, and tastes great black, (or can even stand up to some milk.) His wife Tina, who is out the back, makes ricotta, several times a week, that she slathers onto chewy demi baguettes, coated with truffled honey and evenly spaced out figs, that you want to sink your teeth into, every day, all day. (Try that one, or even the egg/arugula/cheddar sandwich, which is a great option for breakfast.) They also stock pastries from Dough, Balthazar, This Chick Bakes, and HIM in the kitchen.) And the nice surprise? It's in Park Slope. Double strollers still push their way through the door but everyone is welcome here, and their customers are eclectic; musicians, artists, stay-at-home dads, business women, everyone. No matter who you are, this is a great place to be, and the coffee? Sublime!
Pictures from top: (1) Coffee and The Ricotta/Fig/Truffled Honey Demi Baguette; (2) The wallpaper makes you feel comfy, like you're at home; (3) Tina and Andy, (4) The De Luxe neon logo, (5) The Dulce de leche doughnuts from Dough. (6) The Doma Coffee Roasting Bags, have drawings (laid out by Tina) of Andy's tattoo's. The drawings are by tattoo artist Mark Harada in the style of traditional American tattooing. (Black venom is their house-blend espresso.) (7) The owner, Andy Schulz, (8) Diamond on the cup/rough, (9) Faema E61 espresso machine (10) El Tigre Del Norte (the De Luxe house blend coffee), Black Venom blend.
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DE LUXE COFFEE 410 7th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY. Open every day from 6.30am. But closed on Mondays.
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PHOTOS BY JUSTIN WALKER What's Justin been up to? Check out his blog, here.
JUSTIN WALKER is a travel and food photographer based in Brooklyn. A native to Durango, Colorado, he grew up as a bystander to his families adventures; from commercial salmon, and halibut fishing in Alaska—to big game hunting on a small ranch in Colorado.