Great coffee alert! The very talented Cora Lambert and her RBC alum and master of the macchiato, Erik Becker, will be previewing their new venture, Box Kite Coffee, at a pop-up at Maslow 6 (211 West Broadway) starting Friday, August 2.
Working the temporary bar they had custom built (complete with a Synesso hydra pressure-profile espresso maker — don’t worry, you don’t need to know exactly what that is, just know it combined with Lambert and Becker’s great caffeinated talent makes for some awesome shots), Lambert and Becker will be serving a rotating pick of regular and decaf espressos from roasters Madcap and Ritual, as well as coffee flights featuring a single shot along with a milked-up version to compare and contrast the coffee on its own and further adulterated with the creamy stuff.
“After RBC, I threw myself into cocktail culture, and that really taught me an entirely new approach to handling the coffee bar,” says Lambert of her long-time domain. “Then I threw myself into wine and beer this past year and learned so much.” That liquid awakening lead Lambert to plan for craft beer and coffee pairings focused on the seasonality of the brews and beans at Box Kite when it opens in its permanent East Village digs at 115 St. Marks Place in the fall; she’ll also be serving wine and a well-curated house-made menu of baked goods and small plates. There are plans for a bespoke tea program, too.
For right now, look for great coffee daily from 7:30am to 5pm weekdays, and 9am to 5pm weekends at the Box Kite Coffee pop-up. Also: Don’t miss special barista/trainer Colin Whitcomb from Madcap in-house this Friday for a noon cupping of some of Madcaps outstandingly good roasts. As for coffee snobbery, you don’t find it here: “We’re all about customer service and quality. In the end, I just really want you have a great cup of coffee.” Amen.