Coffee Project New York

The window at Coffee Project proudly reads, “Coffee Made Me Do It.” It started as the dream of Chi Sum “Sum” Ngai and Kaleena Teoh, who left careers in psychology and IT to build exactly the kind of neighborhood cafe they wanted to spend time in. A decade later, Sum is a certified Q-grader and runs the city’s only SCA-certified training campus. This is now one of New York's most respected specialty coffee businesses, with beans coming from cooperatives and family farms. This one’s the original shop, and it’s still our favorite.

Order the deconstructed latte. Espresso, steamed milk, and a latte in three glasses, so you taste each part before the whole. The pour-overs, which are treated with near-scientific precision, are in a league of their own.