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Village coffee culture: are you a Jack's or a Joe?
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In this neighborhood I have yet to meet a Republican, but I have met ardent supporters of a different sort: coffee snobs! In the west village there are two wonderful coffee houses that exist within two blocks from each other: Jack's and Joe.
In 2003, after spending two years being disappointed by the coffee house selection that consisted of Starbucks and Starbucks, I was pleasantly surprised when two hip gourmet shops opened within weeks of each other.
Recently I asked a friend who lives in the 'hood about the two coffee houses and he exclaimed, “Oh Joe is amazing.” “But what about Jack’s?” I said.
“I’ve never been. I don’t like the vibe there," he said snootily.
I found it a little shocking that in nearly six years my friend has never even tried the other coffee house. This is a perfect example of a Village loyalist and a coffee snob.
Jack’s on West 10th between 6th and 7th is owned and run by Jack, a former actor; Joe The Art of Coffee or "Joe" is on Waverly between 6th and 7th and is owned by Jonathan, who used to be a talent agent for kids.
Both businesses have more in common than being a choice other than Starbucks, they have learned to live with each other and both have succeeded where many other businesses have failed; they’ve made themselves unique and created loyalists – extreme loyalists!
Personally, I’m more of a Joe fan, but I go back and forth.
Both coffee houses are award-winning, but Joe seems to have won so many awards that I think the next step is for Oprah to endorse it and send everyone in the country to New York for a taste test.
Joe loyalists don’t just like their coffee, they swoon over it as if Obama was in the room. Honestly to hear them talk you’d think Joe is a caffeinated idol.
The interior of Joe is clean with bright colors. It’s a cozy room with about 10 tables. Local artists create an ever-changing art exhibit with paintings and photos on the walls. Outside, there are two benches and when the sun shines (come spring), it’s a great place to read.
Joe has a schedule of weekly courses on the art of “coffee tasting.” Most of the baristas hail from Seattle and discuss “the art of coffee” like sophisticated sommeliers from France.
The clientele ranges from actors like Phillip Seymore Hoffman, Sam Shepard and my friend J.Smith-Cameron who I recently interviewed. There are always screenwriters, playwrights and poets writing... excuse me, I mean “making deals.”
Personally, I think of Joe’s as a great hang out or place to meet people, but rarely a place to get “real” work done. For that, head to the quieter Doma on Waverly and 7th or Grounded on Jane Street.
This Saturday, I decided, I’d switch teams and see what Jack’s was like.
The first thing I noticed is that Jack’s is much smaller than Joe’s; there are only a handful of small tables, and the folks seem mellow, perhaps not as caffeinated as the chatty bunch over at Joe?
The inside has a rustic, bluesy feel. I noticed on the chalkboard (yes chalkboard) that they have Acoustic Tuesdays, which just started up again. Another difference? In addition to coffee and treats, Jack’s sells beer, which I bet sells well on the nights when musicians play.
When I walked in, no tables were available, but a very sweet guy named Vinnie with a guitar offered me a space at his table, so I decided to interview him about why he chooses Jack’s over Joe. Initially, he didn’t understand any of my Jack’s/Joe questions being from Queens – gasp -- and he didn’t even know about Joe – double gasp --.
He works at the nursery school next door and comes to Jack’s every Saturday before and after his shift.
He couldn’t really compare since he didn’t even know about the competition, but he did shed light on another difference between the two coffee houses.
“I’m a vegan, and I think it’s great that they serve vegan scones,” he said.
I didn’t taste a scone, but I did taste the coffee, and it’s good.
Apparently the coffee tastes good because the beans are stirred in the brewing process - a Jack’s only specialty. There’s a patent so don’t even try to steal their secret recipe.
Also, it’s worth noting that I was able to open my computer and get some writing done.
On another day, I was able to meet some of the elusive Jack’s regulars and I was surprised to discover that the Jack’s crowd all hang out together. Marcy Heisler, a lyricist who lives nearby, introduced me to her Jack’s posse – a group of regulars who meet and discuss life while sipping their morning coffee.
“It’s great because I’ve gotten to know all my neighbors,” says Isabelle Coffee, an editor at American Arts Quarterly.
Drew Hindes, a former fashion editor turned social worker, says, “I just like the people here and I don’t like the coffee at Joe’s,” he says.
Marcy smiles. “They all come to my shows.”
“Oh yeah, there’s a Jack’s table at all Marcy’s shows,” seconds Drew.
“I got $200 in Jack’s gift certificates for Christmas,” she says proudly.
Um...excuse me, isn’t that about the same as the cost of a shirt at Ted Baker?
Trying to be impartial, I’ve decided to ask the Joe people what make Joe so special?
Once I got to asking, their answers were loud and assured: “The coffee,” says Nola, a photographer and regular.
“And by the way,” she adds. “I tried Jack’s and the Espresso just isn’t good.”
“It’s the atmosphere,” says Ian, a screenwriter who comes all the way from Brooklyn just to hang out at Joe.
On your next trip to the West Village, take a taste test for yourself. And feel free to comment.
One thing is definite -- each coffee house creates a “villager” feel because it’s a place where the neighborhood gathers for a bit of brew --ha ha.
Here's Jack on The Today Show.
The laundry list of Joe's awards.
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