Have you ever been to Fire Island? I first heard about Fire Island on Sex and the City. On one episode, the girly quartet took the ferry ride to the beach and then enjoyed a weekend of beach parties; it just seemed so summery and fabulous, I knew I wanted to see this place of or myself. Lucky for me, one of my best friends (hi Amelia!) was up for the trip as well. Before taking the ferry from Long Island to Fire Island we stopped in for a mocha at Roast Coffee and Tea in Patchaug, NY.
Taste: 3
Not quite my cup of tea, errr, I mean coffee. This was an average tasting latte, not so much a mocha latte. Despite the chocolate shock you get upon the first few sips, the top chocolate coating disappears and then you are left with a regular tasting latte.
Appearance: 4
I always appreciate a little latte art. We were in a rush to catch the ferry so I had to ask for this mocha in a to go cup; most mochas seem to look prettier in a for here cup and matching saucer. Sigh.
Ambiance: 4
This small local coffee shop is modeled exactly like Starbucks. From the seating options to the cafe food options, this place is screaming ‘I’m not unique.’ I have to say that, unlike Starbucks, the coffee here claims to be roasted in sight. There is a large random coffee roaster on display in the middle of the cafe; I assume this is for aesthetics and not for daily use. One last distinct feature of Roast is that, unlike Starbucks, they offer a coffee shop book exchange to promote some reading and a good ole sense of community.
Amelia and I stopped in to Roast mid morning on a Saturday. Roast appeared fairly busy, like the place to be on a summery morning. There was a good mix of people of all ages. Roast seems like the type of place to meet up with friends or to study by yourself. I can’t say I’d go out of my way to come here again en route to the beach, but I obviously prefer to try a local shop than head straight to a worldwide chain, so I’m happy we tried Roast!
Del Mocha Vista 