Leek + Parm Velouté

for when your apartment is 58 degrees, plus my favorite coffee shops to work from in NYC

Friends, how are you doing? Are you staying warm? I’m in NYC and this past week has been the coldest we’ve had in awhile. I realized that the wall of windows and exposed brick I so love about my apartment actually becomes a real issue in the dead of winter. No matter how high I set the heat, the temperature refuses to rise above 58 degrees F. Tough going for a gal who does a lot of work from home. I also realized this week that our apartment sits fully above the unheated parking garage :) not doing anything for the insulation department (don’t worry, I know my renters rights and our landlord has been very responsive).

this week's option: working from coffeeshop or cooking with many layers

Insert working from a coffeeshop

As a result, I’ve been trying to spend as little time in my apartment as possible which means lots of time spent in different coffee shops. Honestly, regardless of the temperature, it’s a move a pull often. As much as I love working from my apartment… I am cursed with the insufferable urge to clean out the corner of my boiler room and reorganize the pantry before I can manage to sit down and focus on the task at hand, whether that be editing videos, drafting recipes, writing substacks etc etc etc.

The buzz of a coffee shop actually allows me to focus. Especially in the winter months, there’s something so cozy about nestling in with latte or tea in hand, and getting to work…and so I’ve compiled a list of my favorite coffee shops to work from in NYC. All of these places allow computers, because there’s nothing more frustrating than purchasing your coffee only to realize you can’t even do your work. Sad. Thanks to everyone who shared their favorite spots with me to round out the list…I’ve noted the places (*) I have yet to try but came highly recommended.

usagi and devocion

Dumbo

Fontainhas, a cozy South Asian/ specifically Indian inspired coffeeshop with the most delicious chai perpetually simmering on the stovetop. Get a dirty masala chai and the breakfast kathi-rito, and post up at one of the comfy poofs to work for hours. Also a great spot for meetings over coffee.

Right next door is Usagi, a gallery-cafe with fantastic matcha and a library-esque study vibe with mix match table and chairs to work from. It’s usually pretty empty and a nice quiet space to grind away.

Beepublic is a coffeehouse by day and bar by night (although I have yet to frequent the bar side of operations). Great coffee, vibes, and vegan cafe menu (I was surprisingly pleased by the (v) sausage, egg and cheese) … along with an ethos committed to saving the bees by serving responsibly sourced food and drink.

Devocion is always a staple. The Dumbo location is smaller than Williamsburg, but I’ve always managed to find a seat on weekdays… which is also the only time I frequent for a work session because wifi is only available on weekdays (smart move, Devocion).

Cobble Hill

Stumptown Coffee is a fierce competitor in my personal ranks for best tasting coffee in NYC. I like that they have seasonal drinks too, but the flavors are actually interesting and not shit like ‘sugar cookie churro latté.’ The Cobble Hill location has lots of seating and not a lot of natural light which plays into a cozy library-esque vibe that I’m into. The Greenwich Village location is another favorite, though smaller.

*Saturn Road is a coffee shop by day and bar by night. I have yet to try but this came recommended my many.

*I only recently learned that Talea Beer doubles as a coffee shop during the day and seems to be a crowd favorite for working (also a huge location in Williamsburg and West Village). I’m into all these ‘coffee shop by day, bar by night’ places because if you hang long enough you can reward yourself with a beverage after a long day of hard work without ever having to leave!

Partners WV, Stumptown original shop, Partners BK

Williamsburg

Partners Coffee is always buzzing, and if you can manage to snag a comfy seat on the couch in front of the bookshelf, you hit the jackpot. Free wifi but no outlets, so if you plan to do some work, prepare to come fully charged. I’m also a fan of the West Village location.

I appreciate that every Devocion location has significant natural light and so many plants, but the Williamsburg location might have the MOST of both of these. Just up the street is LEIF, one of the cutest home decor stores in BK, so maybe reward yourself with some retail therapy after.

The Hoxton is a hotel, which brings us to a new category of ‘coffeeshop esque’ places to work! Hotel lobbies (when open to the public) are a personal fav, and the Hoxton actually does have a true coffee shop right inside. This spot might be my favorite to work from in Williamsburg. Get the breakfast sandwich served on a Jerusalem bagel. To die for.

Soho/ Nolita

I had to include Cafè Lyria because it’s just such a cool spot and I do love the coffee. Even though they allow laptops and have free wifi, I will caution that this time of year it remains almost as cold inside as outside (two entrances to a small shop means lots of cold air). I tried to seek refuge this week and when I left I could no longer feel my toes…

cafe lyria and Marlton hotel

West Village/ Greenwich Village

*Moshava Coffee allows laptops on the second floor and seems to be a hidden gem. I’ll have to see for myself.

*It feels important to share that the Marlton Hotel Lobby has a fireplace and perhaps the coziest (I need a new word) vibes out of every place on this list. Particularly in the winter, I think the hotel lobby workplace is the way to go.

Plantshed is a favorite because 1) it’s a coffee shop that doubles as a florist and 2) it’s right across the street from Aux Merveilleux de Fred, a bakery that not enough people know about. I suggest the sugar cramique, a soft brioche with huge chunks of crystallized sugar, kinda like a true Belgian waffle… although you can’t go wrong with whatever pastry is still warm and just pulled out of the oven.

Alright, those are my recs for this week

I’ve definitely missed some so please comment your own favs, I’m curious!

The very little time I did spend in my apartment involved cooking anything in the oven or on the stove…mostly so I could huddle close by and keep warm. Soup was an obvious choice and when I scrolled through my running list of recipe ideas I stumbled upon ‘Leek & Parm Velouté’ at the very end. Bingo.

Leek & Parm Velouté

If there was ever a week to have soup… it was this week. Don’t let ‘velouté’ freak you out. It’s a fancy way of saying that the base of the soup comes from chicken stock thickened with a roux (mixture of flour and butter), aka one of the four ‘mother sauces’ we were taught in Culinary School. All you really need to know is that the end result is a creamy, luscious green goodness you’ll want to drink.

what you need, first

• 4 tbsp butter

• 1/4 c flour

• 6 cups unsalted chicken stock

• 1 parm rind

• kosher salt

• fresh cracked white pepper

then

• 1 tbsp butter + squeeze of olive oil

• 1 yellow onion, diced

• 3 large celery stalks, diced

• 2 large leeks, cleaned, whites thinly sliced, greens cut into 2” pieces and set aside

• kosher salt

• fresh cracked white pepper

plus

• fresh baguette

• parm, for grating

• good olive oil

what you do

warm up chicken stock in a small sauce pan.

In a separate pot, melt the butter and then sprinkle in the flour to create the roux. it should look like a thick paste. cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is lightly toasted but not brown, about 3 mins. slowly add the warm chicken stock, whisking constantly, until the mixture is fully smooth. add parm rind and simmer for 12- 15 mins. Season well with salt and white pepper. Refill the sauce pan that held the chicken stock with water and bring to a simmer.

In the meantime, add the remaining butter in a small sauté pan along with a few tbsp of olive oil. Sweat the onion, celery, and white, thinly sliced part of the leeks until tender. Try not to caramelize the veggies, only soften them, about 7-8 mins over low heat. Add vegetables to the thickened chicken stock, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add a few tbsp of salt to the sauce pan with simmering water, then add the green tops of the leeks. Blanch for 3-4 mins until tender, then transfer immediately to an ice bath (this shocks the leeks and helps maintain the green color). Squeeze leeks dry and transfer to the vegetable mixture.

Use a vitamix or an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth, then strain through a mesh sieve. Taste and season with more salt and white pepper. Gently reheat to a simmer before serving.

Suggested accoutrements: fresh baguette and an extra large parm crisp. You can make by grating parm into a large disc on a parchment paper lined sheet tray. bake for 7-8 mins in a 400 degree oven, or until golden brown.

Last night I used up the last of the soup (I only had about a cup) as the base for some brothy white beans with toast. divine.

That’s all for this week. Next order of business is valentine’s day recipes so stay tuned and stay warm.

xx,

Maddy