What exactly does your colleague have against La Columbe?

Went there once, many years ago. Only cup of coffee I can ever recall being unable to choke down – and I’ve been known to drink several-day-old office coffee, in extremis.

I’ll second the request for more information on your colleague’s odd aversion to La Colombe.

La Colombe is too pretentious for Philly. I wish La Colombe was closing instead of Tuscany. First thing I tell people new to Philly: steer clear of La Colombe. You don’t want to be one of those people.

Try Pure Fare for salads and sandwiches to eat in Rittenhouse.

talk about pretentiou — every time I went to Tuscany, they looked down on me because I was probably not grungy/hipster enough.

La Colombe beans are greasy and over-roasted. Go try some Counter Culture, Stumptown or Blue Bottle.

I am sad to see Tuscany close. I have been a loyal everyday customer for months and months since relocating from West Phila to CC. They did my drink (red eye) fine but I suppose it’s tough to muck up. I now have to decide where I will go everyday (Tuscany’s main draw was convenient location). I think it might be LaVa even though it’s out of the way. I haven’t tried the coffee at the recently opened Spread around the corner, but considering the prices displayed on the window for food items, I think I will avoid it for fear of draining my graduate school stipend by mid-month.

west of 15th? On 15th go to elixir. 21st just south of market has nook (formerly walnut bridge), there’s also pure fare for blue bottle (good stuff, but not worth the coffee-nerdboy-obsession. Guess I’m not a west coast style coffee guy), try cafe l’aube if you can get to south street, and there’s also spread.

I’ve had the pretentious experience with some of the staff at La Colombe. Dude, you aren’t doing me a favor, you’re doing your job. I asked for an espresso. nothing special. You can also go to the place on fifteenth above chestnut (blanking on the name) for La Colombe made with slightly less condescension.

I also find La Colombe’s stuff overroasted. but a lot of people like dark, dark roasts. Don’t get me started on that trend. And their espresso is burnt, imo. I’m not a fan. And some of the people who go there…but I can’t blame La Colombe for that.

Tuscany closed b/c the building owners seem to not be renewing any of the leases there. We inhabited part of an office in the same building, and we moved out last month b/c of the lease. As for La Colombe, well, the coffee is cheap, it’s pretty good (not Stumptown, e.g., sure), and the attitude? really? you can’t handle someone just making your coffee and giving it to you? Geez, I’m from the west coast and I find them perfectly amiable, if a bit low-affect. There’s always Metropolitan Bakery for coffee, though, as well as the best goodies near the square.

Barryg–Pure Fare’s pretty good coffee. A little mild, but I prefer mild over over-roasted. Wanted to try their iced coffee today, but they’re still figuring out how much to make per day and today they made too little. Out of it by 11 am At least they seemed more hurt by it than I was.

Celested–When that’s all the attitude is, it’s fine. But I’ve been skipped in the line before, glared at, and not waited on while trying to get a word in edgewise to get a spoon they forgot to give me–because they were chatting with each other while taking new orders. And everyone I know in person has had similar experiences. It’s more than just making my coffee and giving it to me. In fact, that’s all I want from a coffeeshop.

Chrissmari–it’s kinda weird to come to a food blog and not expect people to argue about food.

you do realize tuscany cafe had been serving La Colombe coffee for years , right up until its closing , right ? and La Colombe Cafe is pretty much as straight to the point , without all the bells and whistles kind of place as there is. sounds like a crisis of perception .