An Italian-style roaster has come to East Harlem. Michele Maturo, born in Milan and a coffee lover, consults with Jake Leonti, a professional roaster, to process green beans from different countries into blends, both Italian and American style, for retail and wholesale sale. Behind the handsome, dark, navy-blue brick facade, punctuated by a glass garage door, is a huge blue coffee roaster that resembles a 19th-century locomotive. Coffee is brewed and served using a variety of systems at the food counter which also sells excellent homemade breakfast pastries, ciambelli donuts, cakes, panini, salumi and gelati. There is room for about 25 people at marble tables. A barista training lab and classes for SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) and MuMac Academy of Milan certifications are coming. There will also be vintage coffee machines on display. Mr Maturo said he chose the location as a nod to the neighborhood’s Italian history; it seems to be catching on as a meeting place.
Dell’Aria Coffee Roasters, 232 East 111th Street, 212-534-8400, dellariacaffe.com.
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