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Most Worth-It Indulgence: Aunt Rosie’s Chocolate Chip Cookies from Jack’s Our taste buds have voted: the fresh-from-the-oven cookies at this organic coffee joint are unbeatable. Plus, they aren’t oversized or overpriced at just a buck.

President Obama once got a cup of joe at Jack Mazzola's destination for organic coffee, but he's hardly a regular.  Ryan Adams and Daniel Day-Lewis reportedly are, however, and longtime downtown resident Sarah Jessica Parker has also been known to pop in.  The shop's patented stir-brew method is also used at its South Street Seaport location, but the buzzy West Village storefront gets the most celebrities.

This chill West Village cafe makes a mean cup of fair-trade organic joe, which you can pair with homemade “Oreos” or chewy chocolate-chip cookies. If the java isn’t enough to fuel your yammering, let the live music on Tuesdays or 16mm movies on Thursday take center stage.

The perfect cookie composition award might go to Jack's Stir Brew in the West Village and at the South Street Seaport, a coffee shop that bakes these soft, manageably-sized beauties every day. Essentially, the coffee lovers adored these cookies, and the less coffee-inclined did not. The pros: "Intriguing! I love the richness of the batter—dark, almost like pecan pie filling." "Pleasantly chewy, perfect edges, salty contrast." But others balked at a relative lack of chocolate—and with that (we believe) hint of coffee in the batter, it wouldn't win a classic choco-chip cookie competition. (Even though this writer will be back for a few more!)

Jack’s Coffee on the Selby

It would seem obvious that patience with the long lines at Bittersweet would have worn thin by now, and that the cranky-to-be-awake-so-early-Fort Greene dog walkers would be looking for alternative places to get their 7 a.m. caffeine needs met on their way to the park. So Molly Kendall is making a lot of groggy dog owners happy these days. Ms. Kendall, 26, has been brought on to integrate Jack’s Stir Brew Coffee — the chain of coffee shops, including the famous one in the West Village — into Rice. Her — and Jack’s — arrival is part of a plan to reinvigorate the three-year-old Rice — the fourth in a series of Rices, including one in Nolita and one in Dumbo — which has been sitting sleepily on the corner of DeKalb and Cumberland. Rice’s owner, David Selig, 45, has had a streak of successful restaurants in Manhattan and Brooklyn, starting with N on Crosby Street in the mid 90s before opening the first Rice that Mr. Selig describes as Asian food that is “clean, low fat, simple, fresh and flavor full within limits.” At his Rice in DUMBO, the food and the restaurant have literally become part of the culture and fabric of life. “Food establishments are owned by the community,” Mr. Selig said. But this has not been the case in Fort Greene. So Mr. Selig — with his dog, Mott (his first Rice opened on Mott street), who seems to be suffering from a recent run-in with Lyme disease — decided one way to infiltrate the neighborhood’s rhythms was to draw in the early-morning crowd. “We’ve started opening at 7 a.m. so we can connect with the farmers from the farmers market, not just the shoppers,” he said. And the dog walkers.

This nostalgic cafe in Greenwich Village re-creates the coffee house scene of the Beat Generation era with '50s memorabilia, old car number plates, rustic tables, a long narrow bench and plenty of reading material filling the tiny space. The cafe also induces a faux sense of the country, with milk from the Hudson Valley and apples for sale from upstate New York. They do their own coffee creations local favorites with names such as Mad Max (coffee with a shot of espresso), Half Lou (half decaf , half regular) or Dirty Harry (triple ristretto, steamed soy milk and vanilla). Luckily they also do a great regular cappuccino.

In the West Village, all roads run to the Hudson--well, most do anyway.. Some wander off toward Chelsea or down into SoHo. The point is, navigating this enclave of New York can be a challenge, and there are certain things you just shouldn’t miss. Jack’s This hole-in-the-wall gem--Manhattan’s first and only fair-trade, organic coffeehouse--serves outstanding java, thanks to owner Jack Mazzola’s patented stir-brewing machines. The uber-cool baristas are rivaled only by the celeb clientele (Jill Hennessy and Matthew Modine are regulars), and the collection of Jack’s black-and-white photos on the wall showcases iconic West Village characters.

At first glance, Jack’s Stir Brew Coffee doesn’t stray far from the path beaten by other Greenwich Village coffeehouses.  A look across the muggy, aromatic room to the handwritten menu, though, hints otherwise: Jack’s brew comes at a premium, a testament to its eco-conscious origins.  Patrons seem undeterred by the prices, though, and a steady stream of them lines the counter. “People here care where their food comes from, and that includes their coffee,” explains Mary Ellen Amato, manager at Jack’s.  Jack’s beans come from Alta Gracia, a small plantation owned by author Julia Alvarez in the Dominican Republic that produces shade-grown coffee.  Translated as “high grace” in Spanish, Alta Gracia employs traditional farming methods that demand extra time and attention, according to Amato, and yield smaller batches at harvest. Alta Gracia’s approach may seem expensive, and in the short term it is.  But surprisingly, Alta Gracia and other Latin American growers using traditional farming techniques may experience greater economic stability. Research from the University of Michigan offers an explanation: most Latin American coffee crops are uniquely vulnerable to the extreme, transient events accompanying climate change, such as fierce storms, intense heat waves and droughts. However, coffee grown by traditional methods – in particular, shade-grown coffee like that at Jack’s – is much less vulnerable to these violent climatic outbursts. “In a shade-grown coffee system, a canopy of trees covers the coffee bushes and acts like a blanket,” explains ecologist Brenda Lin, who led the research.  “It holds in heat during the night and keeps it out during the day.”  Shade-grown systems also make farmers less economically vulnerable, says Lin, because they grow crops such as avocados, yucca and bananas with the coffee, providing sustenance and a source of income independent of the coffee crop. Despite these advantages, shade-grown coffee farms are declining in parts of Latin America, says Lin, whose research was recently published in the journal BioScience.  Clearing away the canopy, which is standard practice in commercial coffee operations, increases yields in the short term because more sunlight reaches the coffee bushes.  These shortsighted management strategies are unlikely to pay off, however, since they leave crops more vulnerable to extreme weather phenomena, Lin and her colleagues found.  “Under the types of environmental change we’ll be going through … farmers will need to get creative to protect their crops,” cautions Lin. Other experts agree with Lin’s findings but are concerned about the viability of traditional coffee farms.  “The question is, can these shade-grown systems persist?” explains Chris Bacon, agricultural ecologist at the University of California, Santa Cruz.  “Often the price premiums afforded by shade-grown certification don’t cover the costs of producing the coffee.” Production costs are steep because maintaining a variety of crops – the “shade” aspect of shade-grown – requires year-round labor, extra farming equipment and constant attention, since traditional farms often eschew herbicides and pesticides.  These factors, combined with smaller coffee batches, all mean slimmer profits for the farmers. To remedy the price disparity, Bacon suggests local governments offer financial incentives for increasing biodiversity, water conservation and carbon sequestration – all positive byproducts of shade-grown farming – as well as invest in rural infrastructure.  But he warns that these solutions would ultimately raise coffee prices. Would a price increase give coffee connoisseurs the jitters?  Barth Anderson, co-founder of Barrington Coffee Roasting Company in Lee, Mass., which specializes in organic beans, doesn’t think so.  “Coffee is a luxury, and people are willing to pay more for a cup with great, complex character,” he says.  “Invariably, the quality of a cup of coffee corresponds to the stewardship of the crop…The highest [flavor] scores consistently come from coffee farms that employ traditional farming methods.” Back at Jack’s, a respect for shade-grown coffee is cultivated among employees like Amato, who have been trained in the philosophies of traditional coffee farming.  “Seeing the process from crop to cup really makes you value every single bean,” says Amato. And that appreciation seems to extend to customers, as well.  The first weekend in October was Jack’s busiest in five years, Amato says, despite the sluggish economy.  Shrugging, she says, “I think people just get it.” But to get it here at Jack’s, they’ll have to wait in line.

So what the heck is stir brewed? It just happens to be arguably the best coffee in NYC! It’s difficult for New Yorkers to give a definitive answer on which shop offers the best coffee. Some are better than others for different reasons….heck, your absolute favorite coffee shop may go out of business in a year and the next best place is two train rides away…from everything else that you do. So that being said, there are definitely some independent coffee purveyors that consistently stand above the rest. I most recently raved about Oren’s but if I have to pick a contender, Jack’s Stir Brewed Coffee is another standout. For one thing, as the name implies, Jack’s brewing process is entirely unique. Owner Jack Mazzola invented the device himself which oxygenates the freshly ground beans as they brew, reducing their acidity giving every cup I’ve had a nice smooth flavor leaving the palate unscathed by bitter after tastes. He also found that adding cold milk to hot coffee kills the flavor so you’ll never see those stainless steel carafes on the counter. Only steamed milk will do. In addition to the method, his coffee blend itself is custom made and top secret. But we do know that it’s a certified organic, Fair Trade, shade-grown-micro-roasted dark roast. So there. Go get yourself a cup!

The weather is definitely changing for the colder in parts of the United States and it's a good time to talk about coffee. A brilliant cup of coffee can be your best friend on chilly days. We've looked all over the country for these best friends and came up with the 21 best cups of coffee in America. Twenty-one is an arbitrary number, but the picks are not. We did stay clear of big coffee chains like Starbucks, Seattle's Best and Dunkin' Donuts. It's not that we think we're too cool to be caught in these cookie cutter coffeeterias, but everyone knows what they're getting with a chain cup of coffee. The cups on this list are special and unique in their own way and most focus on hand-crafted processes and socially aware practices. Number 1 - Jack’s Stir Brew The not-so-secret to Jack's success in creating the best cup of coffee in America is the patented stir brewing. Owner Jack Mazzola invented and patented a machine that stirs the coffee grinds during the brewing process and that is the road less traveled and it makes all the difference. Every time I walk into the claustrophobic space in the West Village, the anticipation of the coffee staves off the panic attacks that usually run rampant upon entering tiny spaces. The coffee is that good.

BARISTA ARM Mary Ellen Amato, manager at Jack’s Stir Brew Ouchie: “If you’re making hundreds of espressos and lattes 40 hours a week every week, you’ll get a tendonitis feeling. We call it ‘barista arm’—it’s caused by overstressing your wrist and arm muscles when you’re tamping espresso.” The culprit: “Any espresso beverage with an additional shot would be the most stressful. But when you make decaf espresso you need to tamp even harder.” Doctor’s orders: “Just like with the ice cream, the closer she tamps to her body, the better, because she’ll use her larger muscle groups,” says Dr. Perez. “The key is to spread the work throughout the body as much as possible, so that no single muscle is doing too much work. It may help if she does a wrist stretch: Extend the arm out front with the palm facing down; with the free hand, pull the fingers under until they are pointing toward the torso.”

Jack’s Stir Brew was awarded an Earth-Watcher’s Earth-Saver Award for serving coffee that is organic, fair trade and shade grown. Their milk comes from Ronnybrook Farms, a local dairy producing milk that is antibiotic and hormone free.

Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door. That certainly could be the title of the most recent chapter of Jack Mazzola’s life. Jack, a former actor, has made a small name for himself as the inventor of the stir-brew, a coffee machine that stirs the grounds as they’re brewing, supposedly adding oxygen to the process and removing bitterness and acidity. We can’t vouch for the science behind the stir-brew, but we can recommend the taste, which is indeed a good deal less acidic than your average Starbucks cup of drip coffee, and a fair bit smoother too. There’s little of the bitter aftertaste to the coffee as well, whether it’s in the drip coffee or in the lattes or cappuccinos that the folks at Jack’s will make to order. Jack is a strong believer in organic, fair-trade coffee, and the shade-grown variety are the only beans you’ll find in the stores, roasted in small batches. This philosophy extends to the milk and even the sugar, where everything you want to put in your coffee is organic. Even better than the coffee are the baked goods, which come mostly from the folks at H Westville and include an incredible updated (and oversized) version of the humble Oreo with crumbly, cocoa-dusted chocolate wafers and a sticky, sugary creme filling. But it’s Jack’s chocolate chip cookies that are really worth coming back for. Billed as ‘Aunt Rosie’s cookies,’ the recipe originated with Jack’s aunt, though we’re told they are now baked by a distant cousin. Whatever their provenance, these cookies are among the more moist and chewy we’ve tried lately, and hold up to those on sale at City Bakery, Levain, Insomnia Cookies or even Ruby et Violette. If you’re hungrier than that, the Front Street location has sandwiches brought in from Bridgewater’s down the street. The only downside to Jack’s is that, despite the friendly atmosphere (the Village location has live music and shows 16mm movies on weeknights) the staff can betray a bit of attitude to the customer who has bumbled in off the street looking for a regular cup of coffee. Hauteur is perhaps an occupational hazard of those working at urban, independent coffee shops, so this is not completely unexpected. Still, it takes away from the experience and seems unwarranted, even if you are the much-lauded inventor of the stir-brew

The late Kurt Vonnegut, with his trademark dry wit, dubbed New York “Skyscraper National Park.” Walking through midtown Manhattan, one can hardly disagree. It’s as if each tall building is part of a wild experiment to determine how high is too high and how much one place can take. But below midtown, in the fold of the West Village, the history of the city is still felt. It’s where Thomas Payne and Dylan Thomas died. Where Eugene O’Neill began his career, where Mark Twain lived down the street from O. Henry, and where Edgar Allen Poe wrote “The Raven.” Henry Miller lived here, as did Jackson Pollock, Jack Kerouac, e.e. cummings and D.H. Lawrence. Old New York is what one feels when walking into Jack’s Stir Brew in the West Village. Like many businesses here, the space is small, but is has indelible charm. The old wooden floor beams creak. Exposed red brick lines the sides of the long, narrow space like the yawning jaws of an alligator. Black-and-white photos of Jack’s Stir Brew’s most cherished customers adorn the wall. The line of customers builds in front of the counter with no real order to speak of, but everyone is easygoing about it. The impatient New Yorker is nowhere to be seen--and it’s all the work of owner and founder Jack Mazzola. Three years ago, Mazzola presented the building’s co-op board with a business plan. In the portfolio, he placed pictures of “old New York” adjacent to today’s New York. Mazzola wanted to bring back the old, creating a home where the two New York's could coexist. The co-op board approved Jack’s Stir Brew, and so did New York Magazine when it named Jack’s “The Best Cup of Coffee” in New York City in 2005 and Food and Wine Magazine when it named Jack’s one of the 10 best coffeehouses in the nation. “We create a community; everybody knows everybody. You’re going to come in this store and not be mistreated by anyone,” explains Mazzola, who says he learned everything he knows from the old-timers. From the way he dresses (donning a classic Italian woven cap) to the ethos he embodies, he reveals a continuation of his warmhearted, deep Italian roots. “[I] learned so much form the old-timers, their style, their wisdom, their experience.” Though community approval hasn’t been an obstacle for Jack’s Stir Brew, its journey to becoming a successful coffeehouse was no summer holiday. At the age of 16, Mazzola came to New York to study with renowned acting coach Wynn Handman. Mazzola’s foray into the entertainment world was a tough learning experience. “I took acting classes and worked in daytime television for a while,” he says. “I went back and forth from the East Coast to the West Coast, and never made ends meet.” Mazzola says he always found himself waiting tables or working in coffeehouses. The unstable lifestyle took its toll, and after having his role in a Bruce Willis film written out of the script, Mazzola decided enough was enough. He went home to New Jersey, to his family and his father’s auto body repair shop, and soon found his inspiration: coffee. He began tasting coffees, and a flurry of ideas swirled around in his head. “One of the concepts I had was to build a brewer. I wanted to do everything different,” he says. “I’m a huge fan of the French press.” Hewing closely to the mechanics of the French press, Mazzola began sketching what he imagined to be an innovative way to brew coffee--a method that would change the face of coffee and the way the coffee tastes. He went to a family friend who runs a company called Acrison, a leviathan-like manufacturer and supplier of industrial “volumetric and gravimetric feeders, continuous blenders, bin discharging mechanisms, water treatment systems and related control systems.” He shared his sketches, and a month later, Mazzola found himself in a brainstorming sessions with a team of engineers. Mazzola and the engineers worked to build a machine that stirs the coffee grounds throughout the brewing process. First, they took an old, restaurant-style Cecilware brewer and gutted it. Then they installed a water hose to feed the brewing process and small paddles at the top of the basket where the coffee sits. As the water infiltrates the grounds in the baskets, the paddles rotate, stirring the coffee. The prototype was a success. “It just tasted amazing,” says Mazzola. “By stirring it, it oxygenates it, and the final product is a strong, full-bodied cup of coffee. I have customers that come in here, they never order black coffee because of agita, they call it in Italian, or heartburn--they drink my coffee.” And then the final puzzle pieces fell into place. Mazzola came across “A Cafecito Story” by Julia Alvarez, a book based on the experiences of Alvarez and her husband reviving a coffee farm in the Dominican Republic. “I sent an e-mail to Julia and said, ‘I am interested in your coffee and knowing everyone in the food chain.’” Mazzola went to the Dominican Republic and worked on the farm for three months, where he witnessed firsthand the advantages of sustainable coffee farming, bird-friendly environmental practices and fair trade. What he saw planted one question in his mind: “How can we help?” It became the mantra he adopted. By way of Alvarez’s introduction, Mazzola hooked up with roaster Paul Ralston of Vermont Coffee Company. With Ralston’s connections and brokering abilities, and most importantly his belief in all things sustainable, Mazzola more confidently pursued his coffeehouse vision. He had the brewer, the environmental ideology, and now his coffee roaster and supplier. In 2004, Jack’s Stir Brew opened, and it has been growing ever since. In March of 2006, Mazzola received a world patent for his stir brewer. He now has two locations open in New York (one in an environmentally green building) and is shopping for a third. There are two of the stir brewers in each location, and four more in production. In May 2006, his acting chops paid off when he was invited onto the “Today” show to demonstrate how to make the coffee using the machine. The appearance granted Jack’s Stir Brew a platform to launch its now-booming wholesale business. It’s the kind of PR that keeps Jack’s bustling every day. “This is the whole experience about stir brew, about the neighborhood, about the community and about the connections. Not only do we have community awareness, but we have global awareness,” says Mazzola. Walking into Jack’s, one might see Mazzola dashing about, helping customers and engaging them in pockets of conversation. He knows them all. He points to the wall of frequent customers--the old-timers. There’s Joe Colombo, round-faced, chomping on a cigar. Frankie, Lorraine, Wilbur. While Mazzola is pointing to the photographs, Paul Marcarelli--who flatly asks “Can you hear me now?” in the well-know Verizon advertisements--comes in for his coffee, gives Mazzola a “What’s up, Jack?” and departs. Opposite the wall of photos is the wall of specialty drinks, named after many of the customers in the pictures. Mazzola offers me a Happy Jack--a perfect ratio of espresso, steamed milk, honey and cinnamon. It dawns on me that there is an understanding among all who come into Jack’s Stir Brew. This is a place that feels like home, with good coffee brewed the stir-brew way. Before I leave, Mazzola gives a final piece of advice, openly admitting to the acting bone that still resides deep within him. “If you use coffee as a character, your perception of the coffee character is going to be different than my perception,” he says. “We are going to do different research and different work. So no one could portray coffee character the way I could. It’s in my blood.” Judging from his busy coffeehouse, Mazzola’s portrayal of coffee character, mixing old with new, is wholly effective.

“Downtown’s new restaurant row spiffs up Seaport dining” Finally -- New Yorkers have a reason to go to the South Street Seaport nabe. The Fulton Fish Market is gone, but a new wave of eating and drinking spots has arrived happily geared to locals--not tourists. Dubbed Seaport North, the action is on Front Street, part of the Historic Front Street Project, where an entire cobble-stoned block of 11 restored 200-year-old buildings now house an eclectic group of newcomers that will banish any thoughts of fanny packs and food courts. Jack’s Coffee Organic, fair-trade beans grown in the share are only kind Jack Mazzola warms up for his speciality. THe other secret to the smooth, rich cup he started pouring here in October is his stir-brewing method. Fans can sit and sip while nibbling a pastry or vegan scone.

Starbucks launched the coffee-chain revolution, but it’s local pioneers who are giving the city’s java bars an identity. It’s hard not to duck into the omnipresent Starbucks now and again; en route from the subway, as a pit stop between job interviews, for a rendezvous with an online suitor. While some trash the green mermaid for its leap from novelty trend to corporate juggernaut, coffee innovators praise the commercial giant for bringing the stimulating brew to the forefront—elevating quality and increasing the accessibility to solid joe. Despite the big brand’s domination—more than 205 stores in the five boroughs and growing—the little guy is gaining momentum. Since September, a collection of small-time coffeehouses have spawned satellite branches, and more are on the way. Time to look beyond convenience and consider these worthwhile alternatives. Family affair A wall of fame is studded with photos of regulars at Jack’s Stir Brew (138 W 10th St between Greenwich Ave and Waverly Pl, 212-929-0821; 222 Front St between Beekman St and Peck Slip, 212-227-7631), which recently opened a lower-Manhattan location. Owner Jack Mazzola takes his cues from his mama’s sauce-making technique: He created a special paddle that agitates the grinds while the coffee brews, which he claims gives a fuller flavor to his cuppa. Customers at the Village Jack’s have formed such a strong bond that they vacation together and hold weekly Sunday suppers.

The cobblestoned streets and historic buildings around Manhattan’s former Fulton Fish Market are home to a new wave of cafes and boutiques. Jack’s Stir Brew With a cult following already established at his original outpost in Greenwich Village, Jack Mazzola’s cozy organic beanery percolates some of the city’s best coffee and always has a jar of Aunt Rosie’s addictive chocolate-chip cookies on hand.

This organic, fair-trade coffeehouse, with locations in the West Village and Financial District, opens a third outpost inside Nolita eatery Rice. Owner Jack Mazzola’s stir brewer—a contraption of his own patented design—mixes a house blend of Central American, Peruvian and Sumatran beans while they’re being brewed to remove bitterness and evenly extract their flavor. The resulting mug, a smooth, dark roast tempered with the addition of local milk from Hudson Valley Fresh, is best enjoyed with a chocolate chip cookie, made from a family recipe.

Java fiends rejoiced upon the fall arrival of this offshoot of the popular Greenwich Village joint. It brought organic, shade-grown beans and a homey vibe. They’re served by chatty, quick-to-grin espresso artisans with a knack for oddball concoctions such as the silky Mountie latte, infused with maple syrup.

New York is chock full of world-class restaurants. But when it comes down to it, how many world-class restaurants do you eat it in? Here are a couple of healthy places around town that you hit up on a regular basis. Best New Coffeehouse ~ Jack's Stir Brew With a successful follow up to his hip West Village location, Jack has made his way to the South Street Seaport to help spread the word about organic, shade grown, and fair trade coffee. The additional room in his new spot—already a neighborhood hit—will no doubt allow him to continue the live music nights that have helped to make his first coffeehouse less of a take-out and more of a destination.

Everyone’s favorite Greenwich Village actor/philosopher/sustainable-coffee-bean advocate Jack Mazzola brings his patented stir-brew technology (plus Ronnybrook Farm yogurt, Keeper Springs water, and vegan scones) down to Front Street this summer. Loyal coffee-geek groupies to follow.

How a tiny Village coffee shop created a big community, one that’s set to expand to Front Street soon Jack’s Stir Brewed Coffee and Jack Mazzola, the shop and its proprietor, share more than a moniker. The West Village coffee shop’s small town vibe, its down-to-earth decor, and unpretentious menu (coffee comes in “large” and “small,” not “venti” and “tall”) seem like the physical embodiment of Jack, whose life story has more twists and turns than the success story of his coffee shop. But before we talk Jack, let’s talk a little shop. Jack’s Stir Brewed Coffee (138 West 10th Street) is a place where milk and Splenda drinkers learn what full-bodied coffee actually tastes like. The first certified organic coffee shop in Manhattan, it was awarded “Best Cup of Coffee” by New York Magazine in 2005, and voted seventh best coffee bar in the country by Food & Wine this year. The secret weapon is the stir brew coffeemaker invented and patented by Jack, which stirs the coffee grinds as it brews the coffee. The shop will celebrate its third birthday in August (the man celebrated his 36th in May), and the tiny coffee house has been a community institution since day one. “It’s a real meeting place for folks in the neighborhood,” explains Sam Green, an eyeglass maker who has lived in the building adjacent to the shop for 30 years, and counts himself as a personal friend of Jack’s. “When the weather is nice, everyone spills outside onto the stoop.” “99 percent of our customers are regulars,” says Jack. Forging a personal connection with the community is a priority for Jack, who lives above his shop like an old-time proprietor. He even founded the indie labels Fresh Ground Films and Fresh Ground Music to seek out and highlight local artistic talent, many of which perform at Jack’s. The 390-square-foot shop hosts film screenings on Thursday nights and live music on Tuesdays, packing in a crowd that would make a place twice as big feel full. A second location, which Jack refers to as “the new adventure,” is scheduled to open at 222 Front Street (between Beekman and Peck Slip Streets) in August. The new shop will be substantially larger than the original Jack’s, but small enough to maintain the quintessential cozy “Jack” vibe. “There’ll be twice the amount of seating, and more room in the back. But it will still be charming and intimate,” says Jack. Still, for many of the regulars, and for the entire staff, it is Jack Mazzola— not just his original “stir brew” method— that keeps them coming back for refills. To really understand why this is more than just another cutesy coffee joint, first you need to meet Jack. And if you hang out at his shop, that certainly won’t take long. When Jack pops into his store for a fresh cup or just to say “hey,” you know it’s him, even if you’ve never met Jack before. Good-looking, with dark, glossy hair and a stubbly hint of a beard, his presence fills the shop like that of a politician or a movie star. He clasps hands and delivers friendly back pats as if any patron of Jack’s is automatically a friend. But life hasn’t always been quite so relaxed for Jack as it looks today. Mazzola was a 16-year-old high school drop out when he left his home in the Jersey suburbs to follow an older girlfriend to Manhattan. For years, he floated aimlessly between dead-end bartending jobs, slightly more successful acting auditions, and, when ends didn’t meet in New York, his father’s auto body shop back home. At 18, Jack landed a gig as the recurring character Todd on the popular soap “All My Children.” Still hungry for something more, he moved to the West Coast to pursue television. But while Jack remained fairly active on the small screen and the New York theater scene for the next 12 years, he was far from having “made it” in any real sense of the term. When his part was cut at the last minute from a big budget Bruce Willis flick, Jack was finally fed up with the “almost, but not quite” that defined his acting career. It was around this time that a girlfriend lent Jack “A Cafecito Story,” the story of coffee, by Julia Alvarez, and something in Jack clicked. He wrote to Alvarez and her husband, and after months of correspondence, went to work on their coffee farm in the Dominican Republic. For the first time in a long while, Jack’s intuition told him that he had stumbled onto the right path. Establishing relationships with workers and with the land, Jack became inspired to advocate for fair trade, organic coffee, a long-winded label that means farmers receive a fair price for their sustainably-grown beans. Already, the idea for “Jack’s” had begun to percolate. In 2003, after months of persistent hounding, Jack convinced his co-op board that the magazine shop below his apartment was really Jack’s Stir Brew Coffee—only nobody knew it yet. Armed with photographs and drawings, and lacking anything resembling a business plan, he made the board see his vision. He opened up shop, doing much of the construction himself, and created and patented his special coffee maker, too, with the help of Ronnie Ricciardi, a mechanic friend of his father’s. From the start, there was no “almost, but not quite” to the success of the venture. When Jack tells this part of his story — the caffeinated version — it all sounds comically propitious. He reads an inspiring book, then goes to live the story with the author. He believes in fair trade, then successfully pioneers a movement in a city saturated with conventional (some would say unethical) coffee shops. And when he decides he doesn’t like how coffee is brewed, he invents an alternative method. All this without a business or engineering degree or any experience running a store. “I’ve always been a dreamer,” says Jack. “I didn’t take business 101. I use my own instinctive way to communicate with people—that’s it. I’ve learned everything from the old timers. That’s what makes it work.” Respect for one’s elders is somewhat of a recurring theme for Jack, who grew up listening and learning from the Italians hanging out at the social club next to his father’s auto body shop. “I grew up in a community where everyone knew everyone, and I’ve always had an interest in the old-timers’ wisdom of life. I’m embracing this generation,” he says, pointing to the black and white photographs of the octogenarian crew of Jack’s regulars, which hang on the cafe’s exposed brick walls. “Nobody else embraces this generation! When they’re gone, this city will feel it, mark my words. They’re the ones who’ve got it going on. I learn more from talking to them than from reading a newspaper.” Even though he describes himself as an “old-school visionary” who sees the world through a sepia-tinted lens, Jack isn’t driven only by nostalgia for the past. He possesses a Tom Cruise-like intensity for new ventures, and is excited to be pioneering a neighborhood in lower Manhattan with his new coffee shop. “I looked in the East Village, in the West Village [for a second location], and I felt like it was saturated. I think Front Street is the city’s last frontier.” Jack’s only fear in expanding the brand is losing the personal connection that he lives for. “I have to be connected to everyone, from my help to my customers. I’m looking forward to spending time in both stores with new friends and old friends. That’s part of my job—socializing, and keeping everyone connected. I want people to know that there’s a Jack.” Still, he’s the first to admit that he’s not the only one driving the success of his namesake store. “None of this is all me,” says Jack. “I’m the brains of the operation, but I really believe in the collaboration of the ‘family.’ ” Almost all of his nine employees, a.k.a “the family,” have working with him since day one. “He’s like a big brother to us,” said Louisa Bennison, who works as night manager at Jack’s. “We’re an extremely close-knit group.” “He’ll pop in to the store and put big tips in the jar, or buy us lunch,” said Katie Mullins, one of “the family’s” newest additions. It’s the trust and respect he gives to his employees that Jack credits for his business’ fast growth. “I wouldn’t feel like I was able to make this commitment to a second store if I didn’t have such a tight-knit group of employees,” said Jack. A committed staff also gives Jack the freedom to pursue a little acting on the side. He recently landed a small role in a film starring Vanessa Redgrave, which begins shooting down south in September, a month after the new store opens. But leaving his new baby in the care of his family doesn’t make Jack anxious at all. “I trust the family,” he says. And when Jack exudes such confidence in his friends and his own intuition, it’s hard not to feel like you can trust them, too.

When New York and Food & Wine magazines sung the praises of Jack's Stir Brew, they only confirmed what die hard fans already knew: Owner Jack Mazzola's certified organic, fair trade, shade grown coffee is among the best in the country. Mazzola sat down with us to share what's on his bookshelf (The Catcher in the Rye) and why he chooses David over Goliath every time. What are your favorite eco items in your closet? My girlfriend makes most of my shirts, [and] I buy mainly vintage stuff. I'm not a hemp guy, don't get me wrong, but I'm not into buying high street stuff. I hate that kind of shopping. What do you hope to pass down to your children? To be more conscious of indies; like, I always buy my fruit from the old guy with his cart on Christopher and 6th Streets … Or paying a dollar more to get an Advil from the indie bodega and not Duane Read. It's the little conscientious things that make big differences. I am the underdog, and I want to ensure others like me do well. What's your little green secret? I re-use every single letter envelope I receive. I also unsubscribe to everything, even email. It's all junk and it's disgusting. And sometimes I wake in the night and break into my own store, steal four chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk. What's on your recommended reading list? [I’m reading] The Catcher in the Rye right now. But mainly reference books inspire me and my views on the world — like fishing catalogues, vintage sailor tattoo books, flea markets, and understanding the craft and understanding that goes into making things. I think understanding the world and how things work makes you conscious. What keeps you up at night? The possibilities of my business and brand … there are so many things I want to get done with it. I am a pioneer and that itch keeps me awake at night. What nonprofit gets your approval? Grounds for Health What's on your wish list? More hybrid technology. And let me design one of those cars; they aren't that pretty. Who's your green super hero? [Patagonia founder] Yvon Chouinard If you had five minutes in the Oval Office, what would you say? As a kid, I learned to act. And I learned to understand people by working in my father's car mechanic shop … The acting helped me adapt to every situation in business because I had to understand people and personalities. I would say that every single kid in school should have to study acting. I'd also give tax breaks to small businesses.

This is the tale of two “indie” coffee shops took on the Moby Dick of espresso chains and did more than survive. In 2003, Joe’s and another java house, Jack’s Stir Brew Coffee, opened in New York City’s Greenwich Village, attacking giant Starbucks -- which has 7,661 outlets in the U.S. -- on its own turf. In a four-block radius, each was surrounded by four Starbucks. Unfazed by the competition, entrepreneurs Jack Mazzola, who opened Jack’s, and Jonathan Rubinstein, who launched Joe’s, developed a distinctive coffee blend and service style in order to succeed. Three years later, Jack’s and Joe’s are prospering, profitable and packed daily, and Joe’s has expanded to a second store in the neighborhood. Since nearby Starbucks outlets are also crowded and buzzing with caffeinated customers, there may be more than enough coffee drinkers to sustain business in a city of 8.1 million people. Both owners (who know each other as friendly business rivals) are studies in differentiating products and services. Each learned separately that creating a welcoming, cozy ambiance drew a repeat clientele. Getting to know regular customers and making them feel special, combined with serving a distinctive blend of coffee, added to their success. But one aspect they’re not competing against Starbucks with is price. Jack’s and Joe’s charge $1.65 (with tax) for a small cup of coffee, a mere 10 cents less than Starbucks. “We use organic coffee, organic milk, brown sugar. You’re paying for what you get, the Dom Perignon of coffee,” Mazzola quipped. “If I charged 25% less than Starbucks, there’d be no profit, because of high New York rents and labor costs. It’s all about volume,” Rubinstein added. “My research showed that Starbucks’ strengthened independent coffeehouses in a neighborhood like the West Village. If you do something different, people will give it a chance. Then you try to hook them,” said Rubinstein, who used to be a theatrical agent. Joe hooks them with it Viennese roast from Barrington Coffee Roasters and pours each cup of espresso with care from a manual machine, not the automate machine at Starbucks where employees press a button. Of the 18,600 coffeehouses operating in the U.S. in 2004, independents number 57% of the marketplace, Starbucks’ 35% and micro-chains of under 25 outlets such as Peet’s and Diedrich 8%, noted Mike Ferguson, spokesperson for the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA). Even when Starbucks’ adds stores, “There’s some natural law of gravity that keeps independents at pace,” he added. About 200 independents open annually, though SCAA keeps no data on how many of them close. Winning in running a coffeehouse requires more than “passion and an espresso machine. You have to be a good businessman; just being passionate about coffee isn’t enough,” Ferguson noted. The independents that succeed “react to the needs of their immediate neighborhood. Chains can’t get that neighborhood feel. They have to adhere to a certain stylebook,” he said. Creating a neighborhood feel is exactly what Jack’s and Joe’s do. Mazzola brought his outgoing and sociable personality to the business. He was an actor who had a recurring role in the TV series “All My Children.” He also had worked on a mobile coffee truck and as a waiter and bartender. This offbeat background inspired him to create “a New York social club. I wanted the old-timers to talk with the newcomers,” referring to his 50-year-old and up clientele and the 20- and 30-year-olds who flock to the Village in search of their career dreams. “Jack’s is a place where everyone meets,” he said. “We’re like the old-fashioned corner store. If a regular orders a latte every day, I train my staff to have Mary’s latte ready,” Rubinstein said. Since Joe serves as many as 700 people a day, repeat customers are critical to its success. “We can’t depend on 700 new customers coming off the street,” he noted. Jack’s is thriving despite its cramped size of only 390 square feet, seating for only 12 and location on a side street. Mazzola lives in an apartment above and is a constant presence at the store. He also has a 30-year mortgage on the retail store, which helps him avoid the sizable rent jumps that commercial tenants face in New York. By performing his own construction with the help of his father, Mazzola kept his startup costs below $50,000 (excluding the mortgage), which included his most costly item, an espresso machine that he designed himself with the help of a New Jersey maker. “If I had pressed the numbers, I probably wouldn’t have opened,” he said. Fortunately, Mazzola was unfazed by these initial expenses and kept going. Rubinstein raised the bulk of the $200,000 he used to turn a dry cleaning store into Joe’s from his parents, who are his partners. Six months after opening his 480-square-foot space that seats 20, he was already turning a profit. In March 2005, he raised $250,000 to open a second Joe’s in the West Village, a 650-square-foot store with 20 seats and has a licensing agreement with Alessi, an Italian designer, to share its store in SoHo, opening in May 2006. Customer service is one of their competitive edges. Mazzola hired his six employees--three full-time and three part-time--based on their personality, not their retail experience. “Treat our customers as you’d like to be treated,” he tells them. Many customers are known by name and arrive daily to sit with friends and discuss the Yankees or the weather. Rubinstein hires his staff of 24, half of whom are full-time, based on their openness, warmth and conviviality. Mazzola also developed an original way of making coffee: stir-brewed. He patented the Stir-Brewer, his coffee-making gadget, which uses a mixer to stir the coffee as it sifts through the filter. He uses only organic dark roast coffee and blends in steamed milk. “We heat the milk to marry it to the coffee. Otherwise cold milk chills the hot coffee,” he said. After New York Magazine voted Jack’s the best coffeehouse in New York in 2005 (replacing Joe’s in 2004), the “Today” show invited Mazzola on a September 2005 broadcast to discuss making the best espresso. To capitalize on that appearance, Mazzola launched a Website which sells his own blend at $16 a pound. The Website now generates 20% of the store’s revenue. On Tuesday nights, Mazzola removes the tables and replaces them with 30 folding chairs to present live folk music and on Thursday night beams 16-millimeter films. There’s no cover charge for either event. “I’m drawing on what the Village used to be, artists gathering in a coffeeshop,” he says. Since Joe depends on volume for its success, it has faced some issues with the laptop users who linger for hours over a $2 cup of java. “It’s a conundrum,” Rubinstein admitted. “Americans have decided that coffee and the computer go together. At busy times, we’ll say, ‘Can we get you something else?’ or take their cups away and make them feel uncomfortable,” Rubinstein said. How have Jack’s and Joe’s thrived despite Starbucks’ competition? Mazzola replied, “Jack’s build personal relationships with our customers. And we give them a great cup of coffee too.” And Rubinstein says his business has just “passed the multimillion dollar mark,” he no longer has to worry about Starbucks. Maybe Starbucks has to worry about Jack’s and Joe’s.

F&W editors spent 410 man-hours tasting 157 coffees and testing 67 coffeemakers (not to mention 10 grinders) to find the best of the best. Here you'll find the ones that appeared in the magazine as well as bonus web-exclusives. Jack's Stir Brew Coffee Owner Jack Mazzola has invented a coffeemaker that stirs the coffee grinds as it brews, giving each cup an even, smooth taste.

At first glance, Jack Mazzola would seem to be just an ordinary, regular guy. But more than a glance will reveal that Jack Mazzola is, in fact, highly irregular. Jack Mazzola is an extraordinary guy. Jack is the owner of Jack's Stir Brew Coffee, an organic and fair trade coffee shop located at 138 West 10th Street in New York City's West Village. But that is not what makes him highly irregular. Jack serves some of the best coffee in New York and has gotten a lot of recent local and national attention including the Best Coffee Award from New York Magazine and a guest appearance on The Today Show with Al Roker and Katie Couric. And, while all of that is great, what makes Jack Mazzola so extraordinary and leaves him in a class all by himself is the simple, yet powerful philosophy that governs the way that Jack chooses to live his life. "I worked in the service business my whole life, bartending, waiting tables, working in coffee shops and I came to a point where I felt that I was working harder then the owner himself. I don't have a formal education. I didn't go to college and I figured when I was 27 years old I'd better try and decide what I wanted to do with my life. I went to work full time at my Dad's auto body shop. I was able to have the freedom there of putting together a business plan. I think a lot of the focus on a business profile for me was influenced by my experience with my Dad and his business - amazing bedside manner. He was always there for everyone and built a community. When someone would get into an accident, he was right there for them...He is in business 35-40 years now and still going strong with the customers. What I wanted to do is basically bring 'Old New York' to 'New New York'. 'Old New York' is old school. It's taking the time to listen and pay attention to guys like Joe Columbo - real villagers, real New Yorkers; Lorraine Wilbur, 96 years old, listening to her. For me it was like: Old meets new -- on a first name basis! That was my vision. It was about forming a community, and as you can see, in the store we have a myriad of 30-40 black and white photographs of what I call 'Real New Yorkers'. As far as Jack's products - If you are in town, stop in for a visit. For those of you who aren't, you can shop online. "It is really about supporting sustainable agriculture, like New York farms to keep everyone feeding off one another. From the Red Jacket Orchard which is a farm up in Geneva, New York, to Keeper Springs, a non-profit Kennedy Foundation, and all proceeds go to New York City watersheds. It is about supporting sustainable agriculture. Not only that, but to build a relationship with everyone in the food chain. From the families who pick my coffee, to the local farms. I actually had the experience of working on a farm in the Dominican Republic. The farm is owned by Julie Alvarez. She is a writer. While I was working at my Dad's place part time and working to put my plan together, I came across one of her books, The Cafecito Story, which became my inspiration. I contacted Julie and she invited me to her farm in the Dominican Republic. Prior to inviting me to the farm, she came to my apartment, which is upstairs from the store, and we tasted her coffee. I loved it and she invited me out to the Dominican Republic for a harvest. It was an amazing experience. I knew that I wanted to do organic coffee. I didn't know about Fair Trade Coffee and I was educated through Julie Alvarez and through my experience of knowing these families that pick your coffee and really wanting to give them a fair salary so that they are able to feed themselves and put a roof over their heads and educate themselves and build a community themselves. So not only do we have community awareness, we also have this vision of global awareness - which for a little store like this, 390 square feet, we are pretty loud. We have a lot going on." Jack also has the kind of people in the community that are really willing to make a global noise consistent with his basic philosophies. "You have your Joe Columbos and your Lorraine Wilburs. Joe is from Milan. He imported and exported furniture from Italy when he was younger. He's still going to The Garage to listen to jazz. I had the honor of accompanying him one Monday night to Arthur's to see a friend -- a guy who grew up with him on Thompson Street -- play. He is a jazz musician. His name was Giovanno. And I asked him 'What your greatest experience as a musician.' He said 'Thirteen months with Chet Baker!' And again, it's from Jack's, meeting Joe, that led to me having a great conversation with Giovanno about Chet Baker!" I know first hand what a sense of community that is experienced the minute you walk into Jack's. How does he manage to consistently cultivate that kind of environment for his customers? "It worked really organically and that's the truth. I had high expectations for the store to do well. A lot of it is my personality - the way that I interact with people, the way that I hire my employees. My staff has the same kind of personality". Former speech writer to President Bill Clinton, John Pollack, or JP as he is known at Jack's, shares some thoughts: "For example, I had just moved onto the block and I didn't know anybody in the neighborhood and I was walking by. I was still painting my apartment and the screen door to Jack's was open but the shop wasn't open yet. I peered in and I said 'When are you opening?' and Jack said 'Next week but do you want a cup of coffee now?' Jack continues: "So, having built out the store and talking to everyone and trying to educate everyone about organic coffee and fair trade and sharing about my experience in on the farm in the Dominican Republic - people were really intrigued by that... I notice that 2 or 3 different people, coming in to buy coffee, are asking about Lorraine Wilbur. Lorraine is 96 years old and part of the Jack's Coffee family. People care and they know that Jack and John, and Joe and others who dine at Jack's...know about where Lorraine has been and how Lorraine is doing because they care. That is what makes Jack Mazzola so extraordinary! In a city like New York people need permission to connect with other people and Jack grants them permission to connect in meaningful easy. "I have known Doug, Jack says, "and I would see Doug on the street and he would never lift his head up or say 'hi' or anything. But now, in the store he says 'hello' and his own way and we talk." JP and Jack as they head off to Antarctica Recently, Jack had one of those life-changing experiences: "JP gave me the opportunity to go to Antarctica. That was an amazing trip. It kind of felt like a compliment to everything else that I am doing. We sat in on a lot of lectures. JP's Dad is a geologist and gave a lot of lectures on global warming. So it felt like everything that we are doing here at Jack's, from recycling to selling organic baked goods...our baked goods are of the highest quality ...there is a healthy kind of environment here. Listening to the lectures, it kind of felt like it would be nice to tie in those kind of bigger things. For example, we were invited to PS 41 to speak to the eighth graders and do a slide show of our trip and our experience, to talk to them about global warming and tell them about things that they can to do be aware of what is happening." JP adds: "We are just a speck in this huge immensity and you see your own insignificance but, at the same time, with all that is happening with climate change...you realize your collective responsibility as people. As one person, you are nothing, but together we have a huge responsibility in our daily lives and we are effecting that. We would land and there would be 80,000 penguins in one spot and they would have their nests scattered around -- really dense. It would be very crowded and they would march along, single file, up these paths that they had carved with their little feet and I realized that it was just like commuters and that we are like penguins in our own way -- marching along. We shouldn't take ourselves so seriously." It is clear that the experience of going to Antarctica served to add another layer to the consciousness that Jack possesses about the way he does business and about the way he does community. "The interesting thing is, in opening the store here I find that Jack's is a voice that people actually listen to. Just in educating our consumers on fair trade and organic and working with local farms, we are making a difference. Like, people will listen if we actually did something to speak about global warming or the green house effect or anything that was about protecting or saving the world. Anything that we can do to make things different -- I think that people would actually listen." "What Jack offers", insists JP, "is a way for people to make a positive and an affirmative choice everyday to buy organic and fair trade coffee. It's a small act but if Starbuck's were to do that, for example, then that would have a tremendous impact because they are probably the single largest buyer of coffee in the world. Jack is carving a path by giving people a choice that they can make that is both pleasurable and doing good by the world, at the same time." And it is, I must say, some of the best coffee that I have ever tasted. "What is your own personal experience now, about global warming?" I asked Jack. "I would hear about global warming and I never really understood global warming but after going to the Antarctica and listening to JP's Dad talk about it by showing graphs and examples...data and stuff that's actually happening or has happened from this effect, and the visual experience of Antarctica; seeing how beautiful and how possibly effecting that can be, is stuff to think about. I am thinking about it a lot. JP adds: If the people in New York or in any coastal area...for instance, if you melt the West Antarctic ice cap you will raise sea level by 70 meters. That's seven-zero and what is Manhattan? It's about one level above sea level. That's huge! It's an equal opportunity impact. Whether you live in the fanciest house on Palm Beach or the poorest hut in India, you are going to be under water". Jack Mazzola lives life aware and, if you stop and look him over, sit down and sip for awhile, you will find that that is what makes him much more than what he would seem to be at first glance. Jack lives his life aware of people, and that is what makes him highly irregular. He lives his life bigger than himself and his own personal concerns and that is what makes him extraordinary. If ever there was someone who could make a global difference in the world, it would probably be someone who was already making a difference person by person, conversation by conversation every single day of their life. It would probably be somebody like - Jack.

HealthyLivingNYC sat down with Jack Mazzola, owner of Jack's Stir Brew, to talk about his coffee and the equally important philosophy behind it. Jack’s Stir Brew has become a mainstay in Greenwich Village. Recently awarded Best Coffee in 2005 by NY magazine, HealthyLivingNYC sat down with Jack Mazzola, brewmaster and owner, to talk about his organic fair trade coffee and the equally important philosophy behind it. HLNYC: What’s the story behind Jack’s Stir Brew? Jack: I’ve been acting in NY since I was 17 and have had many service business jobs. When I made this jump I was working at a coffee shop and I realized I was sick of working for everyone else. A friend gave me a book by Julia Alvarez called, The Cafecito Story, which became my inspiration. The story is about a farmer from Nebraska who visits the Dominican Republic and in the process of learning how to harvest and make coffee, he teaches families how to speak English. The back of the book said, “written by Julia Alvarez, who owns a coffee farm in the Dominican Republic.” I contacted Julia, her and her husband came to my apartment with their coffee, we brewed it up and I loved it. They invited me to their coffee farm, I worked on the farm and developed a relationship with the land, the workers, and their family. From that point, on I realized the importance of building a similar relationship with everyone in the food chain. HLNYC: Why use organic coffee? J: I decided I wanted to do organic coffee because there were a few things in my mind that should unquestionably hold true to the organic philosophy...like the eggs and milk in my fridge, and the other staple stuff that I always keep in my apartment. But no one was doing organic coffee. Today we go the extra mile, serving certified organic and certified fair trade coffee, organic milk behind the bar, and brown sugar... I ’m serving what I would call the perfect cup of coffee. I believe in the organic movement because being raised in a traditional Italian family I was accustomed to seasonal harvests from our vegetable garden in the backyard. For me that is the true meaning of organic, the wholesome act of nurturing food on its journey from seed to table. HLNYC: Many people disregard fair trade coffee simply because it costs more. You are committed to brewing certified fair trade coffee. Why? J: Though you are paying a premium for the coffee (farmers in the fair trade program are guaranteed $1.41 per pound for green organic coffee no matter how low the commodity price), buying fair trade promises poor coffee cooperatives a reasonable price so that farmers can make living wages, while developing long-term relationships with international buyers. Buying fair trade also helps invest money in education, the environment, and healthcare, in addition to promoting better working conditions. After learning about fair trade coffee its difficult to support the alternative. We also support Grounds for Health, an organization that performs cancer-screenings and provides healthcare education for women on the coffee farms. I think its important to educate consumers and get them to recognize these world-wide issues, especially since it directly affects the people who help cultivate their coffee. Jack’s has a global awareness, along with a local awareness, which is why this place is so special. It has built a community. HLNYC: In addition to award-winning coffee your loyal customers are also quick to boast about the amiable atmosphere at Jack’s. This indeed builds upon the connection between what we consume and our surroundings. Can you comment on how you helped foster the ambiance? J: We’re open almost two years now, but before I opened I would walk down the street and notice that no one really said hello to each other. This place kind of opened everyone up, and now neighbors finally know each other. When this place is crowded you’ll rarely see a computer open or people listening to headphones, because its a social club. I encourage that everyone talk to each other, that everyone get to know each other, and so relationships have built out of here. Our customers range from a 70 year old who stops in every morning for his espresso to 7 year olds who love the over-sized Oreos (homemade by Ivy’s Uppercrust Pastry) for a sugar rush. HLNYC: The coffee you serve at Jack’s seamlessly introduces other organic food offerings from local and socially conscious food companies. Can you tell us a bit more about the products you’ve selected? J: Savoring this link between the coffee farm and the brewing coffee beans, added a whole new dimension to the business of making good coffee. I also realized that New Yorkers rarely take the time do this. From the people that make my coffee, to a friend of mine in Vermont who roasts Jack’s coffee in his barn, I apply this same philosophy to everything I sell. The cherry-almond and apple-walnut scones (organic, kosher, and vegan) are baked locally by a friend. We serve organic granola made from friends at Dr. Cow, organic green tea soda by Steaz (owned by my friend Eric), yogurts from local Ronnybrook farms, and we offer specialty ciders from NY’s Red Jacket Orchards. The popular muffins are baked by friends at Brooklyn’s Blue Sky Bakery. Editor’s Note: The muffins, in either traditional, bran, carrot or pumpkin bases, are filled in the center with seasonal fruits, come in dozens of varieties like blueberry-apricot, cherry-sweet plum, blackberry- peach, mango strawberry and zucchini banana- plum. HLNYC: What lead to the creation of the stir brew technique? J: I really wasn’t happy with traditional brewing systems, so I developed a system that really makes the magic happen. The coffee blend is complex and stirring it during the brewing process oxygenates it, removes the bitterness, and ensures that the whole blend is utilized. It’s just like mom’s sauce. My mom would always stir her sauce. She would put the ingredients into the pot in the morning and then she would stir it through out the day. They’ve been stirring coffee since the 1800’s but no one had built a commercial brewer that does so. HLNYC: Any special events at Jack’s? J: Tuesday night live music, which my buddy and I started two years ago. When we started, it was just him and I and two other people. Now on a Tuesday night you can barely get in here. Underground and local musicians perform, but it’s not an open mic as it’s a bit more organized. Everyday people drop off CD’s and we go through this process of listening and choosing who is next to grace the small stage. We also started working with some local writers and set up readings of recently published works. Recently my pal JP, the author of the Cork Boat (corkboat.com), did a reading for his paperback when it came out, and he’s also responsible for the politically-inspired American flag collage (composed of warning labels and advisories) on the wall. HLNYC: After growing accustomed to Jack’s Coffee, a customer explains that her palate can now unmistakably recognize bad coffee served by larger coffee chains. “The bitter, acidic and burnt coffee taste is obvious once Jack’s becomes your reference point.” How do you explain your coffee’s taste? J: It’s a dark roast, strong, and very smooth. You’ll detect an explosion of many flavors, as it’s really an ensemble of notes that complement each other beautifully. I treat my coffee beans as if they were delicate produce from the market. Age, light, and moisture are all factors that contribute to the coffee’s taste, and can specifically bring about its bitter character. Larger companies don’t treat the beans with proper care, and this is frequently reflected in the quality and taste of the coffee they serve. HLNYC: What’s the most popular drink order? J: Our staple drink is nothing fancy. Either a small or big coffee with steamed milk on top. Adding cold milk to hot coffee kills it. Steaming milk takes the chill out and marries the flavors much better. I don’t think larger coffee chains even put milk in for you. This was just another way to build a relationship with customers. When you come in, we know how you like your coffee. But, if you’re looking to try something a bit different, we have a chalkboard filled with customer favorites. The coffee itself is the key ingredient. A lot of people ask me what’s in the coffee and I don’t really like to disclose the blend. That’s my secret.

Jack Mazzola attributes the rich, full-bodied flavor of his consistently delicious drip coffee to the stir brewer, a device of his own invention that oxygenates the grinds as they brew, purportedly reducing their acidity. There's also his proprietary blend of politically correct beans-certified organic, Fair Trade, and shade-grown-micro-roasted up in Vermont by a retiree Mazzola met, in typical coffee-geek fashion, through Dominican writer and coffee farmer Julia Alvarez. That sustainably grown philosophy extends to the rest of Jack's repertoire, from Ronnybrook Farm yogurt to H&H bagels, which he'll happily toast. Ultimately, it's what's in the cup that counts, and what makes Jack's intensely loyal clientele navigate the swarm of surrounding Starbucks for his fearlessly dark, consistently smooth cup that truly is good to the last drop.

Imagine walking into a coffeebar called Jack’s and meeting Jack. Now imagine walking into a place called Starbucks and meeting Starbuck. Not. All you will meet at the mighty chain--152 stores strong in Manhattan and still creeping like kudzu--is some overrated coffee and the same depressingly bland atmosphere you’ll find at its shops from Newark airport to Ketchum, Idaho (though we do love the easy-access bathrooms). But head to the warm and quirky eight-month-old Jack’s and owner Jack Mazzola will greet you with gusto and some of the richest (not to mention fair-trade, shade-grown and organic) java around--plus treats including amaranth granola and fresh croissants. Places like this make it easy to avoid Starbucks--and while we can’t steer you clear of every single once, we can start you off with a dozen indie coffee bars around Manhattan, all within a couple blocks of the big guy.

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Nine years ago, Jack Mazzola sat at his kitchen table contemplating how much he loved the French press. The struggling actor—who'd had roles on soaps like "All My Children," and "Guiding Light"— imagined a similar device that would allow him to mix coffee grinds during the brewing process.

After a few sketches and a call to his buddy's dad who was an engineer, Mazzola was on his way to a worldwide patent and the freedom of never having to wait for an agent's call again.

"The result was incredible," says Mazzola. "So we went ahead with our first urn and opened Jack's Stir Brew on 10th Street ... and there were lines out the door."

Modeling his business after companies like Patagonia, which operate under strict policies of fair-trade and sustainability, the concept took off. Stir Brew expanded to a location on Front Street, followed by a pop-up in Amagansett, Long Island last summer. When a permanent Hamptons location became available in September, Mazzola seized the opportunity and moved into a small loft above the construction site to direct the cafe's design and nautical-themed décor.

Recently, The Feast stopped by Jack's Amagansett location to see the new space and to get a closer look at the gadget that transformed Mazzola into a coffee-pioneer. Next up: Stir Brews will be poured at Chipotles around the country. [The Feast]

146 Montauk Highway, Amagansett, NY; 631-267-5555.