In lieu of a Mental Meanderings or Middle-aged Musings Monday, I thought I would give a belated shout-out to Utica Roasting Company, where Steven and I enjoyed breakfast during his Fabulous Four Day Birthday Weekend. We had business in New Hartford, NY, and we just don’t like to do these things on an empty stomach. After much debate, I suggested Utica Roasting Company as being right on our way, if we went that way (there are a few ways to get to where we wanted to go).
For the uninitiated, Utica is the city closest to Herkimer, and there are several surrounding communities that all run into each other. I guess you would call it the Greater Utica Area, which I rather like the sound of. I paused just now to Google (an even sillier verb that “blog”) “greater Utica area,” and I only got the magazine of that name, not a listing of the actual communities that comprise said area. But I am no hand at computer searches.
Be that as it may, I drove, being more familiar with the area that Steven. We went straight into Utica on 5S and with a little finagling, got to 92 Genesee St. We easily found a parking space and walked right into the coffee shop. I have been there a few times, and even wrote about it for Mohawk Valley Living magazine. I knew Steven would like it, although he may be a little too mellow for a place whose motto is, “Wake the Hell Up!”
We ordered coffee and everything bagels (regular readers may remember that is my favorite), and sat down. There was a tall table I would have liked to sit at, but the stools did not have backs, which Steven really prefers. We sat at a regular table, once again eschewing the comfy-looking couch, as we did at Moose River Coffee in Ilion (perhaps you read my blog post about that fine establishment).
The two coffee places have good coffee, comfy couches, and everything Bagels in common. However, Utica Roasting has a much more urban feel. The walls are unfinished, the tables are metal, and it altogether looks like a hip, happening joint. Oh dear, those are old slang terms. There is some retro decor: an antique scale, an old street map of Utica, so maybe old slang is OK.
We enjoyed our breakfast there, and the coffee did help us wake the hell up. For more information about Utica Coffee Roasting Company, you can visit their website at www.wakethehellup.com. You can also Like them on Facebook.
Mohawk Valley Girl 