Who Has the Best Coffee in Town?

I am not allowed to have caffeine.

And so begins my quest: to find a great cup of coffee that makes my cheating worth it (ambiance, friendliness and a comfy place to read or chat yield bonus points).

I am not including the big chains in my list because, well, I just don't feel the love in their products or their locations. And to make my doctor happy, I tasted all different kinds of decaf. If you can make a great cup of decaf, you really are something special.

Mamaroneck

I'm sorry, fellow neighbors, but Mamaroneck is really lacking in coffee bars. However, Cafe Mozart, 308 Mamaroneck Ave., is a nice place to meet for lunch and have any number of delicious coffee drinks: hot, cold, flavored, espresso, cappuccino, coffee shakes and tea. The dark wood ambiance is charming and reminiscent of some coffee houses in Manhattan's West Village. It's really more of a restaurant, but when I go with my kids, I order an iced coffee (always robust) and they get the giant hot chocolate with whipped cream. Yum. The desserts are fab, which, of course, go great with coffee.

Larchmont

Aroma at 1932 Palmer Ave. is like the "Cheers" of coffee bars. Everyone who walks into the narrow shop lined with a few tables had the same greeting: "Hey, John." John, the young barista, knows everyone and clearly knows his coffee. He showed me the "high-end quality raw beans" that sit in large bags waiting to be freshly roasted in house (about twice per week) for each day's brew, in addition to lattes and muffins. Local dentist Dr. James Simone made sure I knew that whenever he leaves Larchmont, he can no longer drink coffee because it is of much lesser quality. "I've just been so spoiled by having great coffee here," he said. He even buys the coffee by the pound (about $12) for everyone in his office. My iced coffee was great—John, are you sure it was decaf? I came for the coffee, but stayed for the great conversation with my new friends.

My eight-year-old introduced me to Bradley's at 2 Chatsworth Ave. She likes her croissants with a smoothie; I like to dunk mine in a latte. And while not a coffee bar per se, it has an extensive list of coffee drinks—hot and cold—and a large selection of teas. The brightly lit cases are filled with beautiful desserts, and the salads are refreshing on a hot afternoon. On a nice day, you can sit outside and watch the shoppers pass by.

Right down the street at 26 (A & B) Chatsworth Ave. are Palombo's Pastry Shop and Stanz. If the coffee at Stanz tastes familiar, it should. They buy their beans from Aroma! Neither is a coffee bar, but my friends from Larchmont say they are definitely worth the trip. At 11:30 a.m., Stanz already had a lunch crowd.

Then there is my favorite cheese shop, at 144 Larchmont Ave. I admit that Auray doesn't have the best coffee on the list, but the ambiance, cheese and other French delicacies make up for it. The froth is always perfect and the cups are big so that when you take a sip, you'll get the aroma and the taste of the coffee at the same time. Try it with a baguette or croissant sandwich and you'll leave happy.

Even though it is not a coffee bar, I encourage anyone who likes tea to try the Moroccan tea at Zitoune (1127 W. Boston Post Rd.). This minty, sweet tea is an addictive complement to your meal and day.

For those of you who don't have time to go out for a good mug, order from www.portorico.com. The NYC-based roaster sells every roast, blend, origin, tea, spice and tool you can think of, and the coffee is always flavorful and satisfying. Starting at $5.99 per pound, you can't go wrong.

If you have a favorite we missed, let us know!