HUBBUB COFFEE
If you want to see just how much the coffee scene has changed on the Main Line, visit Hubbub Coffee in Radnor. You're not going to find a comfy couch to nestle in while you drink hot chocolate or hear quiet elevator music whining in the background as you wait for your order. Instead, you'll find that their warehouse, industrial vibe and chalkboarded walls serve as the perfect ambiance for the serious coffee drinker.
If you've got a few minutes to kill and are interested in something a little fancier than the standard cup of coffee, experiment with their Stumptown and ReAnimator single-origin coffees. After you select your coffee, it is then freshly ground and shaken into a filter that sits in the cylindrical funnel. Then, hot water is manually poured over in increments until the desired amount of black coffee has steeped. These choices change regularly to provide fresh insight and variety. Hubbub also has its traditional custom house-blend drip coffee in addition to the line of espresso drinks such as the latte, cappuccino, macchiato, and mocha. If that doesn't suit your fancy, then try tackling their handful of sparkling waters, loose-leaf teas, and artisan sodas.
If you're looking to "treat yo' self", order an affogato: two shots of espresso dumped over two scoops of Little Baby's ice cream, made in small batch production outside of West Philadelphia. Keeping it simple, they usually have a choice of either vanilla bourbon or dark chocolate ice cream during the summer months. Even though it is taken off the menu in the colder months, if you ask nicely, and depending on their reserve of ice cream, they are more than happy to please any sweet tooth. To some, it may be hard to justify the $5.50 price tag. Yet, I challenge you to puzzle your taste buds with this aphrodisiacal cross between bitter and sweet, allowing for a rich and harmonious experience.
This isn't to say that coffee is all they serve. They also have an abundance of satisfying snack and meal combinations, such as: two featured soups that change daily, cold pressed juices, pastries, yogurt, cookies, and bagels with a choice of cream cheese, freshly ground peanut butter, or two specialty jellies. Their quality doesn't stop with just their coffee. While they are not a strictly organic facility, it would be more than fair to identify them as "organic-when-we-can" since there are only a couple of nontraditional items that would violate a strictly organic label.
Not only does Hubbub emphasize the importance of eating organically, they also stress the significance behind supporting local businesses that promote an old-fashioned approach. Everything that is not made in-house is coming from a highly respected restaurant in Center City or Reading Terminal rather than a factory or wholesale distributer. However, the majority of their dairy products come from the Trickling Springs Creamery located in Chambersburg, PA. The business is native to the tri-state region and prides itself on its ability to provide a humane environment and grass-fed, hormone-free lifestyle for their animals.
The staff at Hubbub is as sweet as their pastries. After your addiction has come into full swing, they will not only remember your order, but they will also come to know your name. Getting coffee becomes less of a chore and more of a social and conversational experience. You'll want to stay and linger for those few extra minutes instead of running down a laundry list of things you have to get done that day. They take their time with your order, so you'll want to take your time with your coffee.
Hubbub is for the serious coffee drinker who can appreciate the time, quality, and process that goes into making a sinfully delicious cup of coffee.
Adrienne Alexander is a senior majoring in English. Some of her interests include traveling, art, and baking.
