MilkBoy Coffee Serves Buzzworthy Coffee and Eats

My favorite coffee in Philadelphia is La Colombe, though I am quickly becoming a fan of Counter Culture coffee, which is what they brew at the excellent Spruce Street Espresso. It's also the coffee of choice at the shops in Bryn Mawr and Ardmore. I have had gallons of cafe au lait and iced coffee from both locations over the years and can testify to how good their coffee is. But I have less experience with MilkBoy's food offerings.

I went in mid afternoon for a late breakfast. I ordered the breakfast burrito, grabbed a bottle of Saratoga Springs sparkling water, which was amazing, and big surprise--a cafe au lait. The coffee is never bitter, has a smooth finish and is good enough to be enjoyed black. The foam on my au lait was exemplary, thick enough to float a penny and lasted until the last sip.

The coffee came in a cobalt mug, and I grabbed some metal silverware and napkins. MilkBoy prides itself on recycling, using reusuable silverware and flatware and sourcing the ingredients locally when they can. The dairy products come from Julius Silvert.

The burrito was filled with scrambled eggs, cheese, salsa, sour cream, black beans and turkey sausage. After a dash or two of Tabasco sauce, it was perfect. I'm not usually a fan of turkey sausage, but this sage-errific version was so tasty. The eggs were soft and delicious, and there was plenty of sour cream and cheese. If you are vegetarian, then they can make this with tofu. If you're vegan, they can substitute seitan and vegan cheese and sour cream.

The decor of MilkBoy is totally indie coffee house with posters of up-and-coming artists and their debut CDs all over the walls. There are always free papers, and the staff never looks like they stepped out of a J. Crew catalog. They are extremely friendly, down to earth and always willing to offer some advice or insight into the menu and coffee drinks. It's a laid back atmosphere, but that doesn't mean that the people are not working hard. The food and beverages are prepared with care, and the space is quite clean.

I've been here many times, and the crowd is eclectic to say the least. On occasion, I've seen med student study groups, job interviews and even a high school friend I hadn't seen in years.

MilkBoy Coffee offers up a great cup of coffee, simple locally sourced dishes that can be tailored to whatever dietary restrictions you may have in an eco-friendly setting. While independent coffee houses and eating locally are all the rage right now, MilkBoy has been working this way since before it became buzzworthy. It's not a trend to them; it's just how they do things.