📍No Stress Coffee & Pastry

I love local coffee shops. They feel like a labor of love instead of a business. They’re usually small with a group of regulars. Discovering them feels like a reward. This one is pretty close to my daily routine but I never knew it existed because it was down an alleyway I rarely walk through. If anything, I hope this is the motivation you need to explore a street you typically don’t get to.

I’ve been here a few times in the past couple of weeks so I got to try a few different things. They brew Grazeilla coffee, a local Brooklyn-based roaster. Of the 4 times I went, I ordered drip coffee 3 times. That’s my normal order at a coffee shop when it’s cold or if they don’t do cold brew. I enjoy sipping something for an extended time. The one time I got something else, it was a Cortado.

The drip comes out hot, which I appreciate. It’s got a good amount of acidity to it. I also get some chocolate notes. There’s something about the beans and the temperature that gives me an office or work coffee feeling, in a good way. The Cortado is a delight and I get this subtle milky sweetness from it. I got it with whole milk and it was properly steamed. The ratio of milk to espresso is what you’d expect despite the larger cup. I wanted to savor each sip.

For such a small shop, it’s unheard of that they bake their things. The almond croissant was still warm when I bought it. I’m not sure if it’s fully in-house or what the exact setup is but I haven’t seen these exact pastries anywhere else. The idea that a local shop is baking its own, without fanfare, just makes me happy.

The Olive Oil Cake is the sweetest of the bunch. It’s really rich and moist inside like an Olive Oil Cake should be. I want to compare the texture to that of a Canelle. It’s not quite as solid outside or rich inside but it’s what I thought about while having it. The glaze on top is simple, just bringing the sweetness to the party.

The Almond Croissant is twice baked so the outside has a good deal of crunch. It has a generous amount of almonds on top that go everywhere as you bite into it. There’s sugar mixed in with the almonds on top creating a brittle-like texture. The inside is buttery and fresh with the classic almond filling.

The most interesting, of the three, is the Almond Flour Strawberry Coffee Cake. The cake itself is dense but not dry. The slice certainly feels substantial when you’re holding it. There’s a strawberry jam swirled around that adds tartness and a little sweetness. That’s all juxtaposed with this buttery almond meal topping. I think it works well if you like that buttery and cooked almond flavor.

📍No Stress Coffee & Pastry
42-77 Hunter St, Queens, NY 11101

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