100 Things To Do In Finger Lakes Wine Country This Summer, #48 Have a Cup of Coffee

Finger Lakes Wine Country may be overflowing with wine, beer, and spirits, but we also have coffee! Like a lot of people, I can’t start my day without a cup of coffee. And really, you don’t even want to meet up with me until I have had at least one cup. Coffee houses are one of my favorite stops because they always have such a laid back atmosphere. You can usually find some great literature lying around and sometimes they are attached to a bookstore like Storylines in Watkins Glen. They have a nice collection of new, used and hard-cover books here and local books/magazines. In their own words, Storylines gives the community a place to get some homemade coffee and avoid the “strip-mall strangle.”

A little closer to home, for me anyways, is Downtown Expresso in Elmira. Believe me when I say Elmirans get really excited when a new business sets up downtown…especially when that business offers a Chocolate Breakfast Sandwich! Even more excellent news is that they have a coffee and muffin club. They also promise us a Panini special every week. Located on Grey Street, they are open Monday-Friday, 7am to 5pm.

Since I spend most of my time in Corning, I am pretty familiar with all the coffee stops on Market Street. The Tea Chest has so many coffee, tea and smoothies to choose from, not to mention their homemade biscotti, scones and cookies. They also make these delicious treats as healthy as possible, even their gourmet chocolates! Across the street is Market Street Coffee & Tea. This is where I drop in when I’m on the run. They have a self-serve coffee bar and the biggest cookies I have ever seen. They also have a lot of fun merchandise! They are open Monday through Friday, 7:30 am to 8:00 pm and Sundays 7:30 to 6:00 pm. Also on Market Street is Soulful Cup. I love grabbing a cup of coffee and sitting outside and just watching what’s happening on Market Street. They have over sixteen blended and twenty non-blended coffees here so there’s something for everyone. One of the best parts about Soulful Cup is that they are open until 11pm on Friday and Saturday and they bring in local musicians.

Since most of us can’t drink wine (the most popular way to relax here in Wine Country) at work, a cup of local brew will happily hold you over until 5 o’ clock.