Need a caffeine fix? This new spot in Orangeburg is where to find it.
Like many young adults, Jeff Nigro and Joe DeMarsico developed a taste for coffee when they were in their twenties. But instead of just indulging in a morning cup or two, the high school friends went all in and ran their own respective cafes: The Bright Spot Café in Suffern for Nigro and Palisades Coffee in West Nyack for DeMarsico.
After a few years, DeMarsico focused on his career in banking and Nigro moved on to open a popular deli and catering company called Crecco’s—but the desire to cultivate the quintessential cup of java was a constant. “Coffee has always interested me,” says Nigro, who had been eyeing an empty storefront in the strip mall where Crecco’s is located, thinking that it might be just the place for a caffeine-centric venture. “Joe and I kept talking and developing this concept until we made it a reality.”
That reality is called The Perk House Coffee Co., and it’s obvious to anyone who walks through the door that the owners care about what’s in their cup. After all, a large mural illustrating how to make popular drinks such as flat whites, macchiatos, and Americanos adorns the wall above the milk station. (The painting is the work of local artist Amanda Kythreotis.)
Whether you’re a purist who prefers a simple cold brew or if you tend toward trendier drinks such as an iced shaken espresso or a pistachio oat milk latte, you’ll find what you need on the menu. Nigro and DeMarsico source their beans from G&M Coffee Roasters, a family-owned business in Brooklyn that focuses on traditional Neapolitan roasting techniques. The quality hasn’t gone unnoticed. “We get so many comments on how good our coffee is,” says DeMarsico.
In addition to their well-curated drink menu, The Perk House specializes in bite-size breakfast items like stuffed French toast bites, which are filled with whipped cream cheese and fruit (the brainchild of Michael Liparini, a third partner and the general manager over at Crecco’s), and mini pancakes as well as egg sandwiches, burritos, organic smoothies, and an array of gluten-free baked goods, made in-house.
There’s also a small selection of lunch items, such as grilled cheese sandwiches, which are prepared on Balthazar sourdough and include combos like The Baked Potato, filled with potatoes, bacon, cheddar, and sour cream, or The Spinach & Artichoke, a riff on the popular dip. “We want to be coffee-forward, but we’ve also developed a small, eclectic menu,” says Nigro. “Where we can give something an upgrade, we’ve done it.”
For instance, their eggs and chicken are sourced from Goffle Road Poultry Farm in New Jersey, and they use organic syrups and protein powder in their drinks and smoothies. All of which are a way for Nigro to finish what he started with his first café in Suffern two decades ago. “I feel like I’m coming full circle because now I’m implementing all of the ideas that I had when I was 20,” he says. “It’s been really cool.”
60 Dutch Hill Rd, Orangeburg
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