Kudos for Kudo! (CLOSED 2009)

Do you long for true flavor in your coffee? Do you savor a sip of java like you would a fine wine? But most of all, do you agree that the popular practice of over-roasting coffee beans robs the beverage of its attributes?

Your antidote to burnt-tasting, one-note coffee is Kudo Beans, an East Village café where all of the cashiers are walking encyclopedias of coffee knowledge. Great beans and helpful employees make for a winning combination. On a recent evening, Valerie recommended a fruity Ethiopian Harrar with low acidity, and Guy informed us of a great deal: buy a pound of coffee and get a half-pound free! All coffees are labeled with detailed descriptions. The café, which owns a roasting facility in Queens, bakes croissants and muffins in-house, but also serves pastries from Mother Fortune.

Kudo Beans has some exciting plans in its future. This Thursday, the grand opening of the store will feature live jazz and free food from 6-8 pm. There will soon be a series of "cuppings and tastings" (for more information, contact info@kudobeans.com), and the 28 wonderful varieties of Kudo Coffee will soon be served at a Times Square bookstore. Look out, Starbucks!

Kudo Beans: 49 1/2 1st Ave., (212) 353-1477.