November 8, 2001

D’AMICO COFFEE IS ONE OF THE REASONS!

As Court Street, the main artery running through the heart of Brooklyn’s Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens, becomes increasingly yuppified - gourmet cheese emporiums, two pastry shops — D’Amico’s proudly bears the flag for the fast-disappearing way of life. Part Italian deli, part local clubhouse, this 53 year old establishment is best known for the 65 plus varieties of coffee beans on hand, most all of which are roasted in-house by the third generation owner Frank D’Amico Jr. Forty-year-old Junior’s pedigree is impeccable: He learned the art of bean roasting from his recently deceased uncle, Alessandro, and inherited the business four years ago from his 74 year old father, who still works the counter. While Frank Jr. worries that D’Amico’s social-club atmosphere will disappear with the ‘hoods old timers, the interloping professionals who line up to buy coffee beans every weekend prove that the old guard can still teach the whippersnappers a thing or two.