Cold Mountain Cafe, Bethlehem, NH

Those who have read any of my other reviews have by now discovered that I have a penchant for finding out-of-the-way cafes in obscure backwaters that often function as a beacon of light in the middle of nowhere. Cold Mountain Cafe is no exception to this rule.

Bethlehem, NH is a strange little place. Nestled in the White Mountains of the granite state, most visitors are so as a result of happenstance. You see, Bethlehem is “on the way” to some great New Hampshire skiing; but unless you’re a local, an Orthodox Jew or have come for the low pollen count or hordes of antique stores with hours as odd as their owners, there’s really no reason to be in this northern New Hampshire town. Robert Frost once wrote of the area’s “pang…that makes poetry”. It’s a lonely, obscure little place.

Which makes the addition of Cold Mountain Cafe, located immediately on Main St. in this bizarre town, a most welcome addition and a destination location for visitors if ever there was one.

It certainly helps that every element of this cafe is of very high quality and the service has, in my experience, been nothing but impeccable. Owned by a man who brings a certain hip city feel to the establishment, it is more a small restaurant cafe than a kick-your-feet-up-on-the-couch cafe. But don’t let this dissuade you from coming in to relax! They welcome everyone, whether you are coming in for one of their full meals (lunch or dinner) or just a cup of their great coffee.

A small establishment, they offer right around twelve indoor tables and a handful of outdoor seats during the warmer and drier months. The indoor environment is one of high ceilings, comfortably dim lighting, NPR in the afternoon and any combination of world, jazz or classical music in the evening. Add to this their rotation of works by New Hampshire artists, hung on the walls in an almost professional gallerist way complete with appropriate lighting and you find yourself in a very soothing atmosphere, unwilling to leave.

Or perhaps it’s the incredible food that’s keeping you in your seat. With a selection for regular folks and vegetarians alike, they offer lunches and dinners complete with soups, salads and great tasty entrees that have a hint of sophistication to them.

But the crown jewel of it all is their French roast. It’s unusual for this reviewer to not inquire as to origin, type, roasting details and brewing methods, but for an unknown reason I never have asked while in this establishment and quite frankly, I don’t want to know. Because, dear reader, Cold Mountain’s French roast is some of the best I have ever had, and I don’t care if they get it from a can labeled “Folgers” (though they’d have to slip a Mickey in it to pull that one off). I’d rather preserve the beauty of mystery and believe that somewhere, located in a remote, isolated location in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, there exists the world’s most perfect cup of coffee, reserved for the few who stumble across it or seek it out as a sacred journey. This is a delight to be indulged infrequently, lest you spoil the sanctity of it.

Well over thirteen months of not having journeyed to this cafe even once, I found myself passing through the area and simply had to stop. I didn’t have much time, could not stay for a meal, but actually got a cup to go (a no-no in my book of coffee appreciation), and I am pleased to report that yes, they maintain consistency, and that day as I drove through the mountain passes I praised the coffee gods for putting such beauty in a cup.

By now you have realized that I occasionally get carried away, but please take my word when I say that Cold Mountain Cafe is worth the trip, and if you are in the area, there is no excuse not to stop.

A special note on that cup: For those that are interested, I would describe the coffee of which I speak so highly as an exceptionally substantial, round bodied coffee with a hint of oily texture and a very mellow and balanced acidity. But one of the chief characteristics that make it so appealing is the finish, which accents that rich and sometimes gritty body with a progressively mellowing earthiness that lasts longer than one would expect.

If I had to guess, I would say that this coffee is probably a Sumatran. But please, don’t tell me! I’d rather just enjoy.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Cold Mountain Cafe Website
Lonely Planet’s “New England” Review
Ammonoosuc Times Review

Bethlehem NH, Coffee, Cold Mountain Cafe, Sumatran