Our first Brooklyn post! You know, we’re not really jaded Manhattanites who never leave our borough or who think that the whole world exists within the confines of 1st through 12th Avenues. These days, you’re missing out on some of the best food in this city if you never make it to Brooklyn or Queens. Last night was the perfect example: we had one of the most satisfying meals in a long time in Park Slope, but I think we’ll save that for another post.

Today, I had to write about the coffee place we visited on the way to this restaurant. Gorilla Coffee, on 5th Avenue and Park Place in Park Slope, is the antidote to your Starbucks fatigue: it’s quirky and full of personality as you would expect from an independent coffee shop, but without being too cute or taking their coffee any less seriously. Perfect for our purposes: we had planned to meet there so that we could get together with Lady Film Critic, who lives nearby and for whom we were carrying a surprise birthday gift.

Gorilla bills itself as a coffeehouse and “micro roaster,” roasting small batches of organic, all fair-trade coffee fresh each day at the Park Slope location. So fresh that, if you buy an attractively packaged bag of beans, you will notice a small, round sticker on the side of the pack with a date indicating when the coffee was roasted. Nosher ordered an iced latte and I got a ’special’ granita with a shot of espresso, a slushy confection worlds away from your familiar Frappucino ™, in particular, with a much more intense roasted coffee flavor. We also got a small snack or two - lemon poppy-seed slices which were much too dry - but coffee is the star at Gorilla so perhaps this is not too surprising. We also picked up a pound of ‘Blendimentosis,’ a deep roast mix of various beans that we ground and brewed at home this morning. Poking my nose into that bag was the most delicious way to get me going this morning. The whole apartment smells wonderful.

Of course, Gorilla is also a great place to enjoy your coffee and your time with a friend like Lady Film Critic, or whomever you happen to be with. There are about ten small tables in the place, in addition to free Wi-Fi access (it’s an indication of what Park Slope has turned into these days that no fewer than four people were there surfing away on their laptops on our most recent visit). Old schoolhouse-style maps of South American hang on the walls and funky music plays from hidden speakers. Outside, there’s a comfortable looking bench and, next to it, a water bowl for passing dogs. They’ve also got a colorful and entertaining website. The only question I’ve got is why there’s only one of these places? I would kill for a place like this to open up in my neighborhood. Until then, we’re likely to be looking for more friends in Brookyln with upcoming birthdays.

Gorilla Coffee, 97 5th Avenue (at Park Place), Park Slope, Brooklyn NY and www.gorillacoffee.com