New Hill Coffee Co. is ‘just about perfect’

by PAT STOKES

I’ll have a latté, one of the ‘pretty’ ones, please.” “Certainly. Coming right up. Would you like anything with that? A pastry? A little art, maybe? Some music? Some stunning décor? A big arrangement of fresh flowers? A little round table by the window?”

Yes, it’s all there for you, at the brand new Chestnut Hill Coffee Co. at 8620 Germantown Ave., across from Borders Books, and to me the whole operation seems just about perfect, a look, an ambience, a character, long wished-for. And we haven’t even mentioned the coffee part. We will indeed get to that.
The brains behind all this is one Sultan Malikyar, who opened the Chestnut Hill Coffee Company with a soft opening around Oct. 1, followed by a grand opening on Oct. 16.

Sultan hails from Afghanistan. His family emigrated in the ’70s, first to France, then to Seattle, Washington where his father established a restaurant, so Sultan feels very much at home in a food-service atmosphere. Not surprisingly, after high school and college, he, too, opened a restaurant, which he sold after eight years, as he gradually realized that what he really wanted was to run an upscale coffee shop.

He lived in Seattle for about 25 years. Enter John Hornall, who had been in the coffee business for 25 years, and was widely known and respected in the coffee world for his extensive knowledge and experience, from having an espresso cart, to a roasteria where he roasted coffee. In Seattle, which is recognized as the “coffee capital of the world,” John had a shop, the Hines Public Market Coffee Co., where Sultan spent many hours absorbing the fine points of coffee making from the bean to the cup.

Another of John’s talents was that of barrista. He has even trained champion barrista competitors. Celeste Clark, his personal roaster, roasted the coffee for a national barrista championship. For those in the know, who understand and appreciate its complexities, there is an entire culture of coffee, composed of experts like John and Sultan, who taste, savor and smell coffee as you would fine wine. Referring to the shop itself, Sultan emphasizes, “it’s all about coffee. Love, care, presentation and the personality of those who serve it make it an artistic experience.” (Betcha didn’t know all this stuff about coffee before; did you?)

So how did Sultan get here from the west coast? After selling his Seattle restaurant, he spent a couple of years traveling, including a visit to Philadelphia, where Sanjiv Jain wanted to bring a shop like this one to Chestnut Hill. Sultan not only liked Philadelphia but fell in love with Chestnut Hill, and knew, the first time he saw the place, that “this was it.” John joins him in telling me their feelings about the place. “The shop is really a setting for the true enjoyment of coffee, where it is served, not in paper, but in a china cup; a place to come, to relax, to stay, to get ‘into’ the neighborhood.”

To enhance the welcoming and personal character of the shop, there probably will be story-telling events, poetry readings, art on the walls by local artists, even live music by customers. In fact, as we speak, staffer Nick Lerman tells us that, “someone is playing music downstairs.”

A few notes about the second floor area where we were talking, at the rear of the building. One wall is made up of exposed old bricks, shading from brown to red. On the opposite wall is a 6’ x 10’ mirror, in an antique gold frame. The choice of that mirror is a triumph of special spatial effects, seemingly doubling the size of the space. Since the building is long and narrow, the designers have divided it with tied-back curtains in solid autumny-coffee colors. “Terry,” an artist-decorator friend, provided free specialty painting. Sultan tells me that his friend, Mary Harris of Rugmaven, introduced him to the prevailing café-and-coffee culture in the Philadelphia area. He was duly impressed, and in the end, opted for Chestnut Hill. “It’s so beautiful here, and the changing seasons are such a welcome relief from Seattle’s continual rain.”

We take the elevator to the first floor. Downstairs we pass the bar with its backdrop of Tiffany-style glass floral design, lighted from behind. The sound of guitar-accompanied singing fills the room. There in the very front, at the window, a young man is strumming and singing mightily. Behind him, a live arrangement of lilies and other flowers echo the colors of the décor. Near the bar a sign announces the availability of Miel Patisseries, a “must” with your latté.
The “pretty” latté referred to above means that in the center of the topping of thick steamed milk is a design peeking up out of the coffee: maybe a heart, a tree, etc. Really! It’s known among aficionados as latté art, and John says if you can do that, you’re tops. It’s a trademark sign of excellence.

So there. You may participate in all this from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday – Friday; 8 – 6 Saturday; 8 – 5 Sunday. 215-242-8600. See you on the Avenue.