Coffee Spots

5. Daily Grind

Though it got its start back in '91 (a simpler time when Starbuck was still better known as a character from "Moby Dick"), The Daily Grind continues to brew coffee and pack in neighborhood folks. Although it has expanded and streamlined from its stable-like, cobblestoned origins, the coffee still comes from Baltimore-based Key Coffee Roasters (a company started by the brother of the Grind's owner). And, as one might expect of any establishment in Fells, Daily Grind has a lived-in feel familiar to regulars of older coffee shops, and its light-filled hallway offers ideal conditions for reading quietly or talking with friends. Its name may suggest an appeal to work-a-day folks who drink coffee just to stay awake, but Daily Grind is proof that a good coffee shop depends on a good vibe and not just a hot cup of fresh brew.--Martin Johnson