Whether you are a real coffee snob or a fake one (trust me, I know some), there is no doubt that the rise of artisanal coffee is giving Starbucks et al. a run for their money. Blue Bottle Coffee just hit a home run with venture capital funding, which is a rarity in the coffee industry, while a crop of coffee roasteries are expanding their clout by supplying other shops, such as Ritual at Saint Frank and Four Barrel (where I got my barrista training) at DeLise. Sightglass, co-funded by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, is even a sight for sore eyes because of all the gleaming Mac laptops inside the high-ceiling warehouse space. I even learned about a new brewing machine called Blossom when I visited Contraband last year.

(L) Saint Frank; (R) Sightglass