If you are of the opinion that what Cortland Ave. needs is more places to buy warm drinks west of Bennington Street, then the gods have heard your prayers, because that stretch of Cortland will soon be home to two (2) new purveyors of fine warm drinks.
While walking on Cortland on Saturday, I noticed that the door was open at 317 Cortland, just west of the 331 Cortland food marketplace. Inside I met Joe, who let me snap some photos of his new shop specializing in the sale of loose Chinese tea. Joe hopes to open for business in the next few weeks.
A little farther west on Cortland, Neighbors Alex and Alexei tell Bernalwood that Pinhole Coffee, a new coffee shop, is preparing to open at 231 Cortland, on the corner of Bonview near Avedano’s. Pinhole Coffee already has a thriving Facebook page, and this note is posted in the window:
PHOTOS: Top, 317 Cortland, by Telstar Logistics. Middle, Pinhole Coffee interior renovations, by Pinhole Coffee. Bottom, note by Alexei Oreskovic.
Bernalwood 
Well, I’m glad to see a space that has been abandoned for more than 15 years finally have something move into it, but I’m not sure this end of Cortland actually needs another coffeeshop? Why would anyone go there instead of ProGro, when ProGro has a nicer space, a garden, etc?
I agree. I don’t understand why we keep getting another variation of the same business on Cortland. In all honesty, I love them all – but do we really need 5 places serving coffee on a street that is not even a mile? (Martha, Progressive, Sandbox, Little Bee and now this place?) And three Bakeries (Sandbox, Liberty, Little Bee). And 3 nails salons? I would love to have the street offer a little more variety – different cuisines, a decent clothing store, etc…
In the end, I suppose its better than a vacant storefront.
The nail salons seem generally busy. I think 2 of them are owned by the same people, it’s just kind of an expansion.
Personally, I’d love a decent breakfast place. Moonlight is mediocre, and liberty is overpriced. I just want a basic diner-y joint.
I don’t get it either, too much of the same thing, will they all survive? In fact there are 8 places serving coffee, the waffle place has Blue Bottle and the vendor across has tea and drip, pour over coffee, and then Moonlight too! WOW! With these new additions bringing it up to 10.
I agree with Herr Doktor, we need a good breakfast diner……
In a previous thread, someone mentioned that they wanted a diner like Toast on 24th in Noe. That seems about right to me.
That would be perfect. Al’s Good Food just down the hill in La Lengua used to be my go-to, but once it changed hands a year or two ago, the quality went way down hill. Alas.
Did you mean “West of Bennington”? Because 317 Cortland is not west of Bocana.
With Bonview, Bocana and Bennington all about a block or so apart from each other, it is very easy to confuse them. Not sure who decided to put 3 streets that start with B all right after another. Perhaps Burrito Justice can research that one.
Thank you! Corrected above.
Will Joe be serving brewed tea in addition to loose tea? If so, double hooray!
i’m excited that my end of cortland is getting a little more love. A clothing store would be great but several have tried and died on cortland – it is still a difficult neighborhood to succeed in. don’t underestimate the amount of work and talent it takes to run a heartfelt, chloe’s closet or sandbox.
5 coffee places but no where to mail a package, get a prescription filled, or buy socks.
I buy all my socks at Heartfelt (not joking).
There’s a post office and a pharmacy just down the hill. And maybe even socks (e.g., at Big Lots).
I have often thought a PO Express outlet would be a boon to Cortland. If I was looking to open a business, I would think that would be a major untapped need.
Give it a rest already with the coffee shops. What about a frozen yogert shop ?
+1
+ 1. Anything but another coffee shop.
+2
I was just saying wish someone would open up a good
Burger joint! Or a pizza place which was less ‘fancy’ than vega, I love vega but feel it’s more for special as opposed to a family pizza night place a la goat hill in Potrero style
+1
Its called pizza express my friend. Aesthetics aren’t everything.
To each their own – and pizza express is so far from what I consider even half passable pizza- as for neighbourhood night bring the fam there? No, take a pass on that one & head down to
Pi on Valencia. Anyway we have pizza Options, but lacking in a decent burger joint on cortland.
Just head down the hill to La Lengua.. Zante’s is totally decent.
Is pinhole from Chicago? If, so. Really?
I think there is another coffee shop opening in 2014 on the Inclusions block.
Are we here yet:
ffwd to 0:25
One of my favorite scenes! “We were so lucky to have been raised amongst catalogues…”
SUCH a good scene.
I’m OK with more coffee because it’s a drug that I’m addicted to, no matter how much tea I try to detox myself with (although sounds like there’s going to be another opportunity!). It’s almost like other people are addicted to this same drug and so opening a place selling it is a good idea. Welcome to the neighborhood!
also: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAAIQpUgwjM
Really!?? Where and when? It just seems so silly to me – don’t these people drive the street before opening a business? Take about diluting your potential!
Coffee choices on Cortland are for the most part dominated by Martha & Bros, and Progressive Grounds, and their offerings are practically the same wrt bean origin, flavor, roast, etc. Sandbox has Ritual and De La Paz, but their pour over is not as good as a cup from actual Ritual. Moonlight does coffee to go, but their flavor is same-same to Martha & Bros, and PG. I think the Cortland strip could benefit from another coffee and tea shop.
Pizza Express: Adequate and meets definition of “pizza.”
Zante’s w/o Indian on top is virtually the same as Pizza Express.
We need a burger place!
Moonlight has fine burgers. Or are you thinking we need a $12 burger place like Umami?
Moonlight closes relatively early and is a chalkboard menu place not a Burger Joint. A good burger is worth $12, or even $18. Whiz Burgers on S. Van Ness has a burger base price of $6-ish and is just okay, bring on the $12 burget joint.
$18 for a burger? That’s lunacy.
Any clues floating around out there on the future of the former pizza express location? (next to little nepal)
We saw a twin peaks pizza car on cortland one evening so we looked them up and ordered.Twin peaks pizza has been delivering fast hot good pizzas to us. We like their greek? Med? Salad as well. …And they got a thumbs up from the health inspector. Zante s too doughy for us.
Have you tried escape from New York pizza? Their mission location delivers to bernal and they are great.
Patxi’s also delivers to Bernal, so you can get nice deep-dish pizza, too.
Would be great to have a few nice casual eat spots on Cortland. Thinking places like Barney’s
Burgers, Toast Diner, Savor, Haystack Pizza, Alice’s Chinese… Truly wish I could keep my money in Bernal.
Not so related, but what happened to the grocery type place that was supposed to open where the Philippine grocery was?
Any updates on the tea shop?
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I remember reading all of these last year when I was about to open, it’s good to revisit. Definitely have felt more embrace and love by the neighbors since we’ve opened. Here’s to almost making it to 1 year (Sept 12, 2015).