Not strictly dining but...

The Garden food market on Manhattan has THE BEST selection of coffee. They sell by the half-pound and they will grind it to whatever degree of fineness that you like or just take it home. Last night I seriously left out the bag of Seville Orange coffee that I got while I was shopping because it was so fragrant and my kitchen smelled awesome.
They also have great bread, deli and organic produce and a large chocolate section which may or may not be of interest to you.

More expensive than the other groceries on Manhattan but worth it for some of your more specialty food needs and wants.

They also have locations in LIC and Williamsburg.

Starbucks VIA...test drive.

Starbucks recently released a new way for them to feed your coffee addiction while taking your duckets: Instant-coffee!

Starbucks Ready Brew VIA @ $9.95 for 10 12-oz cups of coffee, it's a discount rate for Starbucks but a ripoff for instant coffee, right? Sure, but they're giving away a free tall cup of brewed coffee, so I'm game to try it out. (Image: Starbucks)

So I wander into a Starbucks nearby my apartment in Greenpoint (Brooklyn). I tell the girl at the counter that I want to try the taste test.
She looks at me really confused.
It's 7:30am on Sunday. Trust me, I'm confused why I'm awake as well...but give me my coffee!

She goes back to the bar, turns her back to me and begins concocting two shot glasses of coffee-like-substance.

(Interesting pun, sbux...Via nearly means "way" in Italian/Latin...they've found a lovely way to separate you from your money. At least you'll never be subjected to the horrors of "office coffee" again, right? image: Sacramento Scoop)

Looking at the little cups, I remember why I'm doing this: the promise of something for free! Ok, so I sloosh the coffee around, sniff it, take a swig. The taste is actually fairly close but there's one the thing that gives the insta-brew (I'm sorry...micro-ground "ready" brew) away from the traditional coffee is it's opaqueness. Since it has coffee particles unfiltered free to flit around in the water you pour it into, the Via is a darker color. The smell is a bit off, too, but it's very subtle.

Either way, thanks for the free coffee. I wouldn't buy VIA but it probably is a decent alternative to no coffee or other types of instant. Just make sure you get the water super hot or you're going to end up with a lukewarm cup o' sludge.