It’s no secret to anyone who knows me that I really love coffee. Starbucks, Seattle’s Best, Dunkin’ Donuts, Gregory’s, Rook (Jersey Shore only)—they’re all pretty much the same to me. Just add a little bit of oat milk and I’m super content. Oh, sure, I know that there are plenty of coffee aficionados out there—I have to admit though, that I’m not really all that picky. As long as I get that caffeine jolt—all is good.
It all changed though a few months ago when my daughter, Adele, suggested that we go to Ralph Lauren’s coffee shop at their flagship store in Manhattan on 72nd street.
When she initially recommended the rendezvous, I was rather unenthusiastic. I mean, for coffee, your best bet is to go to a shop that specializes in coffee, right? Despite her peculiar and “odd” venue suggestion, I was somewhat game—after all, we had decided to pay hookey from work that day and I wanted to experience something fun, unusual and different.
Saying that I was blown away just doesn’t do justice to the experience. Awe-struck is more like it—I was transposed into a world that I have never known; one of ultra wealth and luxury, Uber opulence and upscale style. More than just fashionable, more than sophisticated, more than upper class affluence.
To me, it was a world that really just belonged to the Rockefeller and Vanderbilts, (to be more modern to Musk, Bezos, and Gates) but certainly not to yours truly. My net worth pales in comparison to those who this place catered to.
Nonetheless, I was there and it was my incredible experience and I belonged. Ralph Lauren ensured that I felt this way, and, I am 100% confident, he did so for everyone else, too!! From my very first step in the door where I was greeted by a Tom Cruise “look-alike”, to the amazing, over the top ambiance, to the graciousness and efficiency of the maitre de and waitress, everything was simply perfect!
And the coffee, you may ask? Very reasonably priced and quite excellent. For anyone who wants a sublime pampered coffee experience, treat yourself to the most amazing coffee break you’ve ever had. A Ralph Lauren blend—a coffee lover’s dream!!
