If you love coffee, you're in luck!

Fireman Derek's Pie Shop, coming to the Grove soon.

There was a time in the Grove when there were so many places selling pizza. Not necessarily pizza places but so many restaurants had pizza ovens including the restaurant Spartico in the Mayfair Hotel lobby and Focaccia, there was also Mi Pi  at CocoWalk, NY Roma Pizza (which by the way is set to reopen in six months at their renovated space on McFarlane Road) Boardwalk Pizza and Bertoni Brick Oven Pizza, which was my favorite location in the Grove for pizza. You would walk down a back alley to find a special world at the end. And the list went on and on, there were so many pizza places. Along with them there was pizza served almost everywhere.

Now it's coffees turn. (Be prepared, there are a lot of links in this story).

Fireman Derek's Pie Shop in Wynwood

I was at Fireman Derek's Pie Shop the other day in Wynwood. The reason I bring them up is that they are coming to the Grove. Now this is something special, the pies are so rich, I don't think you can eat them every day. On Thursday, we had a green mint chocolate chip cheesecake along with Mocha Latte's, which were the best Mocha Latte's that I've had in a long time. But back to the pie - you could pierce a slice with a fork and hold it up like a lollipop, it was that thick and rich. 

Fireman Derek's is about two firefighters, Derek Kaplan and his benefactor Patrick Murdock. Patrick would always brag to his wife Kim about the incredible pies Derek would make. Patrick passed away suddenly at age 45 and left an insurance policy for his family. Kim knew what to do with that and she promptly invested in Derek and Fireman Derek's Pie Shop was born.

What's interesting about the whole thing is that it's a sort of home-coming for Kim. When she was 21, she bought Hattie's Place and turned it into Tavern in the Grove! And now the Grove location is sort of catty corner to Tavern at 3435 Main Highway, next to BoHo restaurant. I love it when a plan all comes together.

It will be another two months before they are open and ready for business in the Grove.

You can see just some of the pies offered at Fireman Derek's here: https://firemandereks.com/

Along with Fireman Derek's opening, there will be Blue Bottle Coffee which is opening at 3034 Grand Avenue, the former Johnny Rockets location. There was talk on and off for quite awhile now but now it is official. Blue Bottle was born in Oakland, California. Their vow is to only sell roasted coffee that is 48 hours old or less. They feel that is where you get the peak flavor. They promise to use only the most delicious, and responsibly sourced beans. Unfortunately, the wait for Blue Bottle will be six months or more.  

Across from Blue Bottle will be the "new" Starbucks, which is supposed to take up home at the corner of McFarlane, Grand and Main Highway this summer, they will be there while CocoWalk is renovating and then they will return to CocoWalk. 

Across from there is Panther Coffee and next door is the new Books & Books, which will eventually sell coffee. 

Across from them is the new Bookstore & Kitchen, which sells pies and coffee and around the corner on Commodore Plaza is the new Present bakery and coffee shop.

In between there are many places to sit and have coffee and desert - Le Pain Quotidien, GreenStreet and all of the other restaurants up and down the streets.

So if you love coffee (and pie), you are in luck!

Goodies at Fireman Derek's Pie Shop