I am a lucky girl. I had the really hard assignment of going to review my local coffee shop, Oslo, this past Sunday with Hagan of 93 Plates. So basically that meant walk around my corner for a cup of coffee (earlier than I'm used to, which made the coffee more enticing) and sample a few of their pastries. I was pretty psyched to learn a bit more about a place that's part of my daily routine and that I already loved. Yes, read on for more of this unbiased review.

This coffee shop is one of the reasons I love my neighborhood. Williamsburg, Brooklyn is one of the only "gentrified" neighborhoods in all of the five boroughs without a Starbucks or other chain coffee shop. We've got several seriously better options anyways, so it's definitely not something that people around here are missing. Unless you like ordering venti-double-shot-half-caff-soy-sugar-free-caramel-flavor lattes. In which case you should be shot, but I don't advocate violence on this blog (I'm KIDDING).

The reasons to love this place actually have nothing to do with anti-chain coffee store sentiments. They're more taste-based reasons rather than business-model related. They roast their own beans locally in Williamsburg. There are several types all named after Viking Gods. Thor, the house-blend drip coffee is a mix of 5 different types of beans, Freya is a dark roast, and Odin is their espresso blend. I usually get a cup of regular coffee, or a cafe au lait. I'm a big fan of the Thor blend. (and yes, for you comic geeks out there, there is a Marvel comic by the name of Thor which I have seen floating around the store). Hagan ordered a cafe Breve, which as I learned is made with cream in place of milk. I was a little jealous that his came with the pretty latte art. This is not the place you come to for brunch, but they do have some delicious croissants and muffins. We had a zucchini-peach-pecan muffin, which was much better than it sounds. It was similar in taste to a ginger cake with bits of peaches. And the croissants are always solid too. They come in daily so they're not those saran-wrapped faux-croissants that are similar to rolls. I just couldn't deal with that in the morning.

Oslo is a great place to stop for coffee if you're visiting the neighborhood and a great institution if you live here. Mornings are not so bad after all.

Oslo Coffee 133-B Roebling Street or 328 Bedford Street, Williamsburg, Bklyn 11211 http://oslocoffee.com