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Getting a decent cuppa joe on the Eastern-most reaches of Grand Street was virtually impossible until Natalie Krodel tossed aside her promising law career and opened Roots & Vines (formerly known as Full City Coffee). A self-proclaimed coffee addict, Krodel and her banker-husband Nguyen Huynh keep the cozy café well-stocked with premium roasts from high-end coffee countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia, and Tanzania. The house blend, Dancing Goats, is a sought-after dark and sweet bean that's brewed in small batches, which means that every so often throughout the day, customers may have to wait a few minutes for a fresh pour. But no worries. Roots & Vines is equipped to pass the time with Wi-Fi access and an eclectic mix of books in a free lending library. Lone sippers are often perched on the wicker couch while old-timers, who've come to appreciate a quality brew beyond the tasteless brown water served at neighborhood candy stores, discuss local politics. The lunchtime crowd gobbles up the small selection of gourmet sandwiches and homemade soups. After school, kids stop by to snack on milk with Oreo brownies or thickly frosted cupcakes, while parents go for Huynh’s Vietnamese iced coffee spiced with chicory or the Thai iced tea laced with anise and orange zest. Roots & Vines is a real neighborhood café that has made the insulated part of the Lower East Side a bit more cosmopolitan. — Susan Avery

Brie avocado sandwich, $6.25; hummus supreme sandwich, $5.75; homemade soups, $4.25-$5

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