FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM OCTOBER 25, 2018 • DINING GUIDE • THE QUEENS COURIER 59
dining out
Photo by Caitlyn Ferguson
Higher Grounds brings coff ee
and community to Astoria
BY DANIEL GROGAN
Th e fi rst thing I noticed when I walked
into Higher Grounds café was a photos
and two plaques on the right wall of
the entryway. Th e photo showed Richard
Sclafani – a New York City fi refi ghter
and Queens native who tragically died
in the line of duty on Jan. 23, 2005.
Th e picture was one of Richard walking
handsomely in his FDNY uniform, the
plaques told the story of his bravery.
Th is tribute to a local hero and dear
friend of the Higher Grounds owners
illustrates the kind of café they set out
to create: a place that not only serves the
neighborhood, but also celebrates it. Th e
owners, Michael and Karen Ferguson and
their daughter Caitlyn, lived in Astoria
all their lives, so there was never any
doubt as to where they wanted to open
their small business. Once they decided
that they would put Caitlyn Ferguson’s
many years of training as a barista to
good use, they were off to the races.
Michael Ferguson, who renovated the
entire shop along with a friend of his, was
eager to get fresh coff ee into the hands of
Astorians as quickly as possible.
“I killed myself getting this place open,”
he said. “We got it done in 45 days. I
couldn’t believe it!”
And the haste with which the café was
completed is made all the more impressive
once you’ve experienced Higher
Grounds’ wonderful interior atmosphere.
As you move through the shop, past
the large marble countertop displaying
baked goods galore, the natural light
subtly fades away. Th e slight dimming
accentuates the coziness of the back area:
a communal bench wraps around the
wall, throw pillows are nestled in each
corner and a glass chessboard sits atop a
table, waiting to be played.
It was in this corner that I drank my
coff ee: an iced La Colombe Pure Black.
Th e La Colombe, along with their Draft
Latte, comes straight from the tap, and
the product is about as smooth and
fresh as one could want from a cup of
joe. Th ose looking for a beverage that
is a bit more involved should rest easy
knowing that the complex concoctions
come straight from the mind of Caitlyn
Ferguson, whose love for all things coff ee
is very apparent.
“I’ve always loved making coff ee. Even
when I worked for other people I always
felt like I was working on my machine,
and now it actually is my machine,” she
said. “It’s really nice to now be able to do
it for us. It’s actually ours.”
Along with the many drink options,
Higher Grounds boasts a large menu of
grab-and-go food items, including popular
off erings from Melt Bakery, and
Single Girl Cookies prepared by Astoria’s
own Renee Heitmann. In the coming
weeks, the Higher Grounds owners hope
to expand their menu by craft ing food in
house, such as wraps, salads and perhaps
even freshly baked soft pretzels.
Michael and Caitlyn Ferguson are
entirely hands-on with the day-to-days
of Higher Grounds, and all the while
they continue to brainstorm new ways to
celebrate the community that they love
through their business.
“All we want to do is bring a good
product to the area with the best service
we can provide,” Michael Ferguson said.
“Everyone is welcome.”
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