15 Things Worth Knowing about Coffee

This link in courtesy of my friend Marielle. It comes from a site called The Oatmeal, which I quite enjoy! So, take a look, and remember the facts! There will be a quiz later.. actually not.

Le Pain Quotidien, Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica

I was headed to Santa Monica today to meet a friend. Obviously, I planned to get coffee with her, and immediately googled "Coffee Shops in Santa Monica." Ha, have you tried this? There are so many and all so close together - spanning from serious espresso shops to organic cafes, the options are nearly limitless. So, instead of fretting over which place was best, I did what I usually do - walked around until I found something that looks good. I walked down Santa Monica Blvd to 3rd street and stumbled upon 316 Santa Monica Blvd - Le Pain Quotidien.

Now, don't feel bad if you can't pronounce it, I couldn't either. Although, I tend to have trouble pronouncing things... so maybe this is easy for you. BUT, in case it isn't, and you want to sound smart next time you talk about it with a friend, so here is the break-down:

So there you have it. Now you can suggest going to luh paN koh-ti-dyaN to your friends (it's Belgian) - they may think you are a weirdo, but I'll know you are cool. The thing is, this place is in 6 different states, and has international locations! It is actually more of a cafe than a coffee shop, open from 8am to 7pm every day, and offering beer and wine (score!). The whole philosophy revolves around organic, homemade items with whole, local foods.

This place also has a "community table" concept with one large table in the center of the room - made from reclaimed wood. I think the first place I ever went with a community table was with my brother in Portland, OR. I tried to find it via Google, and suspect it is a place called Le Bistro Montage. It was packed and everyone sat next to each other, regardless of who came with whom. It was an exciting experience. Anyway, Le Pain has one, and all of the furniture and shelving is made of reclaimed wood which looks beautiful in the Santa Monica space.

After taking a seat, I had to decide what to order. It was a lovely day, so I chose to order an iced americano and a yummy mini sponge cake, called a madeleine cake. Most of the items that served here are made in-house, and can be purchased at the shop! I actually bought some cold-pressed olive oil!

At the end of the day, Le Pain Quotidien is just a great place to go to meet friends for a good meal. There is no free wifi, so it's more of a place to go to socialize. However, credit cards are accepted, and there is a nice staff that adds a touch of formality to the service. This would be a wonderful place to go for a bowl of homemade soup, fresh bread, and a hot mocha on a rainy beach day. Ohh, I'm getting excited just imagining the scenario! I'll leave you with a cute shot of the specials chalkboard, brick wall, and box shelving. Enjoy!

M Street Coffee & Gallery, Sherman Oaks

Mmmmmm, M Street Coffee. This place is in Sherman Oaks, also known as the Valley. Right off of Ventura and Moorpark. Looking around this area, you wouldn't think the coffee shop would be so adorable. I walked in to see clean lines, a lot of sitting space, and bright colors on the walls. It truly is a beautiful space. The beauty is even more striking seeing that it doubles as an art gallery for local artists. So here you have an adorable local coffee shop with local art - what more could you ask for?

How about some coffee! The coffee I had was delicious, organic, and fresh. They use vapor-distilled water which helps the pure coffee flavor stand out amongst LA's awful water. I only had a regular cup 'o jo but when I go back, I'll have to explore the latte. M Street has a wide variety of baked goods that all look yummy and can all be purchased with a credit card (thank goodness!). My guess is to get there early so you can have your pick of yumminess. You should also get there early to secure yourself a seat by one of the large windows or in a comfy chair. There is a lot of space here, but with free wifi and few other coffee shops around (besides starbucks), this place is always happening.

I went there to meet a friend for coffee, and I found it odd that there was no music playing. Perhaps it was because of the Saturday morning hustle, but I didn't like it. We were having a long conversation and were seated near the middle of the room. At some points other people were talking and everything was fine, then it would suddenly be very quite and we felt like we needed to whisper. That said, I think the whole situation could easily be solved with some nice coffee shop music. Really, anything from Miles Davis, to Bob Marley, to the Killers would be fine. Regardless, if you are stuck in the Sherman Oaks area, this place is definitely worth hitting up. Even if you are just grabbing a coffee for the road, you won't be disappointed with M Street Cafe. See you there!

Groundwork Coffee

On one of my very first mornings in my new apartment in Los Angeles, it was cloudy and rainy. Great start, eh? The good thing was, however, that it was a perfect day to visit a coffee shop. I did some searching and found one very near that looked great. I grabbed one of my new roommates and fellow coffee enthusiast, Corinne, and headed out of the Hills and into Hollywood to Groundwork Coffee. Despite a few driving mishaps and a lot of confusion, this place was very close and easy to get to. Parking wasn't too bad either, it is on the corner of Cahuenga and Sunset Blvd with lots of side street parking and metered parking nearby. So we grabbed a spot. One thing I learned about LA (and probably most cities, I had just never come across this before), is that if the meter says "FAIL" you can still park there and you don't have to pay! Technically you are only supposed to be there 1 hour, but it's still pretty exciting.

OK, so we parked and headed in. This place is so cute with great signage and a wide selection of coffee. While they do offer pour-over, you don't need it because you get a cup and can choose from 6-8 different brews. They also have delicious oatmeal and granola as well as vegan selections; Corinne got a tofu-blueberry-banana muffin! They have free wifi and plenty of space to sit. There is a giant table in the back with to long benches on either side for community sitting and sharing (remember that?). Corinne and I sat at the bar facing Cahuenga and were entertained by a semi-crazy man dancing and swinging his arms on the street.

The coffee is organic, fair trade, kosher, sustainable etc. The website boasts that Groundwork was "one of the first certified organic coffee roasters in Southern California" and started in 1950! Impressive stuff. I started my tasting adventure (without realizing) by tasting (and loving) one of the most popular brews, Black Gold. According to the website, this blend is "supersweet, medium body, with a soft finish." It truly was a perfect and satisfying blend, and I left with 1/2 pound. Oh, this is fun, they have 1/2 lb, 1 lb, and 2 lb bags that you can scoop your beans into. The 1/2 pound is perfect for me for my french press each week (and it is only about $4.50). May I add that the prices are incredibly reasonable, you can get a bagel with cream cheese for $1.50. This ain't Philadelphia cream cheese either; they make a variety of flavors there including scallion and chive and Lox!

Since that first day, I have been to Groundwork 3 more times (according to my Foursquare app). Each time, I have seen familiar faces, and I hope to get to know some of the people who work there. Lucky for me, I can continue to go because it is barely a block away from my work! It was fate. Perhaps I decided where to work, subconsciously, based on my love for this coffee shop. Anyway, I feel that Groundwork may be my new Cafe Fixe (not that I can really compare the two). Rather, it will be my new regular coffee shop in between exploring and tasting my way through Los Angeles.

Stay tuned, Saturday I am trying out a new place in Sherman Oaks called M Street Coffee and Gallery. Looks fabulous, will report back soon. Until then, please check out Groundwork!