Blue Bottle Century City in LA. This mall is very LA to me, open to the outdoors, so neat and clean. This whole shopping center was recently redone, so you can also find the Eataly and La Colombe here, too.
Blue Bottle LA
coffee
Sideboard, Lafayette
For a year we drove by here and wondered what it was. There wasn’t a sign on the front, but a nice porch and umbrellas. Once we went in, we went every Sunday this fall. Sideboard in Lafayette.
We grab a table, pick a baked good, and explore the toy shelf for kids. Very family friendly here. In fact, I had a few new moms meetups here over the summer. Everyone has a favorite – morning bun for him, cinnamon bun for her. And I rotate through the case trying everything.
Oh, the Cold Brew Fog
I kept seeing this advertised at Peet’s Coffee. The Cold Brew Fog. Did some middle of the night research when the baby is nursing and I’m getting to the end of the internet.
According to this article, it was a bit of an accident. Cold Brew blended so you get this foamy top that sort of settles down. Like the San Francisco fog. No added milk, though you can get it as a latte (which I did the first time because I don’t like black iced coffee). But with the blended goodness, it’s creamy. Whatever it is, it’s delicious.
Quick Trip: Pacific Northwest
Quick trip to Portland, Olympia and Seattle 2 weeks ago. Very quick with sunset time for any exploring. And I really need to go back. Loved all the coffee options in Portland the could spend more time exploring Seattle and the area. Hit some tourist sites like the very first Starbucks, the fish market and fancy Portland coffee at Coava. I couldn’t say no to the pumpkin ginger scone or latte (should have gotten their honey latte at that point!).
Philz has Arrived!
The Philz in Walnut Creek has arrived! I’ve been monitoring the progress all summer, and it opened its doors late August. To be fair, I get my fill at the Embarcadero Philz during the week. But it’s nice to have another coffee option in the WC. The line was long those first few weekends. And with Stella, the wait for my individually poured coffee, on top of the line to order is a tad much. So we’ll still be going to Coffee Shop, Peet’s, and all the WC coffee options on the weekend. But it’s nice to add this to the mix occasionally.
The new OAK Blue Bottle
A new Blue Bottle in Oakland! We had to go check it out. They were still working out the kinks and actually didn’t open until 8 am, not the advertised 7. We checked out the neighborhood, Jack London Square-ish. Note on the pictures, I had the “soft” filter on for this entire trip. So the pics are a little dreamy.
Sooo Good! Warm Pastries
On our Monterey trip, we found a local coffee place. Bright Coffee had great coffee and fantastic pastries. She carried the tray out of the oven when we were there. S wasn’t totally happy with her choices, which just left more for us. I love a blueberry scone and croissant.
Homegrown, Trying It Out
Found a local outpost of Homegrown near by, checked it out on Easter (open and open early). Nothing like a kids grilled cheese at the crack of dawn. And a fountain near by is always a plus. Sandwiches looked good, coffee was good.
The Coffee Shop, Lafayette Version
How did we miss The Coffee Shop in Lafayette? Decided to try something new for our Sunday coffee and found it Easter weekend. But we found it after we got coffee.
Then we went back for the full experience. Cute little building, lots of outdoor seating and and ramp than can entertain for 20 minutes? Wonderful! Got to love what 2 year old wants to wear. This was all her.
I sat there and said, this just seems like the place they go in a romantic comedy set somewhere in California. Maybe I watch too many movies.
Coffee: Discovery in Vancouver BC
Trying to make an attempt to find the local coffee places when I travel. Starbucks is consistent, I’ll give them that. But one care tire of it. So here is Discovery Coffee, just a quick walk from the hotel in Vancouver. And once again, indulged with a molasses raspberry muffin. DELICIOUS. Not too sweet at all.
Jillie of All Trades 