Category Archives: Uncategorized

Gibraltar at Blue Bottle

Posted on by
Reply

Blue Bottle. At The Market Pier 1. The line around the corner foreshadows something special enough to be worth the wait. Apparently it’s the best in the city. Barista said soy latte will blow my mind.

This is how I somehow ended up trying my first Gibraltar in San Francisco. The Gibraltar was named after the glass, and Blue Bottle claimed they were the first specialty coffee store to have this specialty drink. It’s espresso with steamed milk in a 1:1 ratio espresso to milk that is steamed to 120 degrees. It started out as a barista drink that baristas could drink fast; supposed to be drunk in under a minute or two (hence why it’s only available to order for here). Single origin Costa Rica coffee of the Red Catuai varietal with a tart finish.

20140322-131429.jpg

La Boulange Café

Posted on by
Reply

Being up in San Francisco for my last-ever spring break, obviously the first thing Carmen, Stephanie, and I had to do was get coffee. We just stopped at La Boulange Café & Bakery in Danville and I immediately felt relaxed with the boutique decor: wood floors, wooden tables and chairs, orbe lights and a wash on the wall that looks like coffee was used to paint them.

I was originally hesitant due to their partnership/being owned by Starbucks, but I was thoroughly impressed with their drinks. The pastries look significantly better than those in the Starbucks cases (such as the almond croissant and the goat cheese tomato basil mini sandwhich).

The espresso is a medium roast, fair trade and organic from Latin America. I ordered the soy iced latte with a small splash of vanilla syrup.
It has a rich, lingering finish from the espresso that is in no way overpowered by the soy. I purposely ordered it with just a small amount of vanilla because I was truly curious about the taste of their espresso, even though the La Boulange barista recommended either the vanilla or caramel latte.

Their loyalty card is very friendly, with the rounded edges and the genuine “Thank you for your loyalty” statement on the back. Because I went with my SF-local cousin Carmen, we got her loyal customer card stamped by their unique B-shaped puncher, on our way to our free drink (after 9, that is). Definitely an incentive to return later this week.

Top Dog’s Chai

Posted on by
Reply

“SiD Soy”

These six letters written on my clear, perspiring plastic cup are almost as meaningful as the eight letters in I love you.  Their iced soy shot in the dark, comprised of chai and espresso, also known as a dirty soy chai, is quite literally morning-changing.  

The goods:  This is the best dirty soy chai I’ve ever had in my entire life.  Simply put.  There is a perfect balance between the Kirkland Organic Soy, ice, chai tea, and espresso.  The chai is actually a brewed chai tea (not a syrup or powder!) that is shipped over from Oregon, where they make this chai goodness in batches based off a recipe from India.  These chai people in Oregon know what they’re doing.  Additionally, the way Top Dog pours the espresso is even special, using their house blend 3-2-1, pulling the espresso in three different sections to create the perfect combination.  

The downside: This SiD was so refreshing that, and before I knew it, the entire drink was down to just the ice cubes!  Initially I accused Hugo of stealing the entire thing when I wasn’t looking, but I am pretty sure that wasn’t actually the case.  

I’m intrigued by the Mango Chai, along with multiple other Chai options, listed on their Chai menu.  Top Dog Coffee Bar, at 857 Main Street in Morro Bay, California, has an entire section of their posted hand-written menu dedicated to their ten different chai options.  Everything about this place is wonderful, ranging from the local art hung on the walls to the friendly and helpful staff to the garden patio to the burlap decor to the large windows to the wooden chairs with coffee cups carved into their backings.  Definitely trying Top Dog’s Mango Chai next.