Š Catrine Gyllensten 2014 - www.catrinegyllensten.com
Categories PRICE: I come from a country where coffee is insanely overpriced, a regular
latte comes down to about $7. But I'm not gonna let that cloud my judgment when it comes to rating the price. If it's pricy for San Diego its pricy for me.
COFFEE: Does the coffee taste good? Is it strong enough? Is the milk
steamed not burnt? Those are the questions I'm asking myself when it comes to good coffee.
FOOD: Do they serve food, and by food I mean things you can eat as lunch,
or dinner if your not picky. Something more than a muffin - even though I do like muffins.
DRINKS: What do they serve besides coffee? Smoothies, juices, things like that. Maybe someday you're trying to hang out with some crazy little friend who doesn't like coffee?
TALK: If you need to have a serious conversation with someone, or maybe an
intervention - is this a place to go? Hows the volume? Are other people talking loud? Is the music loud?
DATE: How romantic is it? Because you know, a fika could also be a date! WORK: Is it OK to pull up your laptop, sip a latte for 2 hrs and maybe have a business meeting?
READ: Can you zone out the world and get caught up in your book? DOGS: Can and/or should you bring dogs? KIDS: Can and/or should you bring kids?
Cafés LA JOLLA
BIRD ROCK COFFEE ROASTERS
PACIFIC BEACH
TURQUOISE COFFEE
MISSION BEACH BETTER BUZZ
1
5
9
NORMAL HEIGHTS
LESTATS 13
NORTH PARK
YOUNG HICKORY CAFFEE CALABRIA
17 21
LITTLE ITALY
INFLUX 25
OCEAN BEACH
THE LAZY HUMMINGBIRD 27
LA JOLLA: Bird Rock Coffee Roasters
Bird Rock Coffee Roasters
Bird Rock serves probably the best coffee that I have ever had! The cafe is small and most often busy with local crowd. On of the things that makes this place special is the fact that they roast their own award-winning beans, and take great pride in it! Bird Rock Coffee is great for the environment, local farmers, coffee roasters - they do for example work directly with farmers instead of green bean brokers. They might lack in things to eat but make up for it with love and coffee!
Price: Coffee:
COFFEE Beans
Bird Rock Coffee
Wholesale
Yes
Food: Mon-Fri
6:00am - 6:00pm
Talk:
Saturday
6:00am - 6:00pm
Sunday
6:30am - 6:00pm
Work:
INFO
Read:
WIFI
Yes
Address
5627 La Jolla Blvd
Dogs:
Telephone
(858) 551-1707
Website
birdrockcoffee.com
Kids:
La Jolla Blvd
HOURS
Date:
1
Bird Rock Ave.
Drinks:
Chelsea Pl.
3
LA JOLLA: Bird Rock Coffee Roasters
YOU CAN'T BUY HAPPINESS BUT YOU CAN BUY COFFEE. AND THAT'S PRETTY DAMN CLOSE.
PACIFIC BEACH: Turquoise Coffee
Turquoise Coffďż˝
This place is great! They have excellent coffee, great smoothies, bowls, sandwiches and wraps. They also sell a bunch of different healthy/vegan/paleo/ you-name-it snacks! There's plenty of tables inside and also a few outside in the sun or shade. It is pretty popular, but studying/working here has at least for me never been a problem. The only downside is that they close the cafĂŠ part at 5 and thats when they stop serving the great coffee, on the other hand thats also when they open the wine bar so depending on what your end game is that might just be perfect for you! Just make sure not to confuse it with another great Turquoise in PB, "The Turquoise" on Turquoise Street is a great tapas place, and belongs in another book.
Price: Coffee:
COFFEE Beans
Turquoise Coffee
Wholesale
Yes
Food: Mon-Fri
6:00am - 5:00pm
Talk:
Saturday
6:00am - 5:00pm
Sunday
7:00am - 5:00pm
Work:
INFO
Read:
WIFI
Yes
Address
5026 Cass Street
Dogs:
Telephone
-
Website
turquoisecoffee.com
Kids:
Loring
Wilbur
Cass Street
HOURS
Date:
5
Opal
Drinks:
7
PACIFIC BEACH: Turquoise Coffee
COFFEE CAN'T CURE EVERYTHING, BUT IT CAN SURE CURE A CASE OF THE MONDAYS.
MISSION BEACH: Better Buzz - the Lab
Better Buzz - the Lab Better Buzz - the Lab isn't just a great place for experimental coffee and delicious aรงai bowls, it's also great for studying or working, if you manage to get a table that is. The place is pretty small and kind of noisy, the large windows towards Mission Blvd. are most often open which creates a lively environment with a pulse. They have a fun menu with a lot of interesting coffee combinations plus their Kyoto Drip which is a cold coffee brewing process that eliminates 70% of the acidity in the coffee. It's a slow process, it takes about 12 hours with a speed of 8 drops per 10 seconds. But it is worth the while, you get a great iced coffee if you wait! If you don't feel like fika, maybe you're in a hurry, but still want that great coffee - don't worry! There is a Better Buzz drive thru on Garnet/Lamont! Price: Coffee:
COFFEE Beans
Better Buzz
Wholesale
Yes
Food: Mon-Fri
6:30am - 8:00pm
Talk:
Saturday
6:30am - 8:00pm
Sunday
6:30am - 8:00pm
Work:
INFO
Read:
WIFI
Yes
Address
3745 Mission Blvd.
Dogs:
Telephone
(858) 488-0400
Website
betterbuzzcoffee.com
Kids:
Mission Boulevard
HOURS
Date:
9
San Jose
Drinks:
Queenstown Ct.
Pismo Ct.
Santa Clara
11
MISSION BEACH: Better Buzz - the Lab
LIFE IS BETTER BUZZED.
NORMAL HEIGHTS: Lestats
Lestat s
Open 24 hours a day Lestats offers not only an extensive menu but also nightly music or comedy. Lestats has a kind of hippie feel to it and this is a great place when you need to cram for a test, got an impossible deadline or just need a second living room. My favorite is sitting here reading, pretending I live in an insanely large house.
Price: Coffee:
COFFEE Beans
Lestats Coffee
Wholesale
Yes
33rd
Drinks:
HOURS Mon-Fri
24 hours a day
Talk:
Saturday
24 hours a day
Sunday
24 hours a day
Date: Work:
INFO
Read:
WIFI
Yes
Address
3343 Adams Ave.
Dogs:
Telephone
(619 )282-0437
Website
lestats.com
Kids:
13
Felton St
Adams Avenue
Food:
15
NORMAL HEIGHTS: Lestats
ADVENTURE IN LIFE IS GOOD; CONSISTENCY IN COFFEE EVEN BETTER.
Open early 'til late, Young Hickory is the perfect spot for fika, studying or working. The large tables allows you to sip your latte for an hour while working without feeling bad about it, and best part is that when you're done for the day they also serve beer! The interior feel is very hipster and if you want to meet new cool friends you don't have to look very far. This place offers a great mix of people and very likely to be your new favorite! The coffee is one of the best in San Diego, and they also have a food menu with a bunch of breakfast items and a couple of paninis that are really tasty. (My favorite is the Snob). And if you really love the place, they also sell t-shirts, (yes i have one).
Price:
COFFEE
Coffee:
Beans
Bird Rock Coffee
Wholesale
No
Food: Drinks:
HOURS
Talk:
Saturday
7:00am - 0:00pm
Sunday
7:00am - 0:00pm
Date: Work: Read: Dogs: Kids:
17
Monday-Friday 7:00am - 0:00pm
INFO WIFI
Yes
Address
4096 30th Street
Telephone
(619) 795-6574
Website
younghickory.com
30th Street
NORTH PARK: Young Hickory
Young Hickory
Lincoln Lincoln
Polk Polk
Howard Howard
19
NORTH PARK: Young Hickory
EVERYBODY SHOULD BELIEVE IN SOMETHING. I BELIEVE I'LL HAVE ANOTHER COFFEE.
I hate the word vibrant, but for explaining this place I think it serves its purpose. The tables outside on the sidewalk gives me a feeling of a southern European city, (and yes its cheesy but I'm allowed to say it because Ive been there) and inside it's a little noisy but in a good way! After about the third time I was there I also found the lounge area in the second room with additional tables and it's great! Oh, I almost forgot - they also really know how to make good coffee! When it comes to food they might be lacking a bit but they make up for it with the coffee and the fact that it turns in to a pizza place at 5 o'clock offering delicious pizzas baked in a real traditional wood fire oven!
Price:
COFFEE
Coffee:
Beans
Caffe Calabria
Wholesale
Yes
Food:
HOURS
Talk:
Saturday
7:00am - 0:00pm
Sunday
7:00am - 0:00pm
Date: Work: Read: Dogs: Kids:
21
University
Drinks:
Monday-Friday 7:00am - 0:00pm Lincoln
INFO WIFI
Yes
Address
3933 30th Street
Telephone
(619) 291-1759
Website
caffecalabria.com
Polk
30th Street
NORTH PARK: Caffe Calabria
Caffe Calabria
OH LOOK! IT'S COFFEE O'CLOCK!
T he C�� Guide RISTRETTO
ESPRESSO
MACCHIATO
AMERICANO
CAPPUCCINO
CAFFÉ LATTE
CAFFÉ MOCHA
BLACK COFFEE
FLAT WHITE
• A short espresso
• 1/4 Espresso • 3/4 Hot water
• 1/3 Espresso • 2/3 Steamed milk • Add Cocoa • Light Foam
• Single or Double
• 1/3 Espresso • 1/3 Steamed milk • 1/3 Foam
• You get the point
• Espresso • Light Foam
• 2/3 Espresso • 1/3 Steamed milk • Light Foam
• 1/4 Espresso • 3/4 Steamed milk
T he Bean Guide ARABICA
ROBUSTA
Arabica beans tend to have a sweeter, softer taste, with tones of sugar, fruit, and berries. Their acidity is higher, with that winey taste that characterizes coffee with excellent acidity.
These beans has a stronger, harsher taste, with a grain-like overtone and peanutty aftertaste. They contain twice as much caffeine as Arabica beans, and they are generally considered to be of inferior quality compared to Arabica. Some Robustas, however, are of high quality and valued especially in espressos for their deep flavor and good crema.
LIGHT ROAST
LATIN AMERICA
Light brown cinnamon color with low body and low acidity.
Light body, sweet, balanced and with high acidity. To preserve the brightness and downplay bitterness, these beans should have a mild to medium roast.
MEDIUM ROAST
AFRICA/ARABIA
DARK ROAST
INDONESIA
Medium brown color with medium acidity and increases body.
Deep brownish/black color with oil. Flavor may decrease while body increases.
Medium body and acidity with an almost syrupy feel. Recommended roast for coffee from this region is dark, to balance the complex flavors that can range from spicy to chocolaty, from wine-like to citrus-like.
Heavy body with low acidity. Hearty and earthy flavors. This robust blend should be roasted dark to very dark for a hearty brew that preserves the beans smooth and flowery undertones.
LITTLE ITALY: Influx
Influx
Influx is a small cafe in the heart of Little Italy! On sunny days their little back yard offers great shade and their cold blended coffee drinks are almost to die for, just listen to this; "2 shots of espresso, banana and chocolate"! They also have a great menu with super delicious sandwiches and salads. Big ups for many vegetarian options. Inside they only have few tables so this place is definitely better for a fika or date then working on your computer. On those rare cold San Diego "winter" days this place with it's large glass walls and a chai tea also offer a cozy refuge from the weather!
Price: Coffee:
COFFEE Beans
Local
Wholesale
Yes
Mon-Fri
6:00 am– 9:00pm
Talk:
Saturday
6:00 am– 9:00pm
Sunday
6:00 am– 9:00pm
Date: Work:
INFO
Read:
WIFI
Yes
Address
750 West Fir St
Dogs:
Telephone
(619) 255 9735
Website
influxcafe.com
Kids:
25
W Gr
ape
Stree
HOURS
India
Drinks:
t
Food:
W Fir
LIFE IS TOO SHORT FOR BAD COFFEE.
OCEAN BEACH: The Lazy Hummingbird
T he Lazy Hummingb�d
The Lazy Hummingbird is more than just a coffee and tea house it is also the home of community classes, art workshops, private parties and an art gallery, even the furniture is for sale. In a very Ocean Beach vibe this cafĂŠ is a great spot for a relaxed coffee or cold drink. More the ideal place for reading a book then working on a laptop and definitely a place for making new friends.
Price: Coffee:
COFFEE Beans
Multiple own Roasts
Wholesale
Yes
Food: Drinks:
HOURS Mon-Fri
6:30am - 10:30pm
Talk:
Saturday
6:30am - 10:30pm
Sunday
6:30am - 10:30pm
INFO
Read:
WIFI
Yes
Address
4876 Sta Monica Ave.
Dogs:
Telephone
(212) 686-1444
Website
lazyhummingbird.com
Kids:
27
Stree
t
Work:
C able
Date:
S a nt
a Mo
nica
Ave
29
OCEAN BEACH: The Lazy Hummingbird
THERE COMES A TIME EVERY DAY WHEN NO MATTER WHAT THE QUESTION IS, THE ONLY ANSWER IS COFFEE.
My name is Catrine and I moved from Sweden to San Diego, California, last year. The transition has overall gone very smoothly, except for one thing. Whats up with your coffee culture? I come from a country that even has a verb for having coffee (and maybe a little cake) together with a friend - FIKA. Fika is such an important part of life in Sweden that it’s actually both a verb and a noun! It took me a while to find the best spots for a fika here in San Diego, but now that I have I thought I’d share them with you. Enjoy!