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What's does "CC" mean?
Subject: Redcat's lounge
Location visited: LA, CA
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 4+ [see key]
Going to the theater has a very rushed and uncomfortable feeling to it, probably because I'm always late, I usually have to look swanky and the seats usually are made for a much shorter fella than I.
But when I last walked Los Angeles, I got word of a theater sounding somewhat the opposite. The Redcat in downtown LA had a reputation not only for good shows, but for their lounge renowned for serving up good coffee.
Needless to say I made my way over to investigate. After finding parking far away (which is absurdly priced to boot!), I walked into Redcat's beautiful spacious lobby and found the lounge about 200 ft from the entrance in an outcove on the left. The space is a beautiful wood-paneled space with a nice mix of natural light, art and seating.
The coffee they serve is from Espresso Vivace out of Seattle, a welcome addition to the coffee variety of LA. Unfortunately, my drinks hardly did justice to the bean's reputation. The espresso possessed hints of nougat and condensed milk but was also pulled really long and lacked the pizazz of a Espresso Vivace shot. The drip coffee was horrible; a stale brew with strong hints of exterior oil with but only hints of mild sweetness. The tea is Tazo and they also serve alcohol.
While I didn't see a show at the Redcat, the interior (lounge included) did make the theater seem a like a nice place to take in a show, with its chill atmosphere and open feel. But nonetheless, it's a shame to have such excellent coffee and not use it to its full potential (maybe I was there on an off day...).
So if you're in LA and looking for a show, try out Redcat and maybe try the coffee.
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What's does "CC" mean?
Subject: Jones Coffee Roasters
Location visited: Pasadena, CA
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 5+ [see key]
Multi-tasking shines as a quality valued a little too much. Sure you might be able to type a letter while painting a self portrait and clapping cymbals between your knees in half time, but can you do it well? Few of us can.
Yet my recent trip to Jones Coffee Roasters revealed what seemed quite a feat of simultaneous operations. Located in lovely Pasadena (quite the gorgeous town), my wife and I stopped in toward the end of the night on our way back to our hotel. We walked up to the open garage door of the cafe, nestled in a pretty nondescript office building/strip mall, and found the cafe a little slow but still serving drinks on their island of a counter in the front of what apparently also doubles as their storage and roasting facility.
The great feat of multi-tasking manifested itself in that the barista not only worked the counter, but he also managed to monitor a batch of coffee on their large drum roaster in the back of the warehouse. Some may see this as an easy ball to keep suspended in the juggle, but from personal experience, it takes a lot of effort to keep a conscious watch on something so volatile in detail.
Looking to the coffee, I had the Gamble House Blend which proved to have a smooth and bright character, with touches of honey and a tea-like body. The espresso (which the barista did actually forget initially) displayed well in a pair of short shots that carried a nice lime tang and sweet hints of cocoa but sadly ended with a little bit of harsh char on the end. The tea is a free leaf of their own.
All together, Jones Coffee Company seemed to illustrate multi-tasking as something doable but by no means an easy task. Either way, it gave good closure to that particular warm evening with the decent coffee (espresso appeared that it could improve) and the intriguing juggling act. If you happen to be around the area, drop on by for some decent cup o joe and just maybe, a show.
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As I'm always looking to make my life a bit easier amid my rushed existence, I found this product interesting. It's a coffee sleeve with string grips that allow you to carry your coffee like a bag. Granted the concept is nothing groundbreaking, but then again, most handy innovations are but something tweaked a step further.
If you happen to have used or experienced this, I'm curious as to its true potential.
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What's does "CC" mean?
Subject: Blue Spoon Coffee Co.
Location visited: Manhattan, NY
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]
I've always been curious what kind of coffee Wall Street traders would drink as they get ready for their crazy days. Fortunately for at least the NYC Financial District, there are a few coffee places relatively close by to grab a quality cup of joe.
One that seems outfitted for the working Manhattan-ite on the go is a place called the Blue Spoon Coffee Company, a small coffeehouse located right on Chambers Street open only during the traditional M-F work week. I had made a few attempts to stop by over the years but since I rarely went up to New York City during the week, stopping in proved difficult.
Finally, I had an excuse one day to stop by early during the rush hour commute of a Monday (which might I add, navigating the subway with that much chaos is no fun) and hence, I wandered over to their shop. The venue sits in a cute cafe with a metal exterior with decent windows and a quaint inside with a good deal of spacious seating for the space.
The coffee comes from Intelligentsia, and from what I understand Blue Spoon stands as one of the first in NYC to peddle the Chicago coffee. I had the Blue Spoon Blend, a coffee that purveyed a fiery spice on the front that ended subtly in rice pudding. The espresso, pulled short and by practiced hands, had sweet notes of strawberries and cream as well strong hints of cocoa. I didn't spot the tea.
As I had been waiting to go to Blue Spoon for a while, I was glad that it delivered on my hopes of it being worth the trip. If you happen to be south in Manhattan during the work week, make a detour to the Blue Spoon Coffee Co.
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What's does "CC" mean?
Subject: Urth Caffe
Location visited: Santa Monica,CA
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 4+ [see key]
There exist but a few optimal ways of how I love to sip my coffee and by far, my favorite would be sitting on a covered outside patio in the midst of a warm sunny day. But in the world of coffeehouses, rarely do such spaces exist and when they do, such wonders are quickly filled by local and traveler alike.
Such seems to be the case of the Santa Monica location of Urth Cafe. The cafe sits in a hopping part of town and resides within one of the more unique buildings I've seen. Not only is the architecture kind of funky, but a good portion extends into a wall-less porch that takes in the California sun wonderfully. All together, the place really pleases the eyes and the amount of people packed into the place really spoke to its popularity.
As far as their coffee and tea, Urth serves only organic and roasts their own coffee. I had the coffee on tap, the Milano, which turned out to have a decent body but also a whole lot of bitterness common to an over-roasted coffee. The espresso didn't work out too well either, as it had decent acidity but also strong flavors of exterior oils. The teas are free leaf.
While sitting down in the lovely cafe would have made my Urth experience a little better (waiting for a table was not an option), I had to go and with only a mediocre coffee experience. Hopefully the day proved just an off experience behind the counter.
Therefore, if you're in Santa Monica and looking for fair coffee in a really nice cafe, stop by Urth Cafe.
What's does "CC" mean?
