Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2007 9:24 pmFor cursing...I thought saying the "S" word wasn't allowed, "Starbucks" is a bad word on my side of pond CakeyCakeBoy wrote:Kicked-out, for what?
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Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2007 9:24 pmPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 1:20 pmNot coffee but if you have time I recommend:
1. the Anchor Steam Brewery tour: free and lots of samples.
2. Ali Baba's for great falafel.
3. Tu Lan on Market & 5th for great lunchtime Vietnamese food.
4. Mexican- some great lunchtime Taquerias around Mission/ 17th/ Valencia. The one with the stone arch on the front of the building is very good.
1. the Anchor Steam Brewery tour: free and lots of samples.
2. Ali Baba's for great falafel.
3. Tu Lan on Market & 5th for great lunchtime Vietnamese food.
4. Mexican- some great lunchtime Taquerias around Mission/ 17th/ Valencia. The one with the stone arch on the front of the building is very good.
Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 9:03 pmI'm gonna pass these tips on to my good mate Pete, he's just snagged a scholarship to Oakland and after a horrific 4 leg journey including strip search by US customs, he's on the hunt for a decent coffee shop.
Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 7:59 pmmhuk wrote:Not coffee but if you have time I recommend:
1. the Anchor Steam Brewery tour: free and lots of samples.
Didn't get to the brewery but had a pint or two - really good, found it similar to one of my favourites, Samuel Adams. Was recommended Fat Tire by a New Yorker I met in an Irish bar, had one sip and couldn't drink the rest. I left almost a full pint it was that bad, could have just got a bad pint but wasn't willing to take the risk again!
For coffee, sadly I didn't get to either Ritual or Blue Bottle, too much sight seeing to do and beer to drink to be honest! Every cappuccino I had from the odd place I did manage to get to had poorly frothed, scalding hot milk. The closest I had to a decent one was in the cafe on Union Square - nicely textured milk, even an attempt at latte art but espresso was a quick extraction and beans a but overroasted to my taste.
Very disappointing coffee-wise actually, although thankfully the rest of San Francisco was brilliant, thoroughly recommended.
Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 2:18 pmI'll see if I can find better then ..... I am off out tomorrow for 2 weeks, then again the end of december for 3 months .... Staying in San Jose, but Francisco is onle 60 mins away
Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 2:33 pmIf you're going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair.
Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 4:15 pmJust chipping in to say San Francisco really is a beautiful place!
After careful reading I went down to the much touted Ritual and had several great coffees.
The staff were also super friendly and helpful and even sat down to chat with me about the coffee scene in the UK.
It does get very busy but I found a place can usually be had by the bar.
The bluebottle kiosk served great coffee also but was a bit out of the way and hard to find.
After careful reading I went down to the much touted Ritual and had several great coffees.
The staff were also super friendly and helpful and even sat down to chat with me about the coffee scene in the UK.
It does get very busy but I found a place can usually be had by the bar.
The bluebottle kiosk served great coffee also but was a bit out of the way and hard to find.
Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2007 12:52 amAadje wrote:If you're going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair.
COCK !!!!!! ....... I dont have hair
Nice in SF at the moment ... havent been to any of the aforementioned Places as I have mainly been in San Jose, and just done the quick day trip to SF ..... Still, will back for 3 months in Dec so I'll try harder then.
Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 10:14 amFor Peets Coffee and Tea in California, I would stay away from the straight espresso because (in my opinion) their coffee is optimized for drinking with milk.
But there's more. Here's a Peets decoder:
If you want a cappuccino I recommend ordering a small caffelatte.
Yes, you heard that right.
For Peets, small caffelatte = cappuccino.
Their cappuccino is...not a cappucino. More like a gigantic macchiatto: milk foam and espresso, and practically no steamed milk.
That said, the small caffelattes are generally quite good, even excellent.
In San Jose, California, I recommend the Los Gatos Coffee Roasting Company (http://www.lgcrc.com) for buying fresh-roasted whole beans. For home use, I've found their Black Velvet blend extremely versatile. (Los Gatos is suburb of San Jose, to the south on the way to Santa Cruz.)
The Los Gatos Coffee Roasting Company has good light meals, too. I'm not going to give as hearty a recommendations for the barista-prepared drinks, however. Too much variation there, but I did get a breve cappuccino on Saturday that was quite lovely, served in a real ceramic cup with a spoon (and I didn't have to ask for the spoon!). Perhaps it was the decadence of the cream.
Here's the breve cappuccino:
But there's more. Here's a Peets decoder:
If you want a cappuccino I recommend ordering a small caffelatte.
Yes, you heard that right.
For Peets, small caffelatte = cappuccino.
Their cappuccino is...not a cappucino. More like a gigantic macchiatto: milk foam and espresso, and practically no steamed milk.
That said, the small caffelattes are generally quite good, even excellent.
In San Jose, California, I recommend the Los Gatos Coffee Roasting Company (http://www.lgcrc.com) for buying fresh-roasted whole beans. For home use, I've found their Black Velvet blend extremely versatile. (Los Gatos is suburb of San Jose, to the south on the way to Santa Cruz.)
The Los Gatos Coffee Roasting Company has good light meals, too. I'm not going to give as hearty a recommendations for the barista-prepared drinks, however. Too much variation there, but I did get a breve cappuccino on Saturday that was quite lovely, served in a real ceramic cup with a spoon (and I didn't have to ask for the spoon!). Perhaps it was the decadence of the cream.
Here's the breve cappuccino:
Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 12:38 pmThanks Gwencafe.
I am aware of Los Gatos .... as it is as you said pretty much on the way to Santa Cruz .. I'll go check it out ... only 50 days before I go back there for 3 months
I am aware of Los Gatos .... as it is as you said pretty much on the way to Santa Cruz .. I'll go check it out ... only 50 days before I go back there for 3 months
Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2007 5:33 amTwo more SF Bay Area spots, within walking distance of each other in Palo Alto:
Coupa Cafe (http://www.coupacafe.com/ourstores.html)
-I've had great success with making cappuccinos from their Rosal beans. I also liked their Carabobo beans, but not for espresso (these worked well for French press and drip/gravity filtered coffee). Can't wait to try more!
Caffe Del Doge (in Palo Alto)
-One of the rare places to get real Italian-style coffee in Silicon Valley. Also, many of the baristas actually are Italian, so that helps.
Cafe Borrone in Menlo Park gets an honorable mention in the Italian-style category for using Lavazza beans, and their tagline is "because Europe is too far to go for lunch."
Hmm...should I list places to avoid?
Nah. Here's a preview of the good stuff:
Coupa Cafe (http://www.coupacafe.com/ourstores.html)
-I've had great success with making cappuccinos from their Rosal beans. I also liked their Carabobo beans, but not for espresso (these worked well for French press and drip/gravity filtered coffee). Can't wait to try more!
Caffe Del Doge (in Palo Alto)
-One of the rare places to get real Italian-style coffee in Silicon Valley. Also, many of the baristas actually are Italian, so that helps.
Cafe Borrone in Menlo Park gets an honorable mention in the Italian-style category for using Lavazza beans, and their tagline is "because Europe is too far to go for lunch."
Hmm...should I list places to avoid?
Nah. Here's a preview of the good stuff:
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 6:59 amI was able to visit San Francisco recently and went to Blue Bottle Coffee at 66 Mint Street. Good place: espresso, bit of food & syphon bar.
http://www.bluebottlecoffee.net/locations/mint-cafe/
Phil
http://www.bluebottlecoffee.net/locations/mint-cafe/
Phil
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 7:46 amI has been ten years since my last visit to SFO, every corner shop sold take away coffee that was better that anything sold in (expletif deleted). I just cannot remember all the names of coffee shops I visited but I know I didn't sleep much.
As all of you that have been there know, the city is divided up into unofficial world regions, all with their own food and drink specialities. Try a Vietnamese lunch with coffee and condensed milk, sounds dreadfu,l but very nice. Little Italy is awash with shiny copper and brass espresso machines and the coffee shops in the Haight evoke the 60's hippy culture.
I loved the place and I don't know anyone who was not enchanted by the friendly atmosphere anywhere you go.
Don't let Cakey go there, the food is cheap, good and lots of it.
As all of you that have been there know, the city is divided up into unofficial world regions, all with their own food and drink specialities. Try a Vietnamese lunch with coffee and condensed milk, sounds dreadfu,l but very nice. Little Italy is awash with shiny copper and brass espresso machines and the coffee shops in the Haight evoke the 60's hippy culture.
I loved the place and I don't know anyone who was not enchanted by the friendly atmosphere anywhere you go.
Don't let Cakey go there, the food is cheap, good and lots of it.
Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 2:41 pmI'm just cheap, period!
That syphon bar looks great Phil
That syphon bar looks great Phil