Coffee

Amy's Pastry, Montebello 323-724-0488
Cafe Roule @ 626-872-1188
COFFEE SHOP REVIEWS
Highbrow Coffee Review
JJ Tea House @ 626-123-1234
Roadhouse Coffee Shop @ 626-286-0824 
The atmosphere at Roadhouse is quite comfortable.  They have a couple of tables and chairs for sipping on coffee on the patio.  The interior is more elegant than its neighbor Starbucks over at the corner.  The hosts at Roadhouse are energetic and attentive, but so are the hosts at Starbucks, maybe more so.  If it's atmosphere you're looking for and a student conference hall, then definitely Roadhouse is the place.  They serve breakfast food as well--bacon and egg breakfasts, along with pastries.  If you're going inside to use their internet, they do ask that you make a minimum $3 or $4 purchase of something.  I'm okay with that.  It's like an entry fee.  You do the same thing at Starbucks but they don't ask you to buy anything, so you can if you wish enter and abscond yourself in a dimly lit corner table.  The coffee at Roadhouse is good; not distinctive, but good.  What is distinctive is that they will serve your coffee in a ceramic mug.  Coffee just holds its flavor better in mugs than in paper or Styrofoam cups.  The patronage at Roadhouse is friendlier.  Fewer people are on their iPad, cell phones, and laptops.  Oh, they have them.  Just that the folks at Roadhouse are looking for a more quality exchange with people in the flesh.  It's nice.  I recommend it.

San Gabriel Starbucks: San Gabriel/Huntington @ 626-792-7111
 
Starbucks: Huntington Dr. at Sierra Madre in San Marino @ 626-683-0807
Temple City Starbucks @ 626-614-8004
Vanilla De Patisserie @ 626-286-3600 

COFFEE HOUSES AROUND TOWN

Bean Town of Sierra Madre

Sunday, January 6, 2013 
Though it is not everybody's cup of tea, the small coffee house in Sierra Madre Bean Town provides a quiet, comfortable place to read, write, play chess, or have fun surfing the net.  There is an eclectic mix of individuals up there.  Artists of all kinds.  A mainstay of the joint is the inimitable Steve Hardy.  The coffee house is a cultural hub.  If you want to know who is who and what is what in Sierra Madre and the surrounding area, Bean Town is a good place to start.  Ironically, coffee is not their main draw.  Atmosphere is.  It's a place where individuals of all kinds, of eclectic kinds converge for a respite from the cold, from the heat, or from isolation.  Their coffees are nothing to write home about, but they serve some very interesting sandwiches, soups, and stews.  Their pastry case is quite good.  It's homey.  Again, it goes back to atmosphere.  The charm of the old brick and uncovered rafters above you have that feel of an old country store.  On weekend nights, local live music is showcased.  Last week I was there and a gentleman playing the guitar had a terrific, gentle voice.  He played all of the old tunes from the 60s and 70s.  I loved it.  It provides nice background to my conversation with friends.  People go to Bean Town for the friends.  Everybody is friendly there.  

Fresh Roast of San Gabriel
Monday, January 7, 2013

From my apartment I walked the three blocks to Fresh Roast at 308 S. San Gabriel Blvd.  I'd seen this coffee bar several times on my way to and from work but never stopped.  The plants in large but individual planters shielded a deeper view inside the cafe.  My impression was that the owner catered to an exclusive combination of distributors and local retailers where only sampling took place.  Though he does provide these services, I could not have been more wrong about this very attractive cafe.  All that I had to do was get out of my car and onto my feet.

As I walked inside I scanned the place for dimension, depth, and reach, assessed its pace and color.  Rooms were connected to rooms, separated by glass, and counters.  Compartmentalization of the cafe was interesting.  As I took in the depth of the cafe and got my bearings, a friendly barrister asked if she could help me.  I said to her that I wanted coffee.  She offered me choices that I did not know existed.  "Plain, black coffee" was my reply.  She served me the house blend, which was a combination of Sumatra, Columbian, and French beans.  The flavor was good.  The freshness unmatched.  I've not had coffee so fresh and smooth.  Turns out that Fresh Roast roasts their coffee daily and brews it when ordered.  What!!  You heard me.  Brews the coffee when ordered.  It does not sit in a pot, getting stale, burnt, or bitter.  No coffee from the bottom of the pot.  What you do get is a fresh cup of roasted coffee regardless of the variety.  An absolute find!!  I finished the single cup of house blend and ordered Ethiopian coffee.  Rich, deep, and smooth.  I don't know all of what San Gabriel has to offer when it comes to freshly brewed coffee, but as far as I can tell you will not find a fresher cup of coffee than here at Fresh Roast.  The cafe lives up to its name, but the atmosphere, attentive and friendly service, and the other items on the menu makes this place much more than a coffee bar.  I entered the cafe around 3:30 and there were only a few people inside.  The late afternoon sun refracted gently through the glass and left me with perfect photographic light.  View the pictures below and you will get a sense as to how accommodating the space and the seating are to nurturing an hour of reflection.  The cafe serves sandwiches, Vietnamese and Taiwanese soups, croissants, and smoothies using fresh fruits.  I can't wait to try a fresh juice or a smoothie.  If you're looking for something pleasant and not your run-of-the-mill coffee bar, you will not waste your time by walking into Fresh Roast for great coffee.  It really is unique.  If you love coffee, you are doing yourself a disservice if you don't walk in.  After you try it, please, leave a comment.  Would love to know what you think.  Thank you. 

I went back into this coffee house tonight and wanted to try something different, different but with plenty of coffee flavor.  Jimmy did not disappoint.  I asked him about his Coconut Coffee.  He listed the ingredients--coffee, coconut milk, and coconut syrup.  I told him that I didn't want anything sweet.  "We'll leave out the syrup then," he explained.  Unbelievable flavor.  The coconut is not strong, but rather brewed and blended into the coffee.  To me, it tasted like an unsweetened hot coco.  It was terrific.  I sat and enjoyed that.  Then ordered a second cup to go.  Thank you, Jimmy!