Farm: Table, San Francisco (Tenderloin)

This shop has a too-small-but-really-cute environment. The whole worker-owned store is designed to promote conversation and connection: the only seating inside is a huge, communal table! You really have no choice but to enjoy your cup and converse with the people who happened to find themselves in the coffee bar with you at the time. The decor is clean, simple, and very homey. The first store I've seen with hardwood. I liked that. And dark wood countertops as a motif.

They get major points for heating their "for here" mugs on the top of the espresso machine. I had tea, and the first cup was piping hot.

Oh ya, and the service was great! I'm sure it had something to do with the fact that they own the store and love what they do; they've got a vested interest.

I'd definitely go here for a casual hang out...

K got stressed out at the too-cramped square room but the mirror was really cool. Made the place seem huge. Tea tasted like soap.

Cup 'a Joe, San Francisco (Nob Hill)

This coffee house has the beer-drinker vibe... probably cuz of the 10-or-so options on tap and the street-side seating where almost everyone's got a pint. The house has free wi-fi, a full menu, and a pretty comfortable environment. Bryan (?), the guy that helped us get our coffee was up for a friendly chat and gave us some good info on why "cash only" is a great way to go. Overall, I (Z) give it a conservative thumbs up.

[As a general side note, this is the first of our super-local - meaning within three or so blocks - coffee shops K and I have visited. As such, I become an uber-snob. So factoring in my bias as you will: I like the place, but there are certainly holes in their business...]

K thinks the name is just awkward.

Squat & Gobble, San Francisco (Marina)

Let us address its first (and most glaring) ignominy: its name. No matter how cute the inside, how delicious the food, how amiable the servers, this will not get a full-cup rating from Zak Landrum (or Kellie). Absolutely not. The name sucks.

...and yet...

They brewed (to order) single cups of their house coffee.
They serve excellent crepes; K and I sampled "As Sweet as Apple Pie" that featured a granola (with almonds and sunflower seeds) topping on the classic Apple Pie mix.
The place looked expensive but, in fact, was semi-reasonable. Coffee was 2 bucks and the crepe was 7.

...on the flip side...

The decor on the back patio screamed OSTENTATION with the lion head relief statue emblazoned with the "SG" crest of the restaurant-name-that-should-never-be-mentioned.
The cafe's a chain.

In sum, this gets the To-Avoid vote from Z, not cause it's bad, just cause it's... weird.

(ditto, although there was absolutely adorable patio seating in the back. But everything just tasted like a chain. It was mostly like "we're-trying-really-hard-to-be-classy." Plus, advertised free wi-fi with no offer of the code from the server. House coffee meh--the aftertaste bit and only tasted good with cream. Restaurant-style seating that seemed a little too optimistic. Z and I and one other lady were the only customers but the place looks like it could serve a hundred. Maybe it's known mostly for its overpriced dinners--I did notice a few 20 dollar plates on the dinner menu.)(K)

(Unfortunately, I am a sucker for crepes. But, since this is a coffee blog and not a crepe blog ...)(thank goodness because we would get very plump very fast.)(K)

Epicenter Cafe, San Francisco (SOMA)

[Z:] We've been here a couple times: once to see our friends Trevor and Susie launching their San Francisco folk tour with their band Sounds of Lyon and Fell, and once to grab an 8 dollar humus and veggie sandwich before work.

Aside from their support of my artist friends, I don't have much to say in the positive for this cafe. It's grunge-techno music makes me antsy and frenetic while I wait for 0h-so-long to get my (ok, yes, it was tasty) sandwich. The cafe feels very modern, complete with stainless steel and concrete, dark red accent walls and sleek bar top.

Sigh... maybe K has some positive things to say...

(K): Sandwich very good. But the whole place feels like it has an edgy attitude. Red walls do nothing for me and concrete ceilings make it feel like a warehouse. Or a jail cell. I'd advise ordering to-go. Last night I noticed an advertisement that said they serve beer to-go, too. (bizarre). I had coffee last time I was here and the latte tasted mostly like milk. But I think they may have their own line of beans (to be confirmed ... )

(note the three fingers because this was the third Stop of the day haha)

Semmifreddi's Bakery (Kensington, CA)

(K): Family-owned bakery who specializes in an assortment of baked breads and serves a pretty decent cup of coffee. Loved the homey atmosphere, though its more of a "to-go" kind of place--no seating inside, and only two metal tables propped on the sidewalk for determined linger-ers.

Major bonus is the home-feeling prominent in a lot of other "Mom-N-Pop" style places: a couple of young men who looked like brothers working behind the counter and a generous attitude (note: free pumpkin pie samples. Generous samples) made us feel welcome, like we'd crossed the threshold into their second home.

[Z]: You'll never find this place (yes, that's a challenge), but if you're up for a quest/adventure/mission, this would be a great stop... though probably not a great ultimate destination. The service is outstanding - as K alluded to - slipping the casual passerby into the feel of a comfy family shop. Great black coffee. I'd go again. For sure.



(That's not a peace sign, that's the number two because this was the second of three coffee-stops in the same day!! :) )

Caffe Teatro Library (Orinda, CA)

--Illy coffee (yes!) [note: that "yes!" is from K. That name means nothing to me (Z), though perhaps that is a sad confession on a coffee blog; it's a bit like a baseball photographer not understanding what 'suicide squeeze' means. Forgive me, readers. Back to K...]

The cafe is slipped underneath the first floor of Orinda's public library, which makes for an interesting, communal atmosphere. The space feels like a community center, from the assortment of customers to the crowded bulletin board advertising everything from dog walkers to block parties to a concert in some local's garage.

Z customized his loose-leaf tea and they served it in a cute porcelain teapot complete with cup and saucer. [But the porcelain absorbed all the heat from the tea! Gah! I was drinking green, peppermint-y water!--Z]

K got a latte (nothin special, except for the Illy)(everybody: YES!) plus they added just the right amount of hazelnut flavoring so it didn't taste like drowning in syrup.

Negatives re: atmosphere = Ikea-style furniture trimmed in metal and intense Illy product placement cluttering the shelves, plus the aforementioned bulletin board (its chaotic presence was slightly overwhelming)(we sat outside).

[Z:] This place, while cute, just didn't do it for me (me either. bland.--K). My rec is only to go here if you're going to the Orinda library (fat chance of that ever happening). Then you may as well get some... Illy?

Awaken Cafe, Old Town Oakland

Stop number 2 on the official journey into coffeedom took us outside the peninsula into the forgotten realm of ... (dun, dun, DUN) Old Town Oakland.

Awaken is small but mighty (like K) with its tiny, modern-deco, street-side storefront (not like K).

I sampled their tasty-though-unremarkable latte, though they gain points for weaving a milk-foam leaf (it was a heart.--K) atop my beverage.

K went for the french-press, black coffee. "A little thin," her commentary to me. (well, it tasted close to water!--K)

Best part: this shop confirms that small can work in a big way. With not a lot of space, it's managed to garner a number of "best-in-city" awards.

(K add-in: the shop doubles as a mini art gallery and sells its wall-art. Also, they're renovating the next-door space for extra sitting room).


Mediocre cup, they don't roast their own beans, but the space is impressive for what they had to work with.

Keep Roastin'
-KZ