I know it’s the day the Lord hath made for rest but I really detest Sundays. I spend most of the morning under my bed covers pretending it’s not Sunday and the rest of the day numbing my mind with reruns of “Say Yes to the Dress” on TLC.
This week however is midterms. I needed to break out of my usual Sunday procrastination habits to get work done. And what better way to do that then bar hopping? (In the European sense of the word of course.)
Café hopping — or you could even call it the coffee shop hop — is a new system I devised to trick my mind into productivity mode. Luckily I know myself pretty dang well. And I know there’s only one thing that will lure me out of my apartment early on a Sunday morning — and by early I of course mean 11 a.m. And that one thing is coffee.
After a quick Yelp search Saturday night I found three independent coffee shops in Santa Monica and texted a friend to join me on this adventure.
Our first stop on our coffee shop hop was Flying Saucers Caffeine & Art off Pico Blvd. Walking in I was surprised at how small it is but then I was further surprised at how well they pack in seating. The thin brick-walled shop can comfortably fit a good 20 people inside and if needed they have folding chairs for extra seating.
Behind the huge granite bar protruding out in the middle of the shop were two baristas carefully crafting hand-pulled espresso drinks while also cooking breakfast sandwiches. The baristas use the smallness of the shop to their advantage chatting with customers while taking time and care to make every drink individually. I ordered a cappuccino which was served in a glass mug brimming over with sweet foam as the espresso sunk to the bottom. As a self-proclaimed cappuccino snob I was pleasantly surprised with the silkiness of the milk combined with just the right about of bitterness in the espresso.
I especially appreciated the no cell phone policy and the bohemian-esque music which helped get me in the perfect productivity mood. Satisfied with the amount of work accomplished there we said our good-byes to the barista and headed out to our next destination: Café Bello off Broadway.
Walking into Café Bello with a backpack was a bad idea. I’m sure I very nearly missed whacking a few customers’ heads as I scooted three steps up to the front counter. That’s how small this place is. And the barista behind the bar definitely wasn’t in the best mood. I think we were bothering him with our orders while all he wanted to do was surf on his two — why two I don’t know — netbooks behind the counter. There was outside seating but we were both working on our computers and therefore needed outlets. That also didn’t work out so well. There was only one outlet and it was being monopolized by a threatening-looking bald businessman’s netbook and iPhone.
We did end up snagging a table inside finally. As much as I hate to admit it the berry bar (raspberry blueberry and strawberry) was absolutely delicious. The hazelnut latte was also unexpectedly perfectly balanced between sweet and too sweet. I wouldn’t say it was worth $4 though.
Our last stop of the day was Unurban café also off of Pico Boulevard. We walked into the café greeted by sounds of pianist and ukulele player rocking out with a small crowd. After ordering a caramel macchiato I ventured into the greater part of the café which kept going and going and going. The mismatched quirky tables were coupled with even more mismatched quirky seating. Everything from bar stools to theater seats to couches and kitchen chairs littered the café. It was only befitting that the people occupying the chairs were motlier than the furnishings. It was almost as if I walked into a coffee shop you’d find down a dark alley in a documentary that might be titled “Marijuana and Macchiatos.”
Finally we decided on a table at the back of the café. At this point I took a sip of my macchiato — and my whole body convulsed. Not just a little; I was literally knocked back in my chair. After 20 years on this earth I believe I’ve finally met the coffee that’s a little too much for me. It wasn’t bad coffee by any means and if I am ever in need of a pick-me-up this’ll be the first place I’ll come to get that caffeine smack in the face.
Finally we headed back to campus entirely too caffeinated but with an impressive amount of work accomplished. And I’m sure I’ll get plenty more done once we get back — this macchiato will keep me wired till about 3 a.m.