I know it’s been forever (kinda a problem I have keeping up here), but today I am leaving for a little while to do some serious damage to my bucket list. I’m so excited to be heading to…
Australia!
I will do my best to post here and there while I’m down there and share with you my vacation. It’s been so long since I’ve had a big trip, I can’t wait! Until then,
Cheers!!!
If you didn’t know by now, I love the color purple (the actual color, not the book/movie). I also love food. When the two are combined I’m in sensory utopia!
I don’t even remember how I came across Coffee Zone. It could have been I was just scrolling through Instagram and came across something I’ve never seen before then. I give you, the taro latte!
Yup. It’s a latte (certified with the latte art), it’s made from taro root, and above all, it’s purple! The perfect shade of lavender with a milky smooth texture sets this apart from any tea latte I’ve ever had. Granted it’s not really tea, but are we really concerned about that? Psh, nope. That means the kiddos can enjoy it too, so… winning! As fun and colorful as this drink is, it’s just as sweet too. So sweet, that I’d only have it for dessert. My friend says it reminds her of Smurfs cereal from back in the day.
Coffee Zone, in Monterey Park has all of your standard tea/coffee house drinks as well. There’s a small outdoor patio and free WiFi so feel free to get some work done while you’re there.
Cheers!
I took a bit of a break from blogging since 30 Days of coffee, but rest assured that the adventures never stopped!
I decided to kill some time this morning by hanging out in the park. It was so pretty this morning and to top it off I had the whole park to myself for quite some time! Yup, just me and the birds. I love quiet alone moments like that to just clear my head and enjoy the view.
Before stopping at the park I went to Cafecito for some coffee. I guess it pays to venture out early because I had the whole Hoover Wilderness to myself as well. So much space and quiet. I loved it!
Day 30: Andante Coffee Roasters
Well it’s the final day of our journey. While it’s been fun and there are still many more coffee places to enjoy, I have much more to share. I’m not going to lie, it took some serious dedication on my part to post almost every day this past month, but I did it, and I’m kinda proud of myself for sticking to it. Of course, there was some serious motivation in getting to try so many coffee shops in a relatively short time frame. So now, here is this series’s last stop, Andandte.
Andante is located in mid-city near The Grove. The company has another location in Echo Park as well. They do their own roasting and from what I’ve tried, they do a mighty fine job at it! Their beans, like many other roasters, come from farms all over the world. When served in your drink of choice: pour over, espresso, or cold brew, you can tell that coffee is much more than a beverage here. It’s an art form.
There is a very minimalist approach to the setting inside of Andante. A couple of community tables, and bar stools along the bar and the front window are the only elements of decor. The high rise ceiling sits above bare walls and large windows. All of the action and accents happen at the coffee bar, and personally I feel that’s where the attention should be.
There are a few tea options, and a refrigerator filled with Juice Served Here for coffee alternatives. A display of fresh pastries sits next to the pour over station as an offered accompaniment.
I went in this morning and ordered my usual latte. There were no customers ahead of me so I got my drink pretty quickly. I sat down and took the first sip, then literally paused. The taste was something amazing that hasn’t happened in my mouth before. I was inclined to take it slow and savor every sip of this treasure in my cup. Once I finished I had to go and ask the baristas which type of coffee I was served, and without hesitation bought a bag to take home. I could not have asked for a better first experience at Andante. Considering that I had no idea where I was going to get coffee from today, and had randomly ended up there, I was more than pleasantly surprised.
Day 29: Copa Vida
Bringing it back to Pasadena, today’s coffee stop is Copa Vida. They have served Old Town Pasadena since 2013 among retail stores, restaurants, and even other coffee spots. Copa Vida is the kind of place you go to with a friend or two to just socialize, or a small study group if you’re a student.
There are two pretty large rooms for you to choose from. The first is the main room with one wall of windows that lets in a nice amount of natural sunlight. You can sometimes happen upon a live musical performance here in the evenings. The second room is a little more private/intimate. It’s darker and seating is slightly closer together. This room is also where they occasionally serve specialty drinks for the day or have cuppings and classes for those who want to take their coffee love to the next level. It also serves as a special event room that you can rent out for meetings or special occasions.
The coffee here is from some well-known roasters such as Ritual, 49th Parallel and Verve. The teas are selected from Art of Tea and are brewed using a Steampunk. Each drink made here is sure to be done with the most expertise and precision thanks to the award-winning baristas and tea experts on staff. They have a small food menu which offers breakfast and lunch, and some pastries and donuts from Cake Monkey and Donut Snob. They are all delicious accompaniments to your “cup of life” (copa vida)!
Eat. Go. Learn. Live. 