so, as any New Yorker knows, the coffee scene has become a cult-like society and artisanal coffee shops are spreading like wildfire. the art and craft of perfecting an insane espresso or drip coffee has grown to become serious competition and the better the “latte art” you can come up with, the higher you are ranked on the coffeehouse coolness factor.
Starbucks has dissipated and has stooped to only a figment of one’s imagination. those poor guys. they are SO circa 1995. grande non-fat mocha frappucinos, no whip are locked and stored in the cellar with Constant Comment tea. move over coffee monopoly … the underdogs are surfacing.
i should’ve posted something about New York coffeehouses before this, but US Weekly and Star Mag thrive on Los Angeles movie stars pulling into the drive-thru Starbucks and now that i’m hanging out in LA for a bit, i’m happy to inform everyone that Intelligentsia has made a solid, SOLID mark on LA and is making a ground-[brewing] effect on the hippest parts of town. Venice Beach and Silverlake.
Intelligentsia prides itself on artisanal coffee growers and roasting in small batches to assure quality consistency in all of their beans. different beans from different regions bring different flavors to each cup – some fruity, some chocolatey, some having notes of cinnamon, some having notes of honey or liquorice – as odd as that may sound, it ultimately makes you try different “blends” as you frequent the shop, and you really do start to learn that those flavors and aromas do in fact exist. amazing? yes!!! definitely.
i’ve been to both branches of Intelligentsia. even on the same day. i biked 37.2 miles one day. starting at downtown LA, i went to Venice Beach, then up to Santa Monica, through Beverly Hills, across Hollywood, to Silverlake, through Echo Park, and back downtown. amazing, but couldn’t have done it if i hadn’t stopped to have a few ice coffees while the sweat dripped down my back and forehead.
my jam - soy latte
i got the usual – soy latte. of course it had all the characteristics that a good latte should contain – a rich espresso shot (triple ristretto aka three shots pulled into one long draw) with a good crema (not over heated to burn the espresso which brings a “creaminess” into the tail end of the shot). the milk was wonderfully steamed (not too hot so it burns the milk, but just hot/warm enough that it is truely drinkable on the first sip).
also, take not of the “latte art”…
different shapes and variations come out of the foam. it also depends on how good your barista is. you can also judge (of course, jokingly) how good it will be by the quality and name brand of their fixed gear track bike and how old the Chuck Taylors they’re wearing are. at least in NYC. in LA, it’s also about how old-school you can appear and if your two-toned vest is actually backed in real silk and the front is finely woven wool with leather buttons. not to mention vintage Brooks Brothers. love it all and the nature of these crafty hipsters. but, sometimes you’ll get hearts (or multiple), a shamrock, i’ve even heard one barista did a dog? (think that was at Saturdays NYC).
it was delish. and so were the other treats that come with the coffee. Colin and i visited the Venice branch (before i made my long ride) and shared the following:
cookie sandwich and chocolate/carmel shortbread
the build out of the Venice Beach location is amaze-amaze. super modern and just totally refined. they out did it – even for NY standards!!! gasp.
gorgeous. there is wonderful indoor and outdoor seating in the “alley way” that leads to this big shop. another barista station mirrors what you see in the image. superstardom times two y’all.
here are some more photos that i took on our little rendez-vous:
still good to the bottom
outdoor seating - in february
highly suggest you go. it is a wonderful cup of coffee at a wonderfully expensive price. but, if you are a top dog at limited locations, well that’s an authority that you can’t really mess with, huh?
cheers my loves!
Jessiealamode 