Wednesday, July 17, 2013

discovering new coffee shops



I realize that Peet's coffee is not new to most people in Southern California, but for some reason I've never been there before last week.  I've always been a big Starbucks fan and it wasn't until most of the friendly baristas at my local store started leaving that I felt okay with venturing out to try a new place.  I know that sounds ridiculous but I love my Starbucks crew, and they saw me nearly every morning throughout my entire pregnancy and were so excited when I brought little Amelia in.  It just somehow felt like I was betraying them, but now with new people working there who didn't have my drink memorized, it felt okay to discover a new place.

After hearing such delicious things about Peet's, I decided to give it a try -- and now I'm a 100% convert.  I love the classical music playing inside, and it feels more like an independent coffee shop with locals hanging out for longer than it takes to finish a cup of coffee.  With Chemex makers and Hario kettles, it feels more like a true coffee lovers place.  And just today when we stopped in on our way to Mommy & Me class I saw that they now had almond milk.  When I asked about it at the counter, the barista explained to me why you wouldn't want to add it to hot coffee, because the heat changes the consistency, but it would be perfect for an iced latte.  I love that he was so passionate about it, but opted for my 2% milk.

My almost daily obsession is an iced 2 pump vanilla latte -- and it's become the only thing (besides Amelia!!) that gets me out of the house in the morning.  Seriously, it makes me that happy. I love how bold the flavor is, and where Starbucks lattes can sometimes be watery, Peet's is just so rich and robust.  I'm also a huge fan of how they prepare it:  they start by pouring a small layer of steamed milk in the bottom of the cup, then add ice, then add the espresso in tandem with the remainder of the milk.  The end result?  Perfection.

** and for those of you not in CA,  you can find Peet's in CO, MA, IL, OH, OR, and WA

1 comment:

  1. Mama - we need to take you to Jones someday. I'm finishing mine right now and it is AHHHsome!

    I like Peet's too...the coffee part but their syrups (mocha mostly) seem too sweet for me.

    Have a great weekend with Hope and we'll see you next week! xo

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