A Local Evening Stroll

As the sun set today, the perfectly warm Southern California weather took a drastic dip.  A cool marine layer rolled in over the lower Los Angeles area and quickly coated the San Fernando Valley, dropping the temperature about 20 degrees.  At 60 degrees, a walk sounded delightful. 

The husband and I have resided in the same place for the last four years.  One of the first establishments we acquainted ourselves with in the neighborhood was a local British tavern known as The White Harte Pub.  Valet parking offered but not needed when we’re two blocks away.  Theming for this restaurant is skewed.   With the dimly lit patio, a rustic cottage feel in the main bar area, and a fabric covered back patio boasting over sized TVs and a shoddy dartboard, the bar lacked much of the traditional British pub style it claimed.  The menu when we had first started attending included British fair such as Bangers and Mash and a full English breakfast.  It has been a while since I have ordered food there but the items currently on the Happy Hour list offer a more Baja flavor than anything from across the pond.  Shrimp tacos, nachos, and elote (Mexican grilled corn) with pop music blasting from the speakers does not remotely give me the essence of The Fab Four or cloudy, rainy days with a big yellow teapot in my flat.  A full size replica of a red public phone box greets you at the entrance and they offered full coverage of the Royal Wedding two weeks ago.  Yet the pizzas and American baseball instead of English football on the big screens lose the UK feel.  Stereotypes aside, The White Harte has a full bar and the food they do serve is plentiful and tasty.

We just missed the evenings Happy Hour specials so we skipped the nosh.  A table in the dark corner of the plastic encased front patio is where we ordered our drinks.  The husband ordered what he usually gets, a black and tan.  I took a moment and informed the cute, blond waitress that I wanted something with coffee in it.  She inquired if I wanted alcohol or not.  Of course with this being a bar, I said bring on the booze.  She listed off a couple of cocktails and when she mentioned an espresso martini, my eyebrows perked up.  She described a very simple drink.  It was nothing of what a generic martini was, which was fine with me, because traditional martinis are foul.  My cocktail, according to the server, was vodka and espresso syrup.  Even lacking actual coffee, the drink had a chocolatey, foamy coffee flavor which hid the vodka taste.  But one drink was enough.  The vodka sneaks up on you.  It made for a sweet nightcap and the bit of booze kept me warm on the walk home.  

     

Going Green... and Purple

Recently, I've resolved to be more environmentally conscience.  I've always tried to make green choices.  I turn off the water while brushing my teeth, keep a reusable sipper bottle in my locker at work for constant refills of water, and I'm sure I own enough reusable tote bags to hold all the produce at a Farmer's Market.  My Disney Store has even made better promises to Mother Earth as they no longer offer plastic bags and our Cast Members do their part to make sure recyclable materials make it to the correct bin.  More than ever, I'm now encouraged to help the planet.  I recently stopped using single use straws at restaurants, and eliminating plastic cutlery when I order take-out.
As we used our go-to source for exploring new coffee shops, Google, the husband found a small chain cafe that boasted about it's unique glass options for their drinks.  Lidded light bulbs and mini milk bottles.  That intrigued me right away.  The downfall?  Both of the nearby locations were in malls and it was a holiday weekend.  I loathe the mall on the weekends but now it's an even busier holiday weekend.  Ok, fine, I said.  A few years ago, the Westfield Shopping Center, that was previously just known as the Topanga Mall, extended their land and built The Village.  The Village is a cozy, trendy, outdoor mall with high priced boutiques and ample places to grab a bite.  An adorable vintage style Red Car trolley takes a 5 minute trip between the two malls.  The only thing that prevented me from checking out The Village prior to today was the rumored high parking prices.  With today's visit, we came to find that for the summer, they were offering 2 hour complimentary parking.  That's plenty of time for coffee, a walk, and right in the budget.
After having to trek across the endless second floor parking lot, we finally entered the upper level of the mall.  Taking the escalator down, I noticed a sign: This area is 100% green air.  Meaning they were a smoke free outdoor mall.  As we walked to our destination, oodles of families gathered around the splash zones and play areas, couples canoodled at the windowless bar patios, and friendly dog owners took advantage of the welcoming pet friendly atmosphere.  Kids played at the koi pond while parents sat in Adirondack chairs chatting with other adults.  There was an abundance of art and sculptures.  My favorite piece was the large scale version of a trolley laid out like a build your own model train that hung above the escalators where we had entered.  Mini book exchanges carved into tree stumps dotted up and down the center of the plaza, with take a book, leave a book signs bringing a sense of community to the multiple seating areas.
We arrived at the Square Bar Cafe just a few feet from where we made our entrance.  It was a tiny, stand alone building featuring floor to ceiling windows.  Just outside the shop was a dog care station with clean up bags, help yourself dog treats, and the most charming fire hydrant water dish.  Inside, the boba wallpaper exclaimed to me that this wasn't a regular Coffee Bean kind of coffee shop but a boba and smoothie shop.  The menu was short and every drink had to start at 1000 calories. A warm cup of morning coffee would not be found here.  All the drinks looked refreshing and novel but it appeared the light bulb glasses that lured us here were out of stock.  The husband ordered the taro smoothie in a milk bottle.  Taro is a root vegetable similar to a sweet potato in flavor and very popular in Asian cuisine and in dessert recipes.  It has purple flecks within a white flesh, and brown skin.  Eaten raw, it is toxic, but cooked, it and its leaves add a starchy texture to its dishes.  As I placed my order for a house coffee, I was asked a very odd question.  "Would you like to add the Salted Cheese Cream topping?"  I'm sorry, the what?  The informative girl told me it was a special topping they put on their drinks that was exactly as described.  She said most people who get it, love it and come back specifically for it.  Count me in, I told her.  The coffee was served cold and the cream placed on top, creating a harmonious color palate in the reusable tumbler I chose.  I really liked the heart shaped drink stopper it came with and the lid is designed with a little plug to hold it while you drink.  I didn't know that was a feature I needed in my mugs until now.  The coffee was deep in flavor, barely giving a hint of the hazelnut in it, and the cream topping was lightly salty with a Mascarpone texture and almost too sweet for my liking.  If making a recommendation, I'd ask for half of the given serving size of that topping.  Overall, I'm glad I tried something new there but that type of coffee would only be a once a month treat with some extra time on the treadmill.
We continued to saunter around the grounds in the gorgeous, cloud free weather.  The architecture was diverse with mixed genres and materials.  A brick building here, a Japanese wooden arched bridge there.  Wrought iron railings lining Juliet balconies, tons of greenery including a succulent vertical wall garden, all modern and clean.  I can imagine some live music making the summer evenings, with drink in hand, very enjoyable. 
The Village is on the right path to being green, with fake grass in high traffic areas and drought tolerant plants fillings the landscape.  Recycling bins placed next to the trash cans would be a great next step and an incentive for me to return and justify the $3 parking fee in the off season.

Looks like they were out of the Cookies and Cream,

I've never seen a kids play area like this before.

"Don't throw coins in the water"

Inspiring Breath of Fresh Air

Thousand Oaks, California.  Sunny skies, rolling green hills, Stepford Wives style houses, with streets lined with... well, thousands of Oak trees.  That's where the name came from, after all.  In this conservative Ventura County suburb, among one of the many seemingly endless strip malls, awaits a new kind of coffee shop.  Traditionally, Thousand Oaks has been geared toward the older generations, with most shops and restaurants closing around 9 in the evening.  No real nightlife.  Even the Denny's my friends and I used to spend our twilight hours at, closed down years ago.
With a refreshing and modern style, clean lines, lots of space and seating, Five07 Coffee Bar and Eatery gives the youth of Thousand Oaks a spot to collab.  As I chatted with the helpful barista behind the counter, he told me that Five07 (pronounced five oh seven), according to the owners, had a special meaning: "There are five steps to creating something of importance".  The creation of this company, the products they bring in, and the daily creative process that goes on within, all fall under the five steps, which are written right up on the information board so everyone can share in their sentiment.  The five steps are Inspiration, Build up, Resistance, Overcoming, Collaboration.  As they do this seven days a week, that's how the moniker came to be.  And it works!  I instantly was inspired as I glanced around at art on the walls by local artists, business cards next to framed works from a different artist, and the list of upcoming live music events going into the next month.  Open 7:30am to midnight everyday, offering an 'open mic', night every other Saturday of the month, fresh food with local ingredients, a large coffee and tea selection, a community feel, and cordial staff, this is the all day, late into the night, creative environment that Thousand Oaks needs.  They had a soft opening in January and a full grand opening in February.  I already see myself coming back, maybe as soon as this Saturday for live Jazz.
I was naturally drawn to two items on the bold colored board, the lavender mocha latte and the matcha latte.  But I was there on blog business so I ordered The Boy & The Bear for a nice pour over coffee from Los Angeles.  My friend that was with me ordered the lavender mocha latte and let me try it as well as split The Confucius panini and the lavender honey toast.  After a few minutes our coffees were ready and were followed by the food.  I added just a little half and half to my pour over and that was all it needed.  It was sweet all on its own and very light.  As for my friends latte, Wow!  It was rich but smooth and oh so delicious with fresh lavender buds for garnish.  Might have my Saturday order already planned out now.  The panini was vegetarian with a slightly spicy homemade aioli.  As I chatted my friends ear off, the sandwich got cold but it didn't affect the flavor.  The lavender toast had such a beautiful presentation for such a simple dish.  That's not butter, that's goat cheese.  We both loved everything we ordered.
Seeing as we had taken up our table for such a lengthy time catching up, I suggested we go get a glass of wine before calling it a night.  She chose Stonehaus in Westlake Village.  If the name sounds familiar to my regular readers, it's because I did a coffee blog there a while back.  This time was just a glass of Rosé and a white Pinot Noir from Oregon under the quickly setting sun.  The weather was cool and we seemed to have the whole place to ourselves.  The opposite of the last time I had been there.
-Find the previous Stonehaus blog linked below.
Nice Place, Wrong Day
With the close of the day, I'm very happy that I have found a new place to share with you.  I'm looking forward to returning to Five07, not just for the coffee, but I love to support local businesses and artists, and here I can do both.

Stonehaus current wine menu

Welcome to The Crossroads

Coffee was at home today.  Well, in the home I’m visiting during my stay in Washington.  Not far from ‘home’ is a substantial indoor/outdoor mall known as The Crossroads, in Bellevue.  Dotted across the vast outer parking area, you will find commercial staples like Bed, Bath, and Beyond and Cost Plus World Market.  Right next to the King County Public Library is the Japanese equivalent to a 99 Cent store; Daiso, which I could drop a full paycheck at.  My friends and I had lunch inside the central hub of the international public market. With multiple restaurants to choose from, cuisine from all over the world is just steps away.  Vietnamese, Indian, Japanese, Mexican, Italian, even an old fashion 50’s American diner. More stores intertwine amongst the eateries including Uncle’s Games, who lets you borrow board games and play on tables alongside a giant chess board just outside the shop.

In the back corner of the market is another of my favorite places to get in my extra steps and try to keep a lock on my wallet; Half Price Books.  Packed with floor to ceiling discounted new books in every topic you can think of. Not just that, toys, board games, writing journals, vinyl records, CDs, vintage collectible antique books, sheet music, use video games, and comics are part of the huge collection at this location.  Half Priced Books is a small chain and I’ve yet to find any in California. Unfortunately, I brought a small suitcase for this trip so I didn’t pick up any new reads or fancy journals.

Attached to the bookstore was a Starbucks.  If you’re a regular follower of this blog, you would know that I walked right passed that dump and headed home for a good cup of Joe.  We brewed up a pot of Roasted in Seattle: Rainy Day Roast. A local coffee that I get every time I find myself in Washington. It’s a calm, smooth roast without any extra unnecessary flavors or bitterness.  If I can get local coffees or beers wherever I travel to, I will. Independent and local is almost always better than the big box businesses.

Oh, I wanted so many of these beautiful journals.

A rounder of clearance classics.

They had the Foo Fighters album I wanted but I was strong.  You're welcome coffee fund.

Huge, colorful Manga selection.

What?! I paid way more than that for the collection I got my step dad!

Small Town Chai

Just east of Seattle, Washington, is the small suburb of Kirkland.  Kissing up against the calm waters of Lake Washington is the friendly downtown Kirkland community.  Blink and you will miss it.  Independent stores, pubs, and restaurants line the one way streets that lead you to the park on the waterfront.  Friday night brings happy hours.  The later than usual sunset keeps families playing together on the park paths.  Couples settle on benches under the large gazebo, pointing out the cute dogs to each other.
On a well landscaped corner in this little village sits Zoka Coffee.  A small chain here in Washington, they have their own blends and roasts available for sale.  At the front of the shop, a woman was taking a break from painting on a black canvas.  The tea selection includes some of my favorite teas.  As I couldn't decide between the tempting chai flavors or wanting to try one of their own blends, the cheery girl taking our orders suggested adding a shot of espresso to the chai; a dirty chai.  For myself, lavender chai with espresso.  My two friends had vanilla lattes, one hot and one over ice.  My chai had a very light lavender flavor among the creamy coffee without overwhelming me with spice.  A perfect dirty chai.  We sat and people watched with our drinks.  After, we checked out the Irish pub a few doors down.  I chose a local beer and we listened to a solo guitarist strum out acoustic covers of The Beatles and Pink Floyd songs.  A short, late afternoon trek that left me relaxed and content.

Cheers

When it comes to this blog, anything coffee or tea goes.  I had a regular old French roast cup at my mom's house today in return for bringing her a bright bouquet of massive sunflowers, soft pink daisies, and other springtime blossoms to show her love for this Mother's Day.  Spending time with my mom is all she ever asks for when this holiday comes around, so that's what I did.  It was a nice visit but I had previous plans so I jetted off.  Once I was home alone for the evening, I remembered something I had in the liquor cabinet.  Calling it a liquor cabinet sounds so 1970's.  In reality, it's a small Ikea bookcase with a door on one side.  The open shelving side holds pint and red wine glasses.  Behind the door is where we hide the booze from getting spoiled by light and keep the good crystal champagne flutes out of dangerous cat tail territory.  The cabinet contains bar staples along the lines of vodka, an almost empty bottle of rum ("Why is the rum always gone"), a house warming gifted tequila, and a bottle of Merlot that should have been drunk months back.  Front and center in the same space is a gift I received at my surprise birthday party last summer.  A frosted bottle of Patron XO Cafe.  It has a rich coffee taste with the sharp sting of tequila.  Perfect in a White Russian, but the way I like it best is in a shot glass with a little half and half or good ol' coffee creamer.  Smooth taste followed by that warm you all over sensation.  Honestly, I don't see this replacing that morning cup of Joe but it could go nicely with a mimosa at boozy brunch party.  Maybe I've found a theme for next Mother's Day.

More Than Waffles

(Yes, it has been a while.  But I'm hoping to return to regular blogging again soon.)

This beautiful spring morning found The Boss and I running errands with time for a quick breakfast at a place we both had been before.  More Than Waffles finds itself to be described as Ol' Granny Gourmet.  The decor and classic breakfast house fare scream shabby chic grandma.  Those terrible fabric drapes and sticky wooden chairs fill the dining room.  A "powder room" tin sign hangs in front of the bathrooms.  Sweet pink and white, fresh flowers upon every table.  The gourmet side comes from the one of a kind dishes made with real ingredients instead of sugar laden frozen or processed foods.  Huge Belgium waffles with toppings like peaches, peanut butter, and Nutella are the restaurants early morning best picks.  The afternoon would entice the light salad eater to the heavy pasta lover.  Be sure to try the homemade jam and salsa.
The Boss and I sat with our coffees and discussed the magic of her 41 years with her husband, historical fiction novels, and my need to pick up my blog again.  I picked this place for The Boss and I based solely on their house coffee.  Served with a vanilla almond flavor, More Than Waffles offers its diners something more than just plain diner coffee.  The nutty taste is apparent right away with a small follow up of spice.  Their lattes and cappuccinos are equally delicious.  With ample, friendly staff, a good majority of Los Angeles is already aware this place exists and would highly recommend it to anyone who asks.