hey y’all,

i spent the last week of july in the bay area, so i had to try out some coffee shops. this was such an incredible trip. my husband is from the bay, and we spent several days basking along the gold coast in small mountain towns. their first job was at a music camp nestled in the redwoods of cazadero, and it was so beautiful to be invited into the memory.

while we found each other relatively young in the grand scheme of life, there is a twinge of melancholy over how much i’ve missed. sometimes i wish we’d come into the world next door to each other. cataloguing our core memories with one another has been one of the most rewarding things about our marriage, so this trip was particularly meaningful.

as i walked the camp grounds and waded in the pacific, i imagined their teenage self spending months in the wilderness with no cell service, sleeping outside and playing music all day. the first of the two shops we visited was one from their youth.

gold coast coffee 3.5/5

this place was very very special, and not just because it’s the place my husband went as a teenager. the café itself was nestled amongst the redwoods, less than a mile from the most beautiful beach i’ve ever seen. you could smell the yeast and sugar from the parking lot, mingling with the salt of the sea. the outdoor space was so beautiful, and the interior was both cozy and polished.

unfortunately, the coffee was lacking. i find that to be pretty typical in these small vacation-style towns (including the one i grew up in). most people coming through probably aren’t coffee snobs like me, and they’re just looking for something local and unique to enjoy. while it delivered on style and nostalgia, the actual product wasn’t the best. i asked otto if it was as good as they remembered, and they agreed that it wasn’t.

but it still got a good rating, because it kind of didn’t matter. i got to sit in the same café that they did all those summers ago, and imagine them galavanting through the california woods in the late july daze, only ever stopping to grab an espresso milkshake now and again.

andytown coffee 5/5

this place was insanely good. like one of the best i’ve tried. their whipped cream is made in-house, and it’s as thick as marshmallow fluff. it has a punch of salt at the front, but a smooth and creamy finish with real vanilla. their mocha is not sweet, which is perfect for me. they use ganache (incredible), and the chocolate variety is almost savory in how rich it is.

but these are bells and whistles to me, ultimately, and wouldn’t have made up for bad beans. the cold brew was bright and juicy, with a tea-like mouthfeel, but maintained those brown butter nutty notes i always want in a coffee. the space itself was light and airy, with tons of surfing goods, local art, and plants available for sale. it was situated right along the great highway, with a sightline to the pacific from the front window.

both otto and i felt ourselves turning into green-eyed monsters when we thought about how awesome it must be to work there. we went back twice. and i even got to see the sun set over the ocean for the very first time across the street. it was very special to make a new memory with otto in a place they know so well.

honorable mention: horsefeather

this was not a coffee spot, so i’m not giving it a real rating, but it was such an awesome experience i had to share. after a long day of walking the city, otto, their mom, and i wanted something fancy yet comforting for happy hour.

we got their korean chicken sliders to share, and each got a drink. mine was the lowrider, and it knocked my socks off. i will drink almost anything with mezcal in it, so i tend to gravitate toward a mezcal cocktail when it’s a place i’ve never tried. it’s mezcal, how bad could it be? it’s like what they say about pizza, bad pizza is still pizza.

it did not disappoint. from the horsefeather menu: mezcal, hibiscus, agave, cucumber juice, fresh lime. i mean, come on, hard to mess that up. but with drinks, it’s all about ratios, and this was perfectly balanced. smoky, fresh, cleansing, and the perfect amount of sweet. i wish i’d taken pictures of the atrium we sat in, because it was such a uniquely beautiful outdoor dining experience. alas, i was enjoying the moment. you can see the atrium on their website, if you like. we would have definitely come back for dinner service if we’d stayed a little longer.

some photos

i thought i’d do a little photo story of the trip at the end here. there were just so many beautiful things.

i’ll be headed to ireland in september for a storytelling festival on the western coast, where i’ll be reading some poems from mnemotope 005, a gorgeous lit mag produced by bog bodies press. i’m excited to try out the coffee scene across the pond. i’ll catch y’all in the next one.

xoxo,

kuya von