Café restaurants in California
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A
Big Kitchen
The heart and soul of funky South Park, just to the east of Balboa Park at 30th Ave, Big Kitchen welcomes all to its enclave of food, art, music and civic bonhomie (though ardent Bush supporters may get a slightly frosty reception). The omelettes are stupendous, as is the challah French toast, and there's a whole page of breakfast combos named after regulars. It's many locals' vote for best brunch in town.
reviewed
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B
Natural Café
The lunch line - stretching 10 deep from the counter - can look daunting at this beachy, mostly vegetarian bistro in the thick of things on State St. But no worries, the line moves fast. Options range from spinach salads to tempeh veggie burgers to black-bean enchiladas. Grilled chicken pitas and turkey sandwiches available for carnivores.
reviewed
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C
Red's Java House
All the cheap diner classics you'd expect from a waterfront shack that's been dishing out hearty fare to dockworkers and the terminally hung-over since 1812: restorative greasy-spoon breakfasts, double cheeseburgers, chili cheese fries, even a deli Reuben on rye a New Yorker wouldn't refuse.
reviewed
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D
SB Roasting Co
Lads with laptops fill the tables in this exposed-brick, industrial space. Poets? Day traders? Hackers? Who knows. All come for the potent java - this place roasts its own coffee - and casual vibe. Try a 'flattened' bagel for 75¢. One block off State St.
reviewed
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E
Paradise Café
Everything you'd hope for in a hometown corner café - fantastic oak-grilled burgers (the best in Santa Barbara), great salads, and a respectable brunch. Sit outside on the big patio (no smoking). Great wine list that's reasonably priced.
reviewed
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F
Warming Hut
Wetsuited windsurfers and Crissy Field kite fliers thaw out with fair-trade coffee, organic pastries and organic hot dogs at the Warming Hut, while browsing an excellent selection of field guides and sampling honey made by Presidio honeybees. This eco-shack below the Golden Gate Bridge has walls ingeniously insulated with recycled denim and a heartwarming concept: all purchases fund Crissy Field’s ongoing conversion from US Army air strip to wildlife preserve.
reviewed
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Big Sur Roadhouse
The Fosters opened this Roadhouse after working together at Sierra Mar, the Post Ranch Inn's posh eatery. Thankfully, they've chosen to share with us fresh, impeccable cuisine (like plantain tostones with tiger prawns) minus the haute attitude. Inside, the restaurant fairly glows from the corner fireplace and copper-top bar, not to mention the smiles from diners' faces. The front patio is more often than not covered in exuberant chalk drawings.
reviewed
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G
Imperial Tea Court
A tea break at the serene Imperial Tea Court, where birdcages hang above antique tables, is meant to be a relaxed, cultured experience. The helpful staff, whose knowledge and appreciation for tea rivals that of your above-average wine snob, will help you pick from a variety of aromatic green and black leaves. The tea is pricey - about the same as a premium cocktail. There's another branch at the Ferry Building.
reviewed
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Café Maddalena
This café put Dunsmuir on the foodie map. Though original owner, Maddalena Sera, no longer runs the café (rumor has it she is now Francis Ford Coppola's personal chef), Bret LaMott (of Mt Shasta Trinity Café fame) maintains the restaurant's stellar reputation. The menu features southern European and North African specialties and the wine bar is stocked with rare Mediterranean labels.
reviewed
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H
Vital Tea Leaf
With so many teas to taste free, you might get jitters before you decide between the venerable Thousand Year Red and the gender-bending Iron Goddess King. Sounds like a job for White Peony - even if it's not 'antispasmodic' as advertised, there's no arguing with its mellow flavor. For gifts, go with flower teas that blossom in a pot of hot water: one ball serves four and costs around US$2 to $2.
reviewed
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I
Caffe Trieste
Poetry on the bathroom walls, opera on the jukebox, monthly Saturday accordion concerts, and occasional sightings of poet laureate Lawrence Ferlinghetti: this is North Beach at its best, as it’s been since the 1950s. Linger over a legendary espresso, join aging anarchists debating how best to bring down the government, or just sit with your sketchpad and watch the world go by outside.
reviewed
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J
Blue Bottle Coffee Company
Once this microroaster sold only to fancy restaurants - but when caffeine freaks got a whiff of premium organic beans being ground in this garage storefront, they lined up in the alley, twitching for a taste. Giant Steps is strong and Espresso Temescal will make your heart beat in solidarity with Chiapas coffee farmers. There's no indoor seating or bathroom, so think dry thoughts.
reviewed
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K
Literati II
Chris Kidder, formerly of Campanile, is a stickler for fresh, organic, sustainable provisions and has built relationships with local farmers to ensure that only the best and freshest ingredients land on your plate. And trust us, you'll taste it: dishes are as sophisticated as a Joyce novel, as sensuous as a sonnet, as exciting as a spy thriller and as playful as a limerick.
reviewed
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Brown Trout Café & Gallery
This is a casual, high-ceilinged, brick-walled, wi-fi hangout with a light satisfying menu. Enjoy excellent espresso drinks including Mexican mocha. Lunch highlights include specialty sandwiches (eg veggie with pesto or Jamaican jerk chicken) and salads (pear and blue cheese… yum). There's a short wine and microbrew list too.
reviewed
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L
Trouble Coffee
Coconuts are an unlikely find by blustery Ocean Beach, but Trouble Coffee happens to like unlikelihood. Hence the ‘Build Your Own Damn House’ breakfast special: coffee, thick-cut cinnamon-laced toast, and an entire young coconut. Surfers, stoners and surrealists in need of a snack, you must be looking for Trouble.
reviewed
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M
Mike & Anne's
Right on darling Mission St in South Pasadena, Mike & Anne's is a sweet and unhurried jewel with mostly local patrons clamoring for the clever but unfussy food à la chorizo-stuffed calamari or boneless shortribs with potato mousseline. Sit inside below exposed wood beams or on the patio overlooking a miniature park.
reviewed
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Attic
For big, crunchy organic salads, homemade soups, vegan dishes, and a huge menu of teas, head to this order-at-the-counter cafe-cum-gallery and performance space. There are meat dishes too, but the emphasis is on veggies. Save room for the vegan shortbread cookies, which defy the law that says vegan equals tasteless.
reviewed
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Bread and Cocoa
When’s the last time you actually craved a sandwich? Local, artisanal ingredients add a fresh zing to roast chicken panini with pesto, and tangy Humboldt Fog cheese works similar magic with prosciutto, organic tomato and arugula. These sandwiches may not be huge for $8 to $10, but their flavor sure is.
reviewed
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O
Coogies Beach Café
Even size 0 locals can't resist Coogie's famous whole-wheat pancakes packed with fresh strawberries and bananas. A great place to hit before or after the beach, this mall-based yet upscale diner serves breakfast until 15:00, tasty sandwiches and salads for lunch and fresh fish for dinner.
reviewed
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Coffee to the People
This utopian coffee shop hosts folksy Tuesday open-mic, and serves enough fair-trade coffee to revive the Sandinista movement. Five percent of your purchase goes to support community organizations, and baristas donate 3% of their tips to send children in coffee-growing regions to school.
reviewed
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Q
Cozmic Cafe
Expect to see patrons sitting in the lotus position at this funky place in an 1859 building. The menu is organic and boasts vegetarian and healthy fare plus treats like fresh smoothies. There's a good selection of microbrews and live music on weekends, when it often stays open late.
reviewed
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R
Clifton's Cafeteria
This eatery was founded in 1931 by a Salvation Army captain who doled out free grub to starving Angelenos during the Great Depression. They still serve 'grub' but it's the ultracampy enchanted forest setting, complete with fake trees, squirrels and deer, that makes it so special.
reviewed
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S
Cafe Bianco
Cafe Bianco's back patio is a suits' retreat from the Financial District hustle. They serve a top-notch cuppa in an honest-to-gosh cup and saucer (no paper-cup chintziness here). You can also nibble on decent sandwiches, pizzas and lasagna from a push-a-tray-and-point counter.
reviewed
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Crown & Crumpet
Designer style and rosy cheer usher teatime into the 21st century: girlfriends rehash hot dates over scones with strawberries and Champagne, and dads and daughters clink porcelain teacups with crooked pinkies and 38 kinds of tea. Reservations are recommended on weekends.
reviewed
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Caffè Greco
Greco's friendly crew prepare fine espressos, but only if you're lucky will you snag one of the sidewalk tables on a warm Saturday afternoon. The place has some of North Beach's most devoted regulars, and you'll feel like an outsider for not knowing your server's name.
reviewed
