The SCV Coffee Caravan had been in the back of our minds, and the topic of discussion for what feels like years! So as is the norm among our circle of friends, when you plan something last minute, you get most everyone to attend. And that is how we finally set out yesterday to caravan to some of LA’s best coffee shops. We thought about maybe renting a big van and doing it that way, but the caravan was a better idea, because that way you could come and go as you wished and you wouldn’t feel stuck. We lost some people along the way, but the real troopers were RE, Jeffrey, Greg, Kendra and Mike. They were still standing by the end of it at Intellivenice. Notice I didn’t list myself among those names…every now and then I fall apart…when it comes to coffee…
The meeting time was 11am sharp at Cognoscenti Coffee, which is one of my top 3 favorites in LA. Guess what? My friends are really punctual! Me? Not so much…when I arrived at Cog most of the gang was chillaxing outside drinking and chatting. It was a really nice scene. Like, hey! I know those people! This was one of the standouts of the whole adventure. Mason and Yeekai treated us so well, and the coffee drinks really impressed everyone.
Sidenote? You know my namesake drink at Cog? The “LD” that I always mention? Well, I heard that in the time the gang had been there, two people that we didn’t know had come in to order it by name! The LD is a hit! And then I learned that the LD has 4 shots…wowza. I had no idea. Sometimes I even get 2!
The group had a variety of hot drinks, cold drinks, and of course pour over!
We must have been at Cog for over an hour without wanting to leave. I love this shop! I also love hanging out with my friends…so this was a great start to the day! Those in attendance were: Susan, Jay, Carrie, Brian, Mike, Scott, his wife and daughter, RE, Jeffrey, Greg, and Kendra. Thirteen people total, including me!
Soon it was time for some food! So we headed just down the street to The Oinkster! I’m not a huge fan of the Oinkster, but it was close by and I was willing to give it another go. While we were waiting for our food, a hipster walked by wearing the same shirt as Mike! Seriously, we couldn’t make this up! I was able to sneak a picture on the sly…
The Oinkster is known for their pastrami, so I had a sandwich with fries. It was huge, so I only ended up eating half. I’m a fan of the fries and the garlic aioli.
This was a great spot to just sit outside, eat, talk, laugh. This is what summer is all about, and this is what surrounding yourself with a solid group of friends is all about too.
Soon, it was time to move on to stop number 3! Intelligentsia Silver Lake…
Wanting to pace myself, I opted for iced tea! The others ordered a variety of coffee drinks which looked great, of course! I saw a couple of iced coffees in the mix.
Mike and Carrie discussed coffee…and we just hung out inside, outside, people watched…etc.
Susan ordered a “gibraltar” which is a somewhat DL item. I’ve never tried it, but Susan was a huge fan! I know Mike and Carrie are huge fans as well. Maybe next time I’ll order one too!
We took the obligatory tourist picture outside of Intelligentsia SL, with RE captured. Only later when she was uploading photos did she notice we got photobombed! The guy in the green shirt, sunglasses in the back, behind Brian? No idea who he is, but I will admit…he’s good!
Carrie and Brian were off to the 909 so they parted ways, and the rest of us headed over to Scoops!
I had the Mango Tang Sorbet…
By this time, the heat was really getting to everyone. Scoops was HOT. Scott and family decided to head back to the SCV at this point. The rest of us debated if we wanted to trek to Westwood to hit up Profetta or if we should head straight to Cielo. This would be the longest trek for us, and with the heat and the traffic, this is was going to be a real test. It took about 40 minutes to get to Cielo, and by then I wasn’t feeling well. So when we finally made it, I was a bit uneasy. Jittery. I ended up getting an Aranciata.
Needless to say I was disapointed that I wasn’t able to enjoy barista Noah’s handywork, but the rest of the gang sure did and everyone loved this shop. Cielo was a clear standout. Most of us there, except for Greg and Kendra, had indulged in multiple cups of 49th Parallel at SCAA, and as you know 49th is my favorite roaster, ever. I was sad that I opted for Fiji water as my second round, but at this point I couldn’t handle any more caffeine.
Mike ended up buying a bag, and had some pour over. Really, Noah at Espresso Cielo is one of the best baristas I have encountered lately. He comes from Portland, and really knows what he is doing. Noah. Tell your friends. I told mine already! Cognoscenti and Espresso Cielo are two of my favorite coffee shops in LA. Mike wrote about Cielo earlier this morning, and I agree with him. Why is there not a line out of the door at this place? And not to cramp his style, but when Intellivenice first opened, the lines weren’t as long as they are now. I suppose like with Intellivenice, it will take some time for people to find this shop, but once they do they will realize what a gem it is. I adore this place. I suppose people don’t realize what a big deal it is for Cielo to be carrying 49th Parallel. Trust me, its a HUGE deal! Espresso Cielo. Total win.
Our final stop was just down the street at my other most favorite shop, Intellivenice. I was not feeling like myself at this point. I was SICK. When we got there, Susan took a picture and headed off to Pasadena with Jay. I was barely hanging on at this point, but RE, Jeffrey, Greg, Kendra, and Mike totally brought their A game. Impressive. They ordered a variety of coffee drinks. I don’t know how the boys were still standing at this point.
Mike also ordered an OG Dr. Pepper (his favorite). Apparently Rocket Fizz is always out of it lately! Hmm! If you have never had OG Dr. Pepper? Its pretty awesome! It was at Intellivenice that we recovered from the heat. I was feeling slightly better, we had a great conversation, just hanging out at one of my favorite places. It was nice! A good conclusion. We had a rough middle, but at the end it ended up okay!
I have always thought its weird that someone would order soda at Intellivenice. I mean, you have some of the best baristas, some of the best beans and equipment, why have soda? Well, yesterday, I became the girl that ordered soda at Intellivenice. This Bubble Up made me feel so much better!
So, basically the Coffee Caravan finally happened! Despite the heat and the traffic, we made do with what mother nature and the universe threw our way. Next time I would take out Scoops and maybe wait until the weather cooled down a bit. I enjoyed hanging out with everyone outside of Awesometown though! I hope that happens a lot more often. Its funny because Friday night we had just hung out at Undergrounds, and here we were again on Saturday. Sometimes I see one or two people from the group at a time during the week, but when EVERYONE gets together, there’s something magical. We are different, we have different views, we like different things, but we make it work, and that’s something that we talked about at The Oinkster. I’m so glad I can call you guys my friends! And those of you that couldn’t join us, I hope you can come next time because we missed you guys!
We ended up:
Cognoscenti Coffee – Clear STANDOUT
The Oinkster
IntelliSL
Scoops
Espresso Cielo – Clear STANDOUT
Intellivenice
We had so much fun! Cognoscenti Coffee was awesome…I look forward to going back. Sorry we had to cut out early but the 909 called.
Wonderful time! Thanks again!