Category: Foodie Friday

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Best coffee shops for writers in Los Angeles: Northeast LA

Picky writers can’t just go to any coffee shop. We need good working spaces with comfy chairs and tables. We need decent wifi and electric outlets for our laptops. We (or at least I) need good reading light. And we like to be able to hang for a few hours without feeling like we’re overstaying our welcome.

Which is to say — I’m really putting together this best coffee shops list for me.

I often find myself stuck in a part of town I don’t know very well — usually before or after some event — because I don’t want to drive home until after rush hour ends. Now (or more accurately, soon, when I finish this 5-part guide covering most L.A. neighborhoods), whatever area of Los Angeles I happen to be in, I know where I can stop to read or get some writing done while I wait for traffic to clear.

Earlier:
* Best coffee shops for writers in Los Angeles: Central LA
* Best coffee shops for writers in Los Angeles: Westside
* Best coffee shops for writers in Los Angeles: The Valley
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Silver Lake: Dinosaur Coffee. 4334 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles.

Need freedom from free wifi? This no-free-wifi spot will force you to work on your novel instead of senselessly surfing the internet. Dinosaur’s a spacious, inviting, and well lit place with nice wood paneling and little decorative plants. There’s Fourbarrel coffee, creatively-named blended coffee drinks, and some good teas.

Echo Park: Stories Books & Cafe. 1716 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles.

This is my favorite coffee shop on the list — because it’s also a bookstore, and carries my book, Cake Time! Plus it’s a cozy place to work over coffee, Juice Served Here drinks, or beer or wine — take your pick. There’s a decent small menu of simple eats as well as a gluten-free and vegan pastry selection. Plus, the outdoor patio with communal tables is a perfect place to read on sunny days — or take in a performance or reading on some evenings. Here’s a photo of me with the other readers at a Kaya Press reading from a couple years back —

Zoe Ruiz, Doug Manuel, Siel Ju, Lisa Locascio, Brandon Som at the Crevasse in Los Angeles reading with Kaya Press at Stories Books and Cafe
From left to right: Zoe Ruiz, Doug Manuel, Siel Ju, Lisa Locascio, Brandon Som at the Crevasse in Los Angeles reading with Kaya Press at Stories Books and Cafe. Photo by Diana Arterian

Earlier: 11 best bookstores in Los Angeles for writers

Eagle Rock: Found Coffee. 1355 Colorado Blvd., Los Angeles.

This sunny, welcoming spot’s great for writing, reading, and meeting up with other writers. Found focuses on local coffee roasters, so it’s a nice place to discover the caffeinated companies near you! Thanks Janice Lee (read her book Daughter, reviewed here and pictured below!) for introducing me to this spot!

Glassel Park: Habitat Coffee Shop. 3708 Eagle Rock Blvd., Los Angeles.

This spacious cafe offers something for everyone: gigantic sandwiches ranging from roasted pork to vegan seitan bahn mi, soba noodle salads, all manner of gluten free energy bars, and cold pressed juices.

The wifi is fast and the seating plentiful and soy lattes come with Rorschach test-esque art because apparently it’s tougher to do latte art with soy milk —

Highland Park: Kindness & Mischief. 5537 N Figueroa St., Los Angeles.

This cozy spot has pretty macha lattes, lovely natural wood tables with decorative blue glass, and fun specialty concoctions like The Kindness: milk, sweetened coconut condensed milk, cinnamon, and espresso.

There are two downsides to this cafe, however: no wifi and a super early 5 pm close time! The upside? Kindness & Mischief is just down the block from Book Show!

More: Top 11 coffee shops for writers in Portland

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Best coffee shops for writers in Los Angeles: Westside

Picky writers can’t just go to any coffee shop. We need good working spaces with comfy chairs and tables. We need decent wifi and electric outlets for our laptops. We (or at least I) need good reading light. And we like to be able to hang for a few hours without feeling like we’re overstaying our welcome.

Which is to say — I’m really putting together this best coffee shops list for me.

I often find myself stuck in a part of town I don’t know very well — usually before or after some event — because I don’t want to drive home until after rush hour ends. Now (or more accurately, soon, when I finish this 5-part guide covering most L.A. neighborhoods), whatever area of Los Angeles I happen to be in, I know where I can stop to read or get some writing done while I wait for traffic to clear.

More:
* Best coffee shops for writers in Los Angeles: Central LA
* Best coffee shops for writers in Los Angeles: The Valley
* Best coffee shops for writers in Los Angeles: Northeast LA
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Santa Monica: Funnel Mill. 930 Broadway, Ste A., Santa Monica.

If you’re into rare, exotic coffees — like the kind made from beans pooped out by little animals — you’ll find what you’re looking for here. I’m more of a plain soy latte type — so I go here for the comfy couches and relaxed atmosphere. Sadly this places closes at six on weekdays and opens not at all on Sundays. Still, during business hours, it’s a great place to get a lot of work done.

Sawtelle: Balconi Coffee. 11301 W. Olympic Blvd., #124 Los Angeles.

I probably spend more time here than any other coffee shop, because it’s my favorite spot I can walk to. Plus they make great espresso drinks with cute latte art. Their almond essence latte is a favorite with the regulars. Coffee snobs can try out unique beans brewed via that bubbly siphon method. Some caveats: The wifi is spotty, and the bathroom is like a block away and literally requires a map to find.

Brentwood: Coral Tree Cafe. 11645 San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles.

coral-tree-cafe brentwood

This coffee shop has a full, mostly organic menu along with coffee drinks, juices, and wine, so if you like to eat while you work, try it out. Another bonus: The place is open until 10 pm! The downside: Parking is a bitch in this area. The cafe a small valet lot in the back for $3.50, but I don’t recommend it. These days, I just take a long walk to get there —

Venice: Intelligentsia. 1331 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Los Angeles.

This place makes hands down the best soy latte in L.A., IMHO, the deformed heart latte art on the one above not withstanding. I don’t know how they make them so creamy, but they do. The clean, industrial warehouse styled place always has a line out the door and lines of Macbooks on its rows of seats.

Venice: Deus Cafe. 1001 Venice Blvd. Venice.

I’ve already written about how this motorcycle-coffee-shop is the best place to read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance! Caffeinate, read, and chat with friends and strangers at the cafe’s communal tables. It’s a lovely spot with both a sunny courtyard and an airy indoor space, decorated with flowers and succulents. FYI: This place does not offer decaf.

West LA: Literati Cafe. 12081 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles.

The coffee and food is just okay here — but this place is open until 9 pm, offers good wifi, and has a full menu including coffee, juice, and wine — making it a great place to meet up with friends for a writing date or book club. My friends Beth and Nitika and I used to meet here weekly to write until Beth moved to Brooklyn — We miss you Beth!

Culver City: Bar Nine. 3515 Helms Ave, Culver City.

This big spare space serves good coffee with paleo pancakes and other good eats. There’s wifi and communal tables and friendly people. You might end up getting into conversations with strangers instead of getting work done — but that’s the fun part of going to a coffee shop —

Mar Vista: Coffee Connection. 3838 S Centinela Ave.

Coffee Connection latte mar vista

This gigantic coffee shop is, I think, part of a church — judging by the fact that patrons are allowed to use the church parking lot and that the spot is closed on Sundays — but I like this place despite my devout atheism! They have fair trade coffee, gluten free snacks, and tons of inside and outside seating of all varieties. The people who work here are really nice — though their latte art game is not strong.

Earlier:
* Bulletproof Coffee: Best coffee shop in Los Angeles for writers who love butter
* 7 Best public libraries in Los Angeles for writers
* 3 Los Angeles writing meetups where you can write in company

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Deus Cafe: Best coffee shop for reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

“We’re in such a hurry most of the time we never get much chance to talk. The result is a kind of endless day-to-day shallowness, a monotony that leaves a person wondering years later where all the time went and sorry that it’s all gone.”

— Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values

Motorcycles, matcha lattes, postmodern style, and philosophy. Combine all four by spending an afternoon at Deus Cafe with a copy of Robert M. Pirsig’s classic, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

I’d read this meditative and moving book long, long ago and loved it — then picked up a new-to-me copy a few months ago at a friend’s fashion and book swap party. And when I did, I knew exactly where I’d go to read it.

Deus Cafe is part of Deus Ex Machina: The Emporium of Postmodern Activities, a Venice shop best known for its custom built motorcycles. Browsers can also peruse unique surfboards, clothes, artwork, and accessories — before heading to the back.

There you can hang out, caffeinate, read, and chat with friends and strangers at the cafe’s communal tables. It’s a lovely spot with both a sunny courtyard and an airy indoor space, decorated with flowers and succulents.

Besides espresso drinks, Deus Cafe offers simple good eats: chili, paninis, pastries. What the place doesn’t have: decaf coffee. If you’re trying to lay off the caffeine, go for one of the cold-pressed juices from Juice Served Here.

And yes, there is wifi, but don’t let that stop you from starting spontaneous conversations with strangers —

Deus Cafe. 1001 Venice Blvd. Venice. Monday – Friday 7am – 7pm.
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Earlier:
* Juice Served Here: Best juice shop for writers in Los Angeles
* Bulletproof Coffee: Best coffee shop in Los Angeles for writers who love butter

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Top 11 coffee shops for writers in Portland

This post comes with a caveat: I’ve only been to Portland twice, and between both visits, spent like five days in the city. That said, I did a lot of wandering around — and discovered that there’s a cute indie coffee shop or two on pretty much every block. These coffee shops generally come with all the amenities a writer desires — fantastic coffee, pretty latte art, yummy nibbles, kind baristas, open tables, and usually, free wifi.

My theory as to why Portland has such a great cafe culture: People need places to duck in to escape the rain, which falls really, really often up there. These are the eleven places that I ducked into — and loved.

The Clearing Cafe. If you are in Portland visiting Tin House — and have an hour to write — walk over to this cafe, which was recommended to me by Tin House’s Lance Cleland. Nice lattes, and filling bowls that the other customers raved about. 2772 NW Thurman Street.

Coffee Time. While I was at this spacious coffee shop, a woman walked in wearing pink rain boots and holding pink bike basket after tying up her bike on which was perched a pink kid’s seat. The macha lattes are yummy but don’t get the quinoa chocolate bar. The barista will say it is delicious; it is not. 712 NW 21st Ave.

Anna Bannanas. This homey spot offers deep couches, cards to play with, and floating copies of the New York Times. The lattes are yummy — and if you’re hungry, you can order anything from acai bowls to freshly baked banana bread. 8716 North Lombard Street.

Barista. The barista recommended the Oregon hazelnut latte, which was sweet and delicious and only available for a limited time. It was delicious, so I hope they still have it when you visit! There are four locations; I went to the one in the Pearl District. 539 NW 13th Ave.


Kiva Tea Cafe. Portland weather got you feeling sniffly? Stop by this tea house for the Flu Fighter tea — a lemony, gingery concoction that’ll warm you up. They also have coffee and food of the granola-y, raw, gluten-free variety. 1533 NW 24th Avenue.

Vivace Coffee & Crepes. The obvious place to go if you like crepes with your coffee. Sweet and savory, gluteny and gluten-free — they have them all. 1400 NW 23rd Ave.

World Cup Coffee at Powell’s. At this coffee shop, you can take a writing break to shop for books in the biggest bookstore in the U.S. Say hello to bookseller Kevin Sampsell, author of This Is Between Us! 1005 W Burnside St.

Coffeehouse Northwest. I recommend getting the hot chocolate here. They have two versions, a dark one and a sweet one. Get the dark — It’s delicious, and won a local award a year or two ago according to the barista. 1951 West Burnside Street.

Fat Straw. If you like your latte with a bahn mi sandwich, go here. This place mostly serves boba drinks, but their coffee drinks were decent and their seats comfortable. 806 NW 23rd Ave.

Ristretto Roasters. Combine home goods shopping with your coffee drinking at this cafe, located inside Schoolhouse Electric. It’s a little out of the way, but it’s a modern, inviting place. 2181 NW Nicolai Street.

Portland International Airport. I realize the airport is not a coffee shop, but there are coffee shops in there — and I can make the argument that this airport is the best airport for writers. There are little study cubbies with outlets and free wifi! Plug in and pound out your next novel while waiting for your flight.

Are there other coffee shops I should visit the next time I’m in Portland? Let me know in the comments —

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Renew Juicery: Best juice shop for chilling out

When the weather gets warm, I start drinking less latte and more juice. And I’ve found a new favorite green juice for spring: Balanced at Renew Juicery.

This cold-pressed drink’s a blend of pineapple, cilantro, cucumber, parsley, chlorophyll, lemon, and ashwagandha. I love that it’s not too sugary but still has a taste of tropical sweet —

Plus the Culver City’s spot’s a nice place for writers — a sunny vibe with free wifi and friendly people. There are some raw vegan meals and snacks for sale too, if you get hungry.

And if you really need to cool off, you can try cryotherapy! At the back of the store is a cryo machine that for a few minutes will surround you in -250 degree air, chilled by liquid nitrogen. This practice is said to have a range of benefits, from easing chronic pain to weight loss.

I met some women who swear by cryo — so I tried it once. It was really cold! Afterwards, I didn’t really feel any different; I hear you need to do it a few times to really experience the benefits, but the first experience was so chilling I’m not sure I have the courage to try it again.

So for now I’ll be sticking to the juice! It’s a great way to chill out at the end of the week — especially since Renew Juicery has a happy hour deal on Fridays from 2 pm – 6 pm, where you can get 15% off all juices and mylks.

Renew Juicery. 12460 W. Washington Blvd., Los Angeles. 310.439.0593.

Earlier: Juice Served Here: Best juice shop for writers in Los Angeles

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Melrose Station: Best speakeasy hidden behind a bookcase

If you’ve ever looked at your bookcase on a Friday afternoon — and wished the shelves were lined with booze instead of books — I’ve got a bar for you.

Melrose Station, a newish speakeasy in the Fairfax area, is a craft cocktail bar and tapas restaurant hidden behind a bookcase. To get there, you’ll first need to go to Glass Hookah Lounge, where a host will let you in the velvet rope, escort you to the back of the smoky room, then pull open a bookcase and tell you to go through the door at 11 o’clock.

That door opens up to Melrose Station, a classy train station-themed place with a glittery bar, telephone booths, and a handful of tables. It’s not a huge space, so I’m guessing the place gets loud and crowded late night, but when I met friends here for happy hour at 7:30 pm, it made for a great place to chat and catch up.

The craft cocktails are gorgeous — the garnishes include whole red chiles, berry medleys speared with toothpicks and dusted with powdered sugar, and pretty blue flames. But I focused on the food! My favorite dish was the New Zealand lamb lollipops, with citrus zest, dill, garlic, basil, shallot, and red wine vinegar.

The yellowfin tuna sashimi — with slivers of jalapeno, cucumber, and ginger, plus yuzu and sesame — was the prettiest dish.


Next time, I’d like to try the tuna ceviche. There were glutenier, dairy-er options too that I didn’t try but my happy hour raved about. The cheesy spinach artichoke dip and flatbreads were especially popular.

What books were on the shelves, you ask? I forgot to look. I didn’t do any reading there. But Check the titles for me if you decide to go! And dress nicely — no shorts or flip flops allowed —

Melrose Station. 7384 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles. 7pm until late daily.