You might never return to your old office, or you might head back there in the summer. One thing is for certain—here in Pandemica Part 3, you miss that regular morning hit of coffee with your co-worker peeps.
Whichever the case, Pasadena is chock full of coffee spots from the most proletariat to the shmanciest. So, treat yourself during the new normal with a better twist on a beloved habit. Here are some local options for your next cup, as you wait, or don’t wait, to return to the office.
Little Flower Candy Co
This spot features coffee, candy and sandwiches—a powerful combination. And, if you’re so inclined after a cup of Joe, the fresh candy and cookie ingredients are also for sale, including baking mixes, honey, jellies, spices, and flours. The menu has lots of green choices with a bonus array of delectable fruits and vegetables. Little Flower Candy Co. 1422 W. Colorado Blvd. Pasadena. https://littleflowercandyco.com.
Art + Science Cafe
Like your java with science and art? Ahem, well, Art + Science Cafe in the Playhouse Village fits that niche. The cafe includes an outdoor patio with shrubbery, umbrellas, and outdoor furniture to sit and create or conduct experiments at. Or drink coffee. Your call.
And you know those cool designs and illustrations you see baristas make in the foam at coffee spots? They’re here. Art + Science Cafe 101 S Madison Ave, Ste 119 Pasadena. https://www.facebook.com/Artandsciencecafe/
Lavender and Honey
If for you, coffee is more than something downed in the car in the number two lane of the 210 West, delivered from a stainless steel coffee mug larger than your head, then you might appreciate Lavender and Honey. The shop includes an espresso bar with a range of coffees to be sipped and savored, a sandwich bar, a toast bar, a hot chocolate bar, and a tea and lemonade bar, and more. Lavender & Honey is at 1383 E Washington Blvd, Pasadena. https://lavenderandhoneyespresso.com
Jones Coffee Roasters
Jones Coffee Roasters celebrates the internationality of coffee. As the story goes, Mireya Jones’ grandmother and great grandmother began producing one of the highest-grade coffees in the highlands of Guatemala, in the mid-1870s, at Finca Dos Marias (“the farm of the two Marias”).
The farm is now recognized by leading specialty coffee organizations for its commitment to the environment and to the welfare of its worker community, including education and medical care.
Though most of the farm’s coffee is sold to other sustainability-minded coffee roasters around the country, the rest is sold at Jones Coffee Roasters.
There are two locations – one on Raymond Ave. and one inside Vroman’s Bookstore. Jones Coffee’s beans are acquired through direct trade with Guatemala, Sumatra, Tanzania, Burundi, and Rwanda and loyalists can buy their own blend to take home when they visit the Raymond location. Jones Coffee Roasters. 693 S Raymond Ave, Pasadena. https://www.jonescoffeeroasters.com
Amara Cafe
Amara Cafe puts the heat to its coffees. Their special chili pasilla gives their coffee and chocolate specialties a Venezuelan spice you won’t find at any other coffee spot in the city. Reason enough to visit.
And you won’t want to miss their arepas and cachapas plates. Arepas are filled with different stews and veggies, such as chicken and avocado. Cachapas are golden fried corn cakes—tender on the inside and crispy on the outside. The Amara Cafe. 55 S Raymond Ave, Pasadena. http://www.amarachocolate.com/
Home Brewed makes a toddy latte with cold brew coffee and sweetened house cream, frappes, milk teas, or fruit teas. Its just one of a variety of out-of-ordinary coffee drinks. Add lychee jelly, coffee, taro whipped cream, or create your own concoction. We don’t judge. Home Brewed. 39 N. Arroyo Pkwy.Pasadena. https://www.homebrewedbar.com/
Jamesson Brown Coffee Roasters
Established in April of 2006, Jameson Brown Coffee Roasters features a wide range of smooth, rich, and full-bodied coffees. Their beans come from various areas in Africa, Central America, Indonesia, and South America with decaf options available as well. Jameson Brown Coffee Roasters. 260 Allen Ave Pasadena. https://www.jamesonbrown.com
Republik Coffee
Republik Coffee has an enticing array of cold brews, lattes, cappuccinos, and tea , as well as quiche and toast if you’re hungry, too. Salads and other small bites are also available. There are also vegan cookies and a “doughnut of the day.” Now we’re talking. Republik Coffee. 854 E Green St.Pasadena. https://republikcoffee.com
Coffee and Plants Cafe
Coffee and Plants cafe is tucked into the northwest corner of Old Pasadena’s One Colorado. The Instagram-intensive spot features dairy-free lattes, coffee, teas, and more, while chilling in a cool, plant-intensive environment. Coffee and Plants Cafe. 62 W Union St.Pasadena.
Urth Caffe Pasadena
This large cafe and bakery is a favorite among Pasadena residents for its large menu, spacious seating and overall cool vibe. Coffee might get lost in the shuffle because of the place’s overall ambience, but it’s a fair trade off.
Urth Caffee Pasadena. 594 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena
https://www.urthcaffe.com/
Blue Bottle Coffee
In the early 2000s, in Oakland, California, so the story goes, a freelance musician and coffee fiend, weary of the commercial coffee enterprise and “stale, overly roasted beans,” decided to open a roaster for people who were clamoring for the actual taste of fresh coffee.
He named the enterprise Blue Bottle in honor of the 19th century heroics of Franz George Kolshitsky, who in time of war, delivered a message behind enemy lines, from Vienna to Polish troops, and in the process discovered bags of Turkish coffee beans. Recognizing them for what they were, he returned with the beans to Vienna and opened a cafe, the Blue Bottle.
Now, more than fifteen years later, Blue Bottle Coffee has grown to a network of cafes across the U.S., Japan, and Korea, as well as the cozy storefront location next to a cream puff shop in Old Pasadena. Blue Bottle Coffee. Bear Building, 18 S Fair Oaks Ave, Pasadena. https://bluebottlecoffee.com/cafes/pasadena
And this is part one, readers. Our coffee mug runneth over. Watch for part two next week.
