photo by niallkennedy from flickr.com
The first time I went to Blue Bottle I was just off the plane to visit my sister in SF, and abandoned my "no caffeine after 4" rule for a Blue Bottle "New Orleans style" iced coffee made with chicory and streaming down the edges of it's tall cold glass with white milk, stretching like fallen clouds. It was so cool inside, minimal yet comfortable, with tan, blond wood, stainless steel and cool, bright, open and lovely washes of light from outside blanching the entire room from the giant windows that covered most of the walls. I was so impressed and pleased with Blue Bottle that it's become a quick must-visit for coffee every time I've been to San Francisco since And what's better, my sister's made a habit of buying me their slightly expensive but lust-provoking pounds of fresh organic coffee beans for any occasion that warrants a gift.
Here's a shot from their downtown location where they use the trendy, everywhere-emerging siphons!
Best of all the last trip I went on we had Blue Bottle coffee out of it's original location, a garage off an alley in Hayes valley! Now we're talking! The best coffee I love in SF matched with the coolest concept, the most joyful foodie idea that exists to mankind: the "I just started this amazing gourmet thing in my garage and look how it's grown!?" dream - how totally fucking cool. That's really want it amounts to. We had coffee from Blue Bottle everyday I was in SF just this last weekend, and I'm sure the idea of just grabbing a cup out back in the alley way, chatting with fellow line-waiters and petting puppies that passed by with their owners on their morning promenade, was at least 50% of why I was so much more intensely obsessed and in love with Blue Bottle this time around. (Not to mention their label is so neat. Makes me want to cut potato stencil's and dip them in paint like I did in kindergarten).
Blue Bottle always joyfully reminds me that the "high end concept" of new and emerging coffee trends (the Siphon, single brewed coffees, etc) can marry the simple, unstressed and nonthreatening reality of a fun, creative business started by real people. It makes me feel happy, as pretty much any stimulant should! :D
To visit the "coffee kiosk" (in the garage) go here:
315 Linden St, San Francisco, CA
