No Reservations? Try Caffe Luxxe

So S and I were getting our ritual cup of Sunday cappuccino today at Caffe Luxxe when we had a food celebrity sighting. We ran into Anthony Bourdain of No Reservations fame. Well, maybe it was him. S swears it was, and I am not too certain. He seemed a little too short to be the guy that eats the still beating heart of a cobra. If it was him, it's good to know his stellar food tastes (well maybe not the cobra heart, or warthog, or...) also extrapolates to coffee. Luxxe has one of the best cups of espresso you can get in Los Angeles.

For being such a big city, this place has surprisingly few really good cafes that serve a very good espresso drink. And I mean an espresso with a solid head of crema and a distinctive taste to boot. And a cappuccino not drowning in milk (a short one with a double shot pull). A place that serves their customers in ceramic or porcelain cups if they're planning on staying for a few minutes to enjoy their drink, not paper cups. I have really scoured the city for these minimal requirements and here is my personal list of favorites.

Top Five Coffee Shops in Los Angeles:
1. Choke Motorcycle Shop in Silver Lake. This is not a mistake. Yes this is a motorcycle repair and restoration shop. Yes they are in Silver Lake, off of the strip of Virgil Ave. lined by body shops. But they serve coffee. Damn good coffee. Arguably the best cup in the city. Owner Jeff Johnsen knows his grind. He hails from Seattle and his "friends downtown" custom roast his blend of beans. The coffee is cheap too: anywhere from $1.50 to $2.50 for an espresso drink. And, by the way, that is always the same drink (short double cap), the price just seems to be in constant flux. He's got a loyal customer following for his coffee, and he should. It is excellent. Definitely worth the long break I have to take from lab to get to this place. Every minute.

2. Caffe Luxxe in Santa Monica. Owner Mark and Master Barista Mitch are also from Seattle (hmmm a trend). This place is starkly more upscale than Choke, and is located on Santa Monica's chic Montana Avenue. But they serve a solid, well made espresso drink (try a marocchino, if a short cappuccino has too much milk for you), and there is no pretension in their customer service. They've quickly come to know us as weekend regulars and greet us familiarly every time we're there. The only drawback to this place is that they haven't started roasting their own beans yet and they import theirs from Seattle, so it may not be as fresh as a place with on-site (or in city) roasting. But they assure me they are looking for a larger location where they can start roasting.

3. Intelligentsia in Silver Lake. This Chicago roaster and coffee shop, hailed by many as the best cup in the country, has a new location in Silver Lake on Sunset. I've only been here once, but if the one cup I've had is any indication, this place certainly lives up to its hype. I will visit again, on Mondays, when I need a cup and Choke is closed.

4. Pasquini's in Los Angeles. Okay. I know. Technically this isn't a coffee shop. Pasquini makes one of the best high-end espresso machines you can get for you home. And at the family-owned, Olympic Blvd. location, you can also buy other brand commercial espresso makers and espresso beans from Italy or Pasquini's own blends. So why do I know they make good espresso drinks when they don't sell any or have a storefront that advertises their barista skills? Well, my boss is a self-proclaimed espresso aficionado and he happens to have two Pasquini machines, one of which resides in our lab. I am in charge of this machine and occasionally, I have to visit the store for maintenance and repairs. When there, they will almost always serve you a cappuccino if you ask about the machines, their coffee, or just ask them for a cappuccino.

5. Not a shop. Not consistent. But still pretty damn good: my boss, myself, or one of the other espresso-loving lab members on our Pasquini machine in the lab. If you've worked out the correct grind for whatever beans you have, and they're fresh, we can pull an excellent shot or two. The micro foam and latte art are still works in progress, but they'll get there.