Where 12 Bay Area Food Industry Experts Head for Coffee
In the Bay Area, where coffee’s history and future alike percolate through the years, it’s a decently hard question: Where should one head for a latte? For the San Francisco Standard I asked some of the buzzier chefs and owners in San Francisco proper for their takes. I wanted to get a sense of where line cooks, pop-up people, and workers of all stripes go for their caffeine fix, too, though. These 12 cover all the power points in the industry and, I think, capture a spot-on cross-section of the region’s cafe culture.
Stanley Lui, owner, New Taraval Cafe: The cookie man himself, when not drinking coffee at his restaurant, heads to Noe Valley for Neighbor’s Corner. He orders the latte, nothing fancy or overly flavored. “It’s this little Japanese-owned coffee shop,” Lui says. “I see the owner, her children, and I love supporting family-owned businesses.”
Nelson German, chef-owner, a la Mar Dominican Kitchen: The restaurateur and Top Chef contestant makes it easy on Baydestrian caffeine heads with a simple five-point plan for coffee:
Garrett Schlichte, co-owner, Virgo Supperclub: The lion-maned cook and writer lives in Castro Heights, so it’s fitting Schilchte strolls down the hill for Spike’s Coffee and Teas. Iced coffee is the order here. On a rare afternoon, he’ll do a half-caf half-special blend since his “old age” has stolen his ability to process caffeine. It’s always iced coffee, though. “Because I’m gay,” Schilchte says. “For me, coffee’s a utility beverage rather than a casual luxury. I just want to get it into my body to do as many things as possible.”
Aireus Robinson, barista extraordinaire: Robinson grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and helped open the first three Bluestone Lane locations in the region. That was before barista-ing at Red Bay Coffee (while Michele Johnson of Ghost Town Barista was there, they point out) and before working as coffee manager at now-closed Cafe Flora, powerhouses like Illy’s, you name it.
For them, it’s Kopi Bar in Walnut Creek. The avocado lattes are the smart order here. They highlight the Crown, too. The order is whatever the custom barista-made drinks are at the moment. “They’re very much a resource [to the coffee community],” Robinson says. “They help the movement grow.”
Anand Upender, owner, York Street: Upender jokes his house is where he finds some of the best-made coffee in the area. Outside his front door, though, he hits Grand Coffee, the new-ish downtown outpost of Flywheel Coffee, and Wrecking Ball for beans.
Moreover, though, Upender is digging a renaissance with diner coffee. He goes to longtime haunts Eddie’s Cafe, Orphan Andy’s, and Saint Francis. “In the pursuit of excellent coffee, from sourcing to milk quality et cetera, it can get OCD,” he says. “Sometimes I just want drip coffee. It’s a loophole in the expensive San Francsico matrix. It’s an abundance not in the specialty coffee world.”
Sofia Jimenez, owner, Tutuli: This Mexican pastry-making wunderkind prefers Oakland’s Mother Tongue. That’s where she gets her beans for home brew, too, but her list goes on. “Hasta Muerte! Proyecto Diaz’s cafe de la olla latte!” Jimenez wrote over DM. “Café De La Olla in Union City for latte with lecherita sol condensed milk. They are really, really good.”
Stephanie de la Cruz, owner, De la Creamery: A grad of the woman of color-centered business incubator La Cocina and a bustling entrepreneur, de la Cruz’s ice cream making is also fueled by Mother Tongue Coffee.
Abraham Nuñez, chef-owner, Chicano Nuevo: As Nuñez and his team get their Mission District restaurant ready to open in the coming months, he hits Hey Neighbor in Portola for the energy to get the work done. The former Four Barrel is hiding off Burrows Street and San Bruno Avenue where thick-cut toast and butter is a must-order. “It’s a snippet of old San Francisco,” Nuñez says. “It’s like a garage. It’s hella punk.”
Fred Lee, chef and server, Kiri: One of the city’s stalwart restaurant workers, working with the Kiri team at the moment, cites fellow pop-up Kope House and Outer Sunset bakery Daymoon. The latter for solid pastries, bread, and sandwiches to-go with a cup of Linea coffee. Kope Lee loves for the crew’s espresso, which they have roasted themselves, and pioneering drinks such as coffee cola.
Sean Stereo, baker-owner Coaster Cookies: Stereo is a multi-hyphenate, enjoying crafting loads of visual art alongside inventive cookies such as seven spice candied ginger molasses. For him, Equator Coffees is king for the consistent quality. “If I’m feeling extra fancy,” Stereo says, “then Wrecking Ball Coffee is nice.”
Francesca Soo Hodges, owner-baker, Fear The Feast: It takes a lot of coffee to fuel the Instagram-famous cakes of Fear the Feast. Soo Hodges heads to Coffee Movement in the city, and in the East Bay CoRo’s cafe, Ain’t Normal, and Hidden Cafe. They give love to newcomer pop-up Hi-NRG, too. “Whenever they have a pop-up, I’m there,” Soo Hodges says. “The tonic, with a little bit of salt from Fever Tree, is so different and so fun.”
Soo Hodges used to work as a barista in the East Bay and felt like a flight attendant. Not so at their favorite shops, Coffee Movement circling back in our conversation. “I love to go by and say hello,” Soo Hodges says. “Whenever I have a cake delivery on that side of the city, I will make the trip. I love the Coffee Movement so much.”
David Barzelay, chef-owner, Lazy Bear: Long one of the Mission’s favorite restaurants, Lazy Bear is also one of its only Michelin star-holding destinations. Before the restaurant hit 10 years, with a swanky makeover befitting such a milestone, it was a series of dinner parties run by Barzelay. He hits the Blue Bottle at the Ferry Building on “early market mornings” for his fix.
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