Sunshine Donuts

Our original plan this morning was to go have coffee at the new San Luis Airport Terminal.  You might recall our delightful visit to the old terminal coffee shop called the Runway Cafe, run by Achievement House.  Well, upon entering the new, and by the way, very spacious and lovely terminal, we found out that the coffee place, no longer run by Achievement House, is on the other side of the security screening.  So, off we went to see if we could come up with another place we hadn't been for coffee.  We happened by Sunshine Donuts on Higuera Street, hoping to find some sort of coffee menu, even a small one.  They did have a few choices, so we stayed and enjoyed our coffee time.  Joan had a French vanilla cappuccino, and added some extra French vanilla at the coffee bar via Coffee Mate.  She couldn't help herself, and ordered a maple bar, too.  The cappuccino was $2.50 and the maple bar was $1.00.  She did enjoy it very much, along with part of the maple bar, saying, "Liquid sugar to wash down the solid sugar."  Go, Joan!  See Joan go!  Sheila had a small regular coffee, which was $1.60, and was quite good.  Sunshine Donuts has a good variety of donuts, as well as the coffee and some blended drinks.  There were a steady stream of customers this morning, getting their coffee and donut fixes.  There are some tables as well as a counter for seating.  The staff is friendly and courteous.

 Think About It:  This is from a sign Joan saw in Seattle recently.
          Coffee, Because Adulting is Hard

Ascendo

On this beautiful balmy morning we headed to downtown SLO to check out what used to be Bello Mundo but is now called Ascendo.  We asked the barista why the name had been changed and he said they had been thinking about changing the name since they had expanded from the smaller venue next door to the larger remodeled space. The owners are the same.   Ascendo means "I rise" in Latin.  We like that!  The menu and interior are basically the same as before.  We did notice that now there is a sign that says Community Space, No Laptops Please.  What a great idea!  This large space is reserved for those who want to sit and talk and enjoy a cup of coffee.  What a concept!  Face to face communication.  We like that, too.  Sheila had a regular 8 oz. cup of drip coffee, which was fresh, robust, and strong.  It was $2.25.  Joan had an 8oz. latte with extra homemade almond milk and homemade vanilla syrup.  It was tart in a good way, and not too sweet.  It was $5.25.  Both came with a tiny delicious biscotti.  They have baked goods to enjoy that look wonderful.  There is plenty of seating including small and large tables, comfy chairs, and bar like seating.  We sat in the window with a lovely view of the downtown area right across from Court Street.                  


               

             
                 
                
Think About It:  Being with those you love is enough.

The Station

The Station is on Higuera Street at the edge of downtown SLO and has been open a couple of years, but only recently instated a coffee menu.  It is located in what was the oldest gas station in San Luis, hence the name The Station.  It is seriously cute inside, with exposed brick walls, high ceilings, and converted garage doors, letting in the lovely weather and views of San Luis Mountain.  Sheila had an Americano, served in a handmade ceramic cup and saucer, with an animal cookie on the side.  It was precisely made and hit the spot with a full robust flavor.  The cost was $3.00.  Joan had an iced latte which she described as very creamy and frothy, not too sweet, and completely satisfying.  It was $4.50.  They serve Dart Coffee, a family owned company out of Santa Barbara. The barista was very congenial and knowledgeable, taking great pride in making us the best cup of coffee possible.  By the way, we asked Siri about the Italian word "barista," and she said it can be either male or female.  The Station has lots of indoor seating around tables and at a bar. We recommend that you check out their website, because they have different events, food trucks, and wine offerings, and evenings of art, that sound really fun.

 Think About It: It's not where you go to coffee, it's who you go to coffee with.  

Bliss Cafe

Bliss Cafe in the Network Mall on Higuera Street in downtown SLO has been open since 2011, but they only recently adopted a full coffee menu.  They open at 9 on Sundays and we were there just as they started service.  There is plenty of seating, both indoors and out, where you can sit by the creek and enjoy the beautiful weather and scenery.  They have a full menu of plant based choices, which look both intriguing and delicious.  We stuck to our coffee this morning, however, but after seeing the other offerings, we both decided we'd like to come back sometime to dine.  Meanwhile, Joan had a cappuccino with homemade almond milk and caramel syrup.  It was $4.85.  She described it as having a robust coffee flavor, more milk than coffee, which is what she requested, with a definite taste of caramel.  It was just sweet enough, not overpowering, with a sweet froth.  Sheila had the usual black coffee, this time Americano, which was $2.50 for a 12 ounce cup.  Very nice, smooth, and satisfying!  We all know that Sheila is a true coffee lover, in the most basic sense, while Joan is what you might call a faux coffee lover.  She doesn't like too much coffee in her coffee.  All in all, we enjoyed our experience at Bliss Cafe very much and are definitely going to go back.  The young woman who served us couldn't have been nicer or more attentive, making for an even more positive experience.

Think About It:

Steynberg Gallery Tea and Coffee House

Believe it or not, this is our 50th blog!  Three years ago today we met at Outspoken and launched the idea of getting together for coffee as often as we could and blogging about our experiences.  We had hoped to visit Outspoken again, but they are closed for now.  So we decided to go to our second blog spot, which was the Steynberg Gallery Tea and Coffee House at 1531 Monterey Street here in San Luis.  We normally go to coffee in the morning, but today we went in the late afternoon, which is why Sheila got a decaf iced coffee.  Iced, because it's ridiculously hot today, too.  Now Joan decided to go totally off the rails and got herself a glass of chardonnay. After all, we are celebrating our 50th slocoffeecrawl anniversary, so to speak. The coffee was $2.50 and the wine was $6.00.  On our first visit here they did not have wine and beer available but now they do.  They still have many coffee and tea options as well as some delicious menu items.  One fascinating thing about Steynberg's is that it is located in what used to be the Farmer Brothers Coffee Company distributorship building, built in 1934.  It remained Farmer Brothers for 50 years until the company moved to larger quarters in 1984.    The  company stayed in business throughout the depression, even hiring more employees, because coffee at that time was only 5 cents a cup and almost everyone could afford that.  Steynberg Gallery has been in the building since 1999.

Farmer Brothers Coffee Building

Steynberg Gallery Today

Local artists are featured.

Stage at the Gallery for speakers and musicians.

Think About It: This could be you without coffee!

Starbucks at Vons

So...today we went to what we believe is the last Starbucks location in San Luis Obispo on our coffee crawl,  which is in the Vons grocery store at the Marigold Center, 3900 Broad Street.  Vons and ambience are not two words usually used together, but it has a down home charm to it.  There is indoor and outdoor seating, and if you want to rent a movie, buy a gumball or a lottery ticket, or exchange your coins for dollar bills, these machines are only a few feet away from the table where you are enjoying your ever consistent Starbucks coffee.  Sheila had a regular tall cup of coffee which was not disappointing and cost $2.05.  Joan had a tall decaf toffee nut latte with soy milk, which was $4.05.  It was sweet and smooth. You can use your Vons rewards card at the Starbucks there, too!  We shared a blueberry scone, which was delicious and great for dipping.  There was a steady clientele, both in and out for morning coffee and those wanting a cup during grocery shopping.  Another option is to sit and read your paper and enjoy your coffee or other drink while your partner shops.  The parking is fabulous, and there is easy access to the many other shops at the Marigold Center.

 Think About It: Relax, you've arrived.

Lucy's Coffee Co.

Lucy's Coffee Co. is a new coffee shop located at the Village at Laurel Lane, 1279 Laurel Lane, here in San Luis.  It opens at 6:00 A.M.  Even though there is construction happening around it, there is still ample parking and don't wait to go there until the work on the other establishments is done.  Go there now and enjoy the ambiance of a retro inspired, very cute coffee house.  It has a garage door opening for those beautiful San Luis days, and has plenty of indoor and outdoor seating.  There are stools and chairs and high and low tables, both large and small.  The accent color is a delightful mint/seafoam green.  This place has something we've never seen before and that is a toast menu!  One example of the toast you can order is peanut butter, honey, and banana.  You can get a hard boiled egg to go with that, as well as your coffee, and you're all set for your day!  Sheila had a small regular medium roast coffee which was $2.75.  Delicious and a generous cupful.  Joan had a small latte with Lucy's homemade caramel syrup.  It was $4.25.  She says it was not overly sweet, but just the right combination of coffee, caramel, and milk.  We are both looking forward to going back soon, as it is in our neighborhood, to try the other coffee and menu options.  We met the owner, Lisa, who is very congenial. It's a very welcoming, clean, and bright place!

The maple scone was yummy and perfect for dipping.

                                           Think About It: