Libertine Coffee Bar

Walking into the newest coffee place in SLO this morning we immediately noticed that it was warm and inviting.  We visited Libertine Coffee Bar on the edge of downtown San Luis Obispo at 1234 Broad Street.  It has a very pleasant rustic retro industrial look, with splashes of color provided by mugs and cute metal chairs with comfortable cushioned seats.  The music in the background was not overpowering, encouraging conversation.  There is indoor and outdoor seating.  Part of the wall is a glass paneled "garage" door, which can be opened when the weather permits.  This morning was a bit chilly, so we appreciated the warmth of the inside temperature.  There is a nice coffee menu, as well as teas and cocoa.  They also have some pastries, donuts, (and donut holes for 25 cents each!)  The coffee bar is located right next door to the new Libertine Brewing Company, and opens at 6 A.M., which is a big plus for the downtown area.  Sheila had her usual black coffee, a 12 ounce medium roast which was $2.00.  It was smooth and strong and satisfying.  Joan chose an espresso latte with soy milk and two shots of vanilla. It was a reasonable $3.50.  She liked it a lot and said, "This will increase my words per minute in about an hour!"  Strong, but delicious.

                                                                 Think About It:

Starbucks at the Marigold Center, San Luis Obispo

We visited the Starbucks at the Marigold Center one morning a couple of weeks ago. Unless we are not counting correctly, there are a total of seven (alternate fact: 24)  Starbucks located in San Luis.  We have been to five so far.  The Marigold Center location is a nice size and has indoor and outdoor seating.  The outdoor section is framed by hedges which are home to numerous little happy and chirping birds, hoping to partake of a crumb or two from the Starbucks customers.  As we've mentioned before, you can always count on Starbucks to have consistently good coffee, and it will be the same, no matter which location you choose.  Sheila had a tall decaf black coffee which was $1.95, which she enjoyed very much.  Joan had a tall sweet vanilla coffee and she added a splash of Half and Half to it, which made it very sweet and milky.  It was $2.50. Not a bad price at all for a specialty coffee drink!  All in all we enjoyed a break in the rainy weather that day to sit outside in the sun and chat and, as always, get in some good people watching.

Starbucks has an ever expanding menu of breakfast and lunch and snack items.

 Think About It:  "The best luck of all is the luck you make for yourself."
Douglas MacArthur

Splash Cafe in Downtown San Luis Obispo

It's been awhile, but we finally were able to get together and have coffee and a good chat this morning at the Splash Cafe location in downtown San Luis Obispo.  This location is perfect for shoppers, movie goers, and just anyone who wants a respite from their busy day.  It is a very colorful and pleasant venue with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, perfect for people watching and meeting friends or enjoying a cup of coffee or something off their menu while reading your latest purchase from the nearby Barnes and Noble store.  Sheila had a short regular coffee.  They use Coastal Peaks coffee.  It was $1.50 and was one of the best cups of coffee she's had.  Joan had a short vanilla latte with almond milk and a shot of peppermint.  It was smooth and milky with a hint of sweetness from the peppermint.  It was $3.50.  They have a number of fresh baked goodies to choose from, as well as breakfast, lunch, and dinner choices.

                          We highly recommend this inviting cafe for your next cup of coffee.

 Think About It: Joy, collected over time, fuels resilience.

California Fresh Market

California Fresh Market has just opened on Foothill Boulevard in San Luis Obispo and they have quite an extensive coffee menu.  Sheila had a 12 ounce regular coffee which was fresh brewed.  It was only $1.25 and was very delicious.  Joan had a soy milk latte with caramel syrup and sugar free vanilla.  It was $3.85.  It was very creamy and smooth and sweet.  We found the staff to be friendly and helpful and the atmosphere was very welcoming and congenial.  There is no indoor seating at this time, but there's plenty of outdoor seating.  Next to the coffee bar are delicious looking pastries, made from scratch and very reasonably priced.  California Fresh Market also has fresh sushi and many deli options, besides lots of grocery items, including De Palo and Sons pasta sauce, made by Sheila's sister-in-law and brother-in-law, for De Palo and Sons in Shell Beach.

Think About It: Sometimes you don't feel the weight of something you've been carrying until you feel the weight of its release.

Edna Valley Market

We discovered a gem on Broad Street in SLO this morning.  It's Edna Valley Market, which is adjacent to a Shell Station, which also includes a car wash.  Now this might not sound too enticing, but we were pleasantly surprised when we entered the clean, neat, and airy Market.  There is a large, dedicated coffee station, where you can serve yourself at a cappuccino machine, which has several flavor options, and there are five or six or more coffee choices to choose from.  There is also a fresh chilled creamer dispenser with four delightful flavor varieties. The coffees are Coastal Peaks Roasters.  Sheila had a decaf this morning which was called Hollister Peak Dark.  It was only $1.72 and was very satisfying and not at all too strong.  Joan started with half French Vanilla Coastal Peak and half decaf Hollister Peak Dark.  She had fun adding three chilled creamers, which included caramel, French vanilla, and Half and Half.  It was also just $1.72.  She said, "It was nice to be able to doctor it just the way I like it."  For the adventurous coffee drinker, you can also grind your own beans for an even more personalized cup of coffee.

Indoor and outdoor seating is plentiful.

The Market has a wide and delicious variety of sandwiches, salads, and breakfast items.  You can get ready made or made to order.  

Think About It: It's Election Day. Get out and vote, then go for a cup of coffee!

Sweetie Cup Tea House

Yes, this is a tea house, but you can get a delightful cup of coffee there, too!  Sweetie Cup Tea House is located right in the heart of downtown SLO at 1118 Chorro Street.  The location makes it very convenient for downtown workers, shoppers, and students, as well as anyone else who might enjoy a different and charming atmosphere.  It is a lovely venue, decorated with brick and wood, making it earthy and inviting.  There is lots of comfortable seating and the people working there are friendly and helpful.  Besides many kinds of teas there are tea sets, tea accessaries,  and interesting Chinese gift items available for purchase.  They have an extensive menu of specialty tea drinks, smoothies, something called Snow Fluff, which looks delicious (we'll have to try that next time!), as well as noodles, dumplings, and soup.  Sheila had a regular cup of organic coffee.  The small was plenty big and cost $2.65.  It was not too strong and for a place that does primarily teas, it was good.  Joan had an iced coffee topped off with a thick layer of sea salt cream and a sprinkle of chocolate.  This is something we hadn't seen before.  It was $4.15.  Joan described it as very smooth, foamy, rich and creamy with a hint of salt and chocolate.  Once you mix it in you get the full creamy coffee drink experience.  She would definitely order it again!  The cream topping was softly whipped, which gave it that unique texture and flavor.

 Think About It: Give thanks for this incredible, beautiful, tragic gift called life. 

Starbucks on Higuera in Downtown SLO

If you are into people watching, this Starbucks is the place for you.  It is located in downtown San Luis in the Downtown Centre.  We actually went last week, but were unable to blog until today. It is a good sized venue, with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating.  It would be great for a stop before or after a movie at the adjacent Downtown Centre Cinema, or after a meal in one of the many nearby restaurants, and is also a popular spot for an early morning quick breakfast for those working in the downtown area.  They are open at 6:00 A.M.  Sheila had her usual black coffee, this time decaf, because we went later in the afternoon.  She had a tall Americano which was $2.25.  As usual, Starbucks did not disappoint.  Joan had a tall decaf iced Americano with vanilla sweet cream and caramel syrup.  She took one sip and gasped (literally), "This is so good!"  Today she confessed that she went back the next day and had another!  It was $3.25, and well worth it.

Think About It:  Don't wait for things to get easier, simpler, better. Learn to be happy right now.