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.

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Mint + Craft Cafe and Mercantile

Mint + Craft Cafe opened just recently on Monterey Street in San Luis Obispo.  We visited there on this beautiful Sunday morning.  It is a bright and very pleasant place.  The decor might be described as nouveau industrial urban.  It has a varied menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  They have a kid's menu, as well as vegan, dairy free, and gluten free.  The food is prepared fresh to order and from what we observed at neighboring tables, looked absolutely delicious.  We had our usual coffee, chosen from a menu of reliable coffee favorites.  Sheila had a regular coffee, which was $2.50.  It was  one of the best cups of coffee she's had, which is saying a lot!  Joan had a latte with nonfat milk and sweetened with honey.  This is the first time she's had honey added to her latte, and she said it was smooth and sweet and a good alternative to sugar.  It was $3.75.  She also said it was one of the best cups of coffee she's had.
They are open from 7 A.M. to 9 P.M. and have both indoor and outdoor seating, which is very lovely.  You can get wine by the glass, which is a nice option.  This is definitely one of our favorite places! The atmosphere is inviting and relaxing and the staff is very friendly.  We would encourage you to check it out!

 Think About It:  I don't need an inspirational quote.
                  I need coffee.

Starbucks at Target

Please don't judge us!  We set out on this very rainy morning for a familiar cup of Starbucks coffee, this time at the Target on Los Osos Valley Road.  This Starbucks does not have all the food items that most of the others do, but it has ample indoor seating and if you need a pick me up before or after work or during a shopping trip, this is the place.  There are window seats which are great for people watching and conversation.  It's also good for meeting friends or colleagues.  A huge plus is the parking situation, which provides immediate access to this Starbucks.  If you are in dire need of a cup of strong coffee, believe us, close parking is a must.  Sheila had, no surprise, a tall cup of regular coffee which was $1.95.  Joan had a tall decaf coconut milk caramel machiatto.  It was $4.55.  She described it as not too sweet with a hint of caramel and a hearty coffee taste.

Think About It: Map out your future, but do it in pencil.

Jon Bon Jovi

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.