WHY Tried and true classics served in vintage beach-bum splendor. WHAT What looks like an oceanside Irish pub thanks to the jolly green paint job is actually a booze-free greasy spoon that’s been greeting PCH passersby since 1974. It’s a hearty breakfast dive complete with flea-market antiques, worn wood tables and a hodgepodge of photos [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY It’s the best secret café in Santa Monica. WHAT You don’t have to keep this quiet: The café in Santa Monica’s fabulous Main Library offers good, made-to-order-food including turkey burgers, panini, wraps and an amazing range of salads (chef’s, Cobb, Caesar, Greek, apple-walnut). You can eat in a large, sunny courtyard, and savor the [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY The turkey-avocado wrap and chopped salad. WHAT This cute-as-a-button coffee shop isn’t as good as we wish it would be—the service can be spotty, the prices are on the high side for such simple fare, and the kitchen is inconsistent. That said, it’s got a good vibe and is a pleasant place to meet [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY For wonderful juice drinks—try the strawberries and cream made with fresh berries, the piña or the escamocha. WHAT This friendly juice and smoothie bar makes 11 drinks daily (papaya, watermelon, strawberry/banana, horchata), plus mixes smoothies and custom drinks to order. Ingredients are fresh, and the place is spotless. Tortas are offered, too. 8744 Washington [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY For ice cream and sorbet flavors you won’t believe: chocolate-jasmine, cashew-ricotta, peanut-butter-celery-and-raisin, strawberry-lychee and many more; the roster changes daily. We adore the more mainstream Brown Bread, a vanilla ice cream with caramel and Grape-Nuts. WHAT Tai Kim isn’t a vegan who wishes he could eat ice cream—he’s a passionate lover of gelato-style ice [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Excellent double-shot cappuccino and highly entertaining evening performances. WHAT ‘Death Before Decaf’ is the motto at this neighborhood café, and the baristas deliver the goods. As for the décor, think first apartment for theater majors—walls painted red and purple, old movie-theater seats and velvet drapes in bold colors. There’s also free WiFi, plentiful tables [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Tasty oat bran muffins and other healthy treats. WHAT This friendly café is well located in central Santa Monica, just a short walk from the Promenade. The coffee drinks are carefully made, and the food is actually good for you: veggie burgers, quesadillas, organic salads. Try to score a table on the patio. 530 [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Where else can $45 buy you ‘coffee & counsel’—a cuppa joe and twenty minutes of legal consultation? WHAT Corporate law was a grind, so Jeff Hughes combined his desire to become a ‘people’s lawyer’ with his love of a good coffeehouse to create this unusual place. You can drop in or make an appointment [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Delicious ‘infuzions,’ friendly people. WHAT This tiny coffeehouse just north of the Promenade draws a local, non-tourist crowd all day long. There’s free WiFi, but the tables are too small to allow for hours of leisurely Facebooking. The coffee’s fine, and the café’s signature ‘infuzions’—fruit-based iced-blended drinks—are delicious. WHO Local office workers and shoppers, [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Each cup is a work of art. WHAT This place makes the best cappuccino in Santa Monica (calm down—Intelligentsia is in Venice). The setting is serene and European, with high ceilings and framed mirrors. Only espresso drinks are served (no brewed coffee), along with a few high-quality baked goods. But when the drinks are [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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