Monday, September 27, 2010

California (food) Dreaming - Part 3

Here it is, the final installment of my California trip. Check out part 1 and part 2 if you need a refresher of the first part of my trip!

The very last morning I spent in California was sad but my sister knows 1 of the ways to cheer me up is with good food.

Breakfast


We started off at Posh Bagel simply because I liked the name.





It was a small shop with a ton of bagel options.



I chose the Pesto bagel (crazy good) toasted with egg, cheddar cheese and ham.



Perfect way to start out the morning.



The only way to make the bagel eating experience better is to pair it with some kick-ass coffee.

I like to experience local coffee shops when I travel so Starbucks was not going to work for me this morning. We chose the Los Gatos Coffee Roasting Company (LGCRC) .



LGCRC had a lot of different coffee options. I had a half hazelnut, half vanilla latte.



I took the time to look around the shop while I waited for my coffee. The feel of the place was so laid back and chill and the smell of the coffee was fantastic. People chatting, reading the paper or grabbing a coffee after a hike in the hills. I'm sure this coffee shop will be making another appearance on VCC.



The piece de resistance was the huge coffee roaster in the middle of the shop. No wonder the place smelled so wonderful!

I can honestly say I've never seen a coffee roaster in any coffee shop I've ever stepped foot in. It was so cool. No wonder this place is so popular and the coffee tastes great!




Snack

We sipped on our coffees while we window shopped and made our way to a cake shop I had been wanting to visit the entire time I was in California. It's all in the name: Nothing Bundt Cakes.




Such a cute little store:



with lot of cake options, in the bundt variety of course:




I opted for the mini Red Velvet:



My intention was to eat it on the plane but I couldn't resist it on the hour drive to the airport. So I dug in a bit early!


The cake was moist and oh so good.

I visited the store for the name and will be returning for the cake!

Miscellaneous


A couple more photos of the stunning flowers:



and palm trees:



I had a great time with my sister and can't wait to visit again!

Question:

Do you prefer chain coffee shops (ex: Starbucks) or the smaller shops?

I prefer the smaller shops. Don't get we wrong, I love my Starbucks latte in the morning but the smaller places have a charm that the big companies can't pull off.

3 comments:

  1. So fun! I love experiencing new coffee shops when I travel. I'm totally into the local places. BUT I also do <3 starbucks. Restaurants that serve breakfast all day rock. I could eat breakfast or brunch for every meal. Glad you had such a fun trip

    ReplyDelete
  2. That red bundt cake is LOVELY! What a FUN trip!!! All of your gorgeous pictures make me want to visit once and for all.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I agree with you-I like the smaller coffee shops. There's something so special about them!

    ReplyDelete