Hidden House
31791 Los Rios St | San Juan Capistrano, CA 949-240-0200 | www.hiddenhousecoffee.com I came across a slice of paradise in San Juan Capistrano on my search for the perfect coffee shop. The Hidden House is situated amongst tall wispy trees and tucked away off Ortega Highway near The Mission on a little street lined with adorable homes that have been turned into boutiques, garden houses and cafes. The Hidden House sits at the entrance of Los Rios behind a weathered green picket fence. This house still feels like a home: fireplace in the corner, wood floors that creak beneath your steps and friends sipping coffee at tables beneath tall trees. A fine looking young man behind the counter asked me politely, “how are you today?” as if he were more interested in conversation than how I take my coffee. I like people like this. I enjoy real human interaction, which made me love the place even more. This family owned and operated business prides themselves on a traditional cup of hot coffee. They work closely with their roast master in selecting the perfect beans and believe to the ends of the earth in their methods of micro roasting (small batches of twenty-five pounds or less in order to fine tune the process for every specific type of bean). I enjoyed my perfect cup of coffee at a small table near the window. I felt like I had stumbled into the good parts of a southern novel. I watched the train roll by. I listened to the idle chatter and the sounds of the espresso machine. I started to wish I had set aside the entire day to waste my time away there. I wanted my books with me, something to write on, or a nice boy to enjoy the afternoon. Hidden House is without a doubt a secret well worth sharing.
Milk and Honey
B6, 2981 Bristol Street | Costa Mesa, CA 714-708-0092 | www.milkandhoneycafe.tumblr.com Milk and Honey is the kind of place that makes me want to be more creative, mellower, more attractive, more active and more organic. Not in an intimidating way but in more of an inspiring way. It has a certain vibe that makes you feel that you fit in no matter what kind of life you are leading. It says, “come and relax on my ivy entangled patio, bring me your tired and un-caffeinated.” Milk and Honey is organic through and through. They receive their beans from True Beans, a small private company in Long Beach. They like to keep it all in the community and cherish this relationship as the bedrock to their business and beliefs of serving all organic coffee. Most coffee is chemically treated and it’s these chemicals that make the coffee stronger and more flavorful. It’s also these same chemicals that cause headaches for many coffee drinkers. While organic coffee is a bit weaker than it’s more potent competitors it by no means is lacking in flavor. Milk and Honey adds extra shots of espresso to find that balance most patrons are looking for. In addition to their certified organic beans, Milk and Honey is mixing it up with their original recipes. They have crafted a menu by mixing the two religions of coffee and tea. It is nothing short of genius. For example: a lavender Latte carries a flavor traditionally reserved for teas, but is crafted with the science of a latte. So I ordered exactly this during my visit. I couldn’t resist my curiosity. It got really exiting when they suggested I add a shot of espresso and a Dirty Lavender Latte was born. It is in my humble yet authoritative opinion, the best coffee concoction ever created! 68 |
| Holiday 2012 Issue