Mike D.

3/27/2016

Totes legit. Parking sux tho. After I complained about something I got my pie for free so all is good. The guy acting like the owner has a lot of tattoos, if you're into that kind of thing. Hashtag IYKYK.

The bread is really good, too.

12/31/2012 Updated review

I don't Yelp any longer, but it dawned on me that I ought  to put my last update to bed.

There are new owners (again) and things are back on the right track.

7/9/2011

I'm completely and hopelessly in the tank for Intelligentsia.

They cast a shadow so massive in LA that every other cafe sits in its shade. Speaking of sitting...

The Pasadena cafe, more than Venice or Silver Lake, is a social space. Warm, welcoming and communal. Its two older counterparts are really special places too, but in a different way.

What's here:
All pourover, all the time - Drip coffee, made by the cup, made to order. I love the decanter and the cup come on a wood platter. High class. Delicious, always.

Expert staff, a rotating lineup of seasonal single-origin coffees.

Great food, great pastries. Not central to the experience, but an unexpected surprise.

The single best setup/selection of gear I've seen in a shop.

What's not here:
Power outlets - A great cafe should be about the time you enjoy your drink, not the three hours that follow it. If you need to work at a table for three hours, pay some rent.  Otherwise, make room for the rest of us.

Artificial sweeteners - If you feel this coffee calls for an artificial sweetener, might I suggest an energy drink instead? This is for grownups, with grownup tastes.

Auto-drip machines - See above.

10/19/2010

I agree with Mike K.  For a place that sells BBQ islands like luxury cars, with the price and pack of thirsty salesmen you'd expect, the only real value here is the little corner dedicated to the charcoal game.  

Last I checked, they quit selling oak chunks, so my brisket has settled for hickory.  Aside from that, they have a selection of wood without equal.  That and replacement parts are the only things that get me through the door.

If you keep it real and eschew the mega gas grills, you're own your own.  The salesmen wouldn't know real barbecue from the junk they slang next door at Wood Ranch.

7/18/2010

It astounds me that Espresso Cielo doesn't have a line out the door. I can say without qualification that both the coffee and the preparation are on par with Intelligentsia - and I'm as much an Intelligentsia devotee as you will find.

49th Parallel, based out of Vancouver, is among the very best roasters in North America, though their reach in the United States is limited. They won't sell massive quantities to just anyone.  I understand that Cielo was built and is run according to the standards prescribed by 49th, and it shows.  This is a world-class cafe which at any given moment could serve arguably the best cup of coffee in Southern California.  

I've tried espresso and brewed coffee and the excellence in each was immediately obvious.  The staff is friendly, focused and passionate.  Being very interested in coffee, we made quick conversation.

I'm not quite sure what the default method for brewed coffee is, but the complimentary cup I received with a pound of beans came by way of pourover. It was also mindblowing.

The indifference of passers by reminds me of what I saw in the early days of Intelligentsia Venice.  Making my way to Intelligentsia right after this trip, I was delighted (if inconvenienced) by the 20-person line they now draw.  If there is any justice in Santa Monica, Espresso Cielo will find the same success.  But for now, enjoy the intimacy and available seating.

5/27/2010

Surprising new taquería that may have bigger plans still (stay tuned).  This my new favorite taquería in Newhall, mainly because everything gets grilled over a live charcoal fire.  No one else is doing this regularly around here, and it's really a welcome change.  Just about anything is better over a charcoal. Early favorites are suadero, chicken and chorizo, but the cabeza, faux-pastor and asada were really good as well.  Tacos come with beans, which I'll be asking them to hold next time.

5/15/2010 Updated review

Service can be truly awful.  The foul ups can be so epic and the make-goods are non-existent.  It never seems that anyone is in charge.  There is no one that seems to know better, only this tragic play of kitchen and service breakdown played out before your eyes - made all the more entertaining by the windows into the kitchen.  It's like a theme park performance that they do every 90 minutes.

Speaking of 90 minutes, it's really hard to get in and out of here in an hour, thus the dwindling lunch crowds.  But you knew that already.

What's really killing me is that the pastrami is having trouble.  Last couple times have been rubbery. Unacceptable!  You can't rush it!  

Worst of all though, is the bread. The rye is thin, stale and bland. Always. At these prices, there's no excuse.  Source a fresh loaf already.  Add 10¢ to the price if you need to.  What irks me is that they know this is an issue, and it hasn't improved at all.

So I've gone from #1 fan to a member of the loyal opposition.  I still think there's a lot to like here, but they've been making it hard. See my previous review for some flattery.

5/15/2010

In an area beset with ill(y)-advised coffee, this is the like the Embassy of Good Coffee.

Open, engaging, delicious, informative and not-too-crowded.  Sucks that more Napa Valley eateries aren't embracing roasters like Ritual and Ecco, but failing that, at least you get to go to the source.

5/12/2010

• First to Review

Call this rude or premature, but this place has a long ways to go. Judging by my lone, brief experience, I don't have much hope.  BBQ is a craft that takes an incredible amount of care, experience, patience and dedication. This place looks like they just stumbled upon it, if for no other reason than a fast-food BBQ place occupied the space before and maybe left a few things behind.

The prices are completely outrageous, so much so, that I can't see returning.  My sandwich was pretty bad, but I'm not going to write someone off on their first day.  However, I'm not going to spend nice-meal prices just to suffer through a sampler.  

There was no unmistakable smell of smoke outside (bad sign) and none inside (really bad sign).  When I asked what kind of wood they use, they were flummoxed. Even the owner didn't know for sure. I suspect none, or hardly any.  The kitchen is tiny and I didn't see a proper barbecue pit.  Where and how do they cook this stuff?

If you're in the area, please peruse and let me know if I've got this wrong, because I hope I do.  There's nothing I'd like more than real barbecue within a 10-minute drive.  If you're not in the area, head west to Longhorn's in Castaic.

Two stars, only because of my limited exposure. If I had two such meals, it would be one star for sure.

5/6/2010

Closest thing to a third wave cafe I've found in this part of the state.  In fact, this came as the lone recommendation on the central coast from a USBC champ that knows the area well. Avila Beach is out of the way, unless that's your destination, and considering that, more crowded than I expected.  Very cool to see a place in a tucked away town like this trying a lot harder than they need to.  

I had a cappuccino and a bagel, and I loved both.  It appeared that they were using Intelligentsia's Black Cat that day (evidenced by the torn black Intelli bag I spied on the back counter), but they sell beans under their own name.  Not sure what that's about.

But if you are serious about coffee, it's worth a stop if you are heading up the 101 or the coast.  If I remember right, it was a 7-10 minutes from the highway.