Los Angeles/OC/San Diego 🌈

[brave crystal]

Solutions Fest

[dull adder]

I think I've yet to have good coffee on a Slayer

Isn't the goal to have good espresso 🤔

I like tactility and having a nice machine but that's all trumped by "push a button, walk away and good espresso comes out"

[boreal solar]

I like to tinker with my espresso which is why the little paddle on the Bianca helps me play barista. So I get it. I also get convenience though, that’s what the xbloom is for for me.

[brave crystal]

Some would argue that seeing too much data on your shot might make you perceive the shot to taste worse.

[boreal solar]

Some of my favorite shots have come via mistake tbh

[vivid violet]

i've been away from home, and just got back. really enjoying tasting the beans you sent out.

when pulling shots i usually aim for a 1 to 2 flow-rate with 50 grams out, but it's been shooting through at 2.5 to 3.2, and it's delicious !

[young spindle]

saki is hella nice. she uses that as her popup setup

[undone rover]

@tight gorge Santa Librada was excellent today, Rohan recipe on Pulsar - not getting much pomegranate but super tropical for sure.

[compact hound]

Probs going to hit a second brew with it on friday

[raven path]

So it’s time to brew it?

[cedar otter]

Was she Saki? She’s goat

[boreal solar]

She was. She's awesome.

[compact hound]

Yep but it definitely wont hurt to wait a little longer

[raven path]

How long is too long?

I guess I should go rewatch the hoff video about resting coffee

[raven path]

I mean specifically for this Santa Librada

[fiery crypt]

its H&S... minimum 2 months lol

[cold apex]

nah, mine popped around week 5

definitely was peak around 5-6, very subtle changes but not degrading yet by any means at week 8

[fiery crypt]

im trying mine today

[raven path]

what's H&S?

[south brook]

coffee roaster

https://hscoffeeroasters.com/

[raven path]

i'll be brewing it as espresso

[brave crystal]

We don't brew espresso. It's just in the name. jk

[fiery crypt]

yea im getting big grapefruit and pomegranate of this Santa Librada

[cold apex]

my biggest note was ||in n out arnold palmer||

srsly..go get one and drink it and come back

[weary chasm]

I'm not sure how to describe taste. But I brewed it this morning and it's nice.

No roast (perceivable).

Tea like entrance with a kick at the after taste.

Probably need to try this on the sworks to have a bit more soaking.

(ceramic Cafec flower, with ditting lab sweet 807, and San Francisco tap water)

My pourover skills and taste also needs work.

But this came out really well

[tight gorge]

Yeah it’s very hard to mess up.

[drowsy knot]

H&S Santa Librada - first brew

25g coffee | 400g water (99C - 75GH/38KH)

64mm Brew Burrs at 600µm | Cafe T-83 filters on v60

20% pour: 0:00-0:45 - 80g
25% pour: when the water is just above the bed - 100g (180g total)
25% pour: when the water is just above the bed - 100g (280g total)
17.5% pour: when the water is just above the bed - 70g (350g total)
12.5% pour: when the water is just above the bed - 50g (400g total)

TBT: 4:05 *about 45 seconds longer than expected which is weird because all my Colombians have been running fast, oh well

Stewed fruit and slightly vegetal in the dry fragrance which transitioned to a more mango and earl grey aroma when brewed

Clean, tea-like cup that is sweet and moderately juicy. Should have ground courser but was guessing based on the other Colombias I've been drinking lately. I think it would brighten up and bring more clarity at a courser grind and longer ratio.

Some sweet pink lemonade coming through as the cup cools. Overall muted which is most likely a skill issue. Would consider 1:17, lower KH and/or 650µm-700µm as a next step

[drowsy knot]

There was one note that struck me from the dry fragrance through the brewed aroma and underlying all the flavor but I couldn't place it until tasting the coffee cold: unfermented wort

[brave crystal]

Anyone at Laidrey right now?

[brave crystal]

David from House Roots here 👀

[compact hound]

What’s going on laidrey

[fiery crypt]

Late night hype at laidrey

[cedar otter]

Latte art throwdown

They asked me to come

Way too far

[cedar otter]

Tell him Bryan from Ondo says hi

[brave crystal]

I was already driving back when you sent this. lol

We both lost the quarterfinals with our slowsettas

[drowsy knot]

Kept all variables the same except I ground the coffee at 700µm and went with a 1:16.67 ratio. Much more pomegranate and a more citric pink lemonade. Still nicely bodied and sweet. Really well balanced

[compact hound]

Probably going to give it a second go on monday

[tight gorge]

I might FAFO and go 1:15 for max flavortown

[carmine coyote]

Gonna brew it Sunday for the first time on the new SSP MPs

Thanks @drowsy knot for the breakdown

[drowsy knot]

Curious if anyone else experiences it having a slower drawdown than expected. Was def the case for both my brews

[compact hound]

I’ll update you on monday with my second brew! I think my brew was short the first time like 2:30-2:40??

[tight gorge]

Mine this morning landed at 2:45 when at the same grind setting it’s usually 3min.

[drowsy knot]

Really strange, not sure why mine was running so slow

[fiery crypt]

you always do 5 pours ?

[ornate ingot]

Is it just me or is this caramel stuff unusually aromatic?

[drowsy knot]

no was doing 4 for years. Just started with 5 about a month ago and have been preferring it (mostly). I love light roasts but not tea-like body so I’m always trying to balance clarity with bigger body. With 4 pours I was using a fair amount of agitation but with 5 I don’t do any additional other than what I get from the pours

[boreal solar]

I made a decent latte with it for a neighbor. It’s pretty overpowering though.

The chocolate syrups in the welcome bags also made some guests happy.

[weary chasm]

Did you use the spicy mango?

Lol

[ornate ingot]

Didn't know there was spicy mango

[boreal solar]

I didn’t get one. I probably would have tried it in an iced latte or cold brew. Also sounds like something that maybe interesting in a spro tonic

[cold apex]

@drowsy knot what'd you have hooked up to run all those kettles? i need some pourover bar gear recs. possibly travel kettle + a relatively less heavy-duty battery?

[carmine coyote]

Brewed the Santa Librada. Ran a little fast on 3 pours using Glitch’s v60 recipe, so I’ll grind a bit finer next time. I did pick up on the pink lemonade. After taking sips of water between sips of the coffee, really sharp sweetness on the back of the tongue. Overall, a mellow, enjoyable cup for me.

[vivid violet]

i took a break for a week or so, and tried again via espresso this morning. It pulled quickly (a flow rate of 3.2 for 20.5 grams in and 68 grams out). I usually shoot for 50 grams out, but i was fiddling with getting milk ready and didn't stop it in time.

It was really delightful with the extra output, despite the fast flow rate. I had it as a latte, and could taste hints of pink lemonade as well.

a real pleasure, thank you @tight gorge

[drowsy knot]

It’s an Ecoflow Delta Pro that was on sale at Costco along with solar panels. I run the Decent, two Bonavita kettles & two Zernos. Did an event with about 400 people for one of my real estate clients and made drinks non-stop for about 4.5 hours and still had plenty of battery left so maybe overkill but I have been very happy

[civic crest]

why is it going to be so damn hot today

[compact hound]

This whole week is going to be ass

Getting swamp ass after a 2 minute stroll

[tight gorge]

Hey at least we get a few days of summer nights in the west side. Miss those

[fiery crypt]

you like it when its like 90 at night or what? lol

[civic crest]

i like cool summer nights personally lol

[carmine coyote]

Took the dog for a 6AM walk and it was already too warm. Pass, LOL

[ornate ingot]

I've been waiting for summer all summer. Finally damn

[weary chasm]

is this like las vegas?

lol.

heat at night.

[tight gorge]

Yeah, but my definition is 70+ overnight not 90+ lmao

[brave crystal]

Saw this on Valley Grounds Coffee's IG.
Can anyone solve it?

I'm not even interested in their coffee, but I like word puzzles lol

[boreal solar]

You don’t know pain until you leave LA for the IE.

[compact hound]

IE literal hell rn

Praying for @cold apex

[boreal solar]

I’m further east than Max

[civic crest]

I can’t even imagine right now

I was in Rancho a few weeks ago and it was scorching

[compact hound]

I just took a shower and im sweating my ass off already

[boreal solar]

I’m actually dropping some beans at his shop tomorrow. I’ll pass on your regards.

[boreal solar]

I live in Rancho. Not sure I even need propane for my roaster these days.

[mellow sonnet]

oh youre in rancho? 👀 maybe i should drop by one day

im in chino hills

[cedar otter]

looks like someone is painting every other letter so they get the spacing right

[boreal solar]

You could drop in on max. I’m a cottage food roaster though. Not sure you want to hang out at my place

You can try my stuff at little badger in upland though @mellow sonnet let me know if you go and I’ll bring something special there.

[mellow sonnet]

wew i could actually go tomorrow

going to hangar18 upland to climb tomorrow

[boreal solar]

How is that? I thought about trying it. I’m hecka out of shape since the baby was born though. I think it’s in my wellhub pass thing

[mellow sonnet]

its fun

i like it bc its a "sport" but i dont need to coordinate w other ppl like i used to for tennis

eventually u meet the regulars that show up at the same time u do and just make friends there

[boreal solar]

I used to do a lot of CrossFit but my kiddo was born and I stopped working out. I’ve been looking for something new to try.

My old box times don’t work as only one class would fit my schedule and my wife goes to it. Meaning I’m on toddler duty.

[mellow sonnet]

some ppl climb for 1hr some ppl climb for 4hr and bring snacks

timing is super open ended in that aspect which is nice

im usually there for 2hr but if i climb bad i leave after an hour

[surreal pivot]

Whew happy to be living the soft life in LA 😂

[mellow sonnet]

my only gripe is they open at 10am but its cheaper than most other climbing gyms so cant complain about that

[cedar otter]

never been to climbing

I suck at every sports

[surreal pivot]

Ondo roasts its own beans now? 👀

[mellow sonnet]

ondo roasting co 🫡

please hire me to roast. i have 0 experience in coffee industry

[boreal solar]

I’d love to roast for somewhere like Ondo. Everyone in the IE asks me if I have anything “bold” and “nice and strong”

I’ve been trying Nordic out and they hate it so much

[cedar otter]

Tbh I always ask back “define strong”

[boreal solar]

All my customers are in LA.

I’m in the wrong city, lol

[mellow sonnet]

IE has no good coffee i feel like

i miss living in OC

[cedar otter]

I actually hired another part time person (for barista) but he actually roasts

At the same place where I’ll be roasting

[mellow sonnet]

might move to SGV next year to be closer to work

[cedar otter]

Ondo number 2 might be in sgv 👀

[mellow sonnet]

sgv would also be closer to ondo

wew

on-dos

i feel like sgv has enough space for a growing industry rn as long as you somehow appeal to the asian population

[cedar otter]

I’m friends with someone who is friends with a mayor and other city council members in the area and he’s also a coffee nerd

[cedar otter]

Yeah some landlords specifically told him “no more boba shops”

[mellow sonnet]

💀

[boreal solar]

I resent that 😆

[mellow sonnet]

i drink boba like 2-3x a year

ive somehow moved to hot drinks only

if i want cold then it just ends up being water

[cedar otter]

I’ll need to make you iced pourover when you’re here next

[mellow sonnet]

I really need to plan my next trip 🤧

[cold apex]

dude

it got so fucking hot the chips in my windshield expanded and now theres two massive 2.5 foot cracks

they were tiny little nicks two days ago

[cold apex]

drop the iced pourover recipe?

my current go-to is just making a regular pulsar but grinding coarser and restricting flow a ton so by the time the coffee drips onto the ice it immediately dissipates heat

[boreal solar]

glitch Kalita method works well with xbloom. I’ll make you one tomorrow with some guji

[cold apex]

yum <3 thank you

[cedar otter]

Just xBloom

[cold apex]

https://tenor.com/view/money-wallet-broke-gif-7855913

[cedar otter]

But I use paragon chilling ball too

[boreal solar]

Share the recipe. 😮

[cedar otter]

To pull like 1:13 ratio

[boreal solar]

Ah, I doubt the shop max works at has a paragon chilling ball. 😅

[cedar otter]

https://share-h5.xbloom.com/?id=dNNuU%2B92vpey1n6dv6T87w%3D%3D

[cold apex]

https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/1201026824025669643/1281452081827287050/caption.gif

fixed

[cold apex]

i just gotta buy one

https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/1201026824025669643/1281452285159014441/caption.gif

[cedar otter]

well it's pretty much subbing 1/3 of brew water into ice

and grinding finer

longer bloom

smaller divided pours/more agitation

[boreal solar]

https://share-h5.xbloom.com/?id=su2G6FSiJvvRe4uXvGB32Q%3D%3D this is one I tossed together before. Generally assuming 80-100g of ice

[brave crystal]

Oh... "Grounded in the Valley"

Interesting phrase, though, because their roasting partner is in Long Beach.

[dull adder]

That sucks.
Definitely try to seal any chip/crack immediately. I got a tiny one near vegas, by the time I got back home it was probably 4-6 inches iirc. The next morning, maybe 6 hours later, it was across the whole windshield.
And on new cars it can be >$1000 to replace 🙃

[cold apex]

Damn. I didn't even realize they were there. One was behind my rear view mirror and not visible from the drivers seat, and the other was tucked right in the bottom left corner by the windshield wipers. Both probably 5mm in size.

My OEM part is 550 and installation I imagine a hundred or so more.

[cedar otter]

Public cupping at Ondo this Monday at 11

For all LA peeps without school/work

Been trying to host on different days but it’s been challenging

[drowsy knot]

@cold apex worth checking with your insurance company. Some policies will replace windshields and wave the deductible due to the safety issues

[dull adder]

Oh yeah I should have mentioned that, my insurance covered some and I just paid my deductible

[compact hound]

Heres my update on the socal coffee club coffee

V60 w/ ZP6 at 1:17 and 2:30 TBT

[young spindle]

yall have a coffee club?

[compact hound]

Ehhh sorta @tight gorge is the one to give credit to for basically doing everything

I kinda feel like most people didn’t really share their thoughts at least not here

[young spindle]

time to start a LA Cofee club ig

[compact hound]

True^

[tight gorge]

We’re trying! Early stages but feel like we have a critical mass to get something going. @drowsy knot wen next meetup?

Maybe if a coffee celebrity shows up we will hit an inflection point.

[mellow sonnet]

Am going to be there at like 12 👀

[boreal solar]

Nice I’m there right now.

[mellow sonnet]

Am in green hat covered in chalk

[weary chasm]

You going generate yourself as a coffee celebrity?

[brave crystal]

It's LA. Can't we get a film celebrity? lol

[cedar otter]

Jack from endorffeine is here

gave him my roast

[weary chasm]

nice.

[cedar otter]

he also complemented the spro

asked the specs and the pressure

lol

[tight gorge]

He’s the coffee celebrity for our next meetup.

[tight gorge]

What did he get?

[cedar otter]

I think the same thing you got. Prodigal kenya

[tight gorge]

Nice, like me he is a Kenya stan.

[boreal solar]

Maybe we can convince @young spindle as a coffee celebrity

[young spindle]

1 bar

Crema is enemy

[leaden nacelle]

Who’s the biggest so cal coffee celeb?

We have Martin Diedrich over at Kean. He’s a legend

[boreal solar]

I think @cedar otter is starting to get up there. I had someone in upland refer to him as the Ondo guy. His reputation is growing pretty rapidly

[mellow sonnet]

Just got home

Little badger was fun 🫡

Am definitely caffeinated

[boreal solar]

You and me both. 😅

[tight gorge]

Most celebs are coal celebs

[mellow sonnet]

Emma Chamberlain is probably the largest celeb that is into coffee

Idk what her coffee is like thou

[tight gorge]

coal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yG8vp_UkCVg

[cedar otter]

Jack at endorffeine?

he hangs out w/ all them michelin restaurant chefs

[cedar otter]

I had someone from vancouver that visited LOL she does her popup carts there

[compact hound]

Of course he does

[brave crystal]

Name the coffee club after the celebrity that you want to show up. One day, they will. 😂

[cedar otter]

DiCaprio Coffee Club

[compact hound]

I dont want to share coffee with a pedo

[mellow sonnet]

he doesnt want to share w u either

unless ur not 25 yet

[compact hound]

21

[mellow sonnet]

[tight gorge]

Jesus Coffee Club

[cedar otter]

Yo imagine Jesus showing up

[brave crystal]

One last espresso before the rapture

[cedar otter]

He will only take those who’s been drinking coffee beyond second crack

[boreal solar]

Just hire some twenty year old baristas. He’ll come.

[boreal solar]

This makes me think of a popular shop in the Central Valley. https://kuppajoy.com/

[drowsy knot]

I would love to but it’s too damn hot! And I have to get through September’s shoot schedule 😱. How many massive architecturals need to come on the market in this heat??? I’m looking at you Paul Williams and Wallace Neff…

[drowsy knot]

pretty sure we can all get a boring celebrity celebrity but where’s the coffee celebrity 😂

I see this was addressed already I should read all the way down before I start replying!

[tight gorge]

How much do these go for?

[drowsy knot]

These will be 6m and 8m it’s been a run of those over the last 10 days. I normally enjoy them because a lot of the expensive stuff is not well designed or built but too many in a row and you just stop seeing the shots

[tight gorge]

There’s always the dusk shot with over exposed outside lighting shot

[drowsy knot]

Yes we call that the “f**k i’m not going to be home for dinner AGAIN” shot

In all seriousness though if your outside lighting is dimmable we are going to be buds

[tight gorge]

Why you do Jack so dirty today @cedar otter

[tight gorge]

Last dose of Santa Librada today and the best cup yet 😢. Went hard af on the pour and still got 245tbt. No astringency at all with a super sweet cup. It lost a bit of the snappy acidity of the first few cups but overall much more balanced. Wish I had more (jk I have too much coffee)

[young spindle]

Yeah Bryan of Onda

[brave crystal]

Last of my TW Tatmara Natural. Loved this natural. It packed a (strawberry) punch without being offensive. I'll miss TW as I explore other subscriptions. 🫡

[compact hound]

The snappy acidity is what I was missing from my second brew yesterday but I’m just impressed with how well the coffee has aged. Dont know if I want to make my last dose of it soon or try to wait another month to see how well it continues to hold up.

[tight gorge]

Do it soon. If you had more I would say to wait it out

[compact hound]

Bet

Tried leaderboard and cupping for the first time during this shitty heatwave

Im drenched and have a bunch of dishes to do now

Kill me

[opal junco]

my life changed after i started actually using the dishwasher, that technology connections dude flipped me

[primal laurel]

Any recs for San Diego cafes with A/C ? I'm struggling to think of any off the top of my head

Hard to remember if normally cool or actually have A/C 🫠

[compact hound]

Wish i had one

[primal laurel]

Gonna try Holsem. Hopefully it's not already crowded -- my biggest fear trekking out to a cafe is it's already full

[weary chasm]

Starbucks?

[drowsy knot]

@cedar otter thanks for the TW recommend! Have now gotten my first bag of Botz, Prodigal and TW at Ondo and had to force myself not to by all the H&S and Hydrangea. Never see that amount of great quality coffee on the shelf anywhere else!

[dull adder]

I've been waiting for the suspense to build before I drop my thoughts

Jk.
I did one 15g brew, going to do an espresso and another brew hopefully soon. And I think cup the 6g leftover.

The first brew was solid. I sometimes struggle with tasting critically, so at first I just thought "melon". Once cooled it was getting more interesting but I struggled a bit, I was drinking it while working. Initial impressions was tea like body, delicate, some red berries.
Very tasty, and I'll develop more thoughts with the next brews and paying more attention

[dull adder]

Dayglow comes close? I'd appreciate the staff being a bit more knowledgeable on what's in stock. And pricetags, since some bags are $28 but there's a lot in there at like $70..

[surreal pivot]

They added price tags within the last 2 months finally

[compact hound]

Dayglow doesn’t take their old ass beans off shelf and they add the dayglow tax too

[surreal pivot]

The tax they add seems to have no rhyme or reason. Some bags it’s plus $1 others it’s plus $10.

It’s on the buyer to check the dates though.

But no matter where I’ve been it’s always funny to see the Rao bags lack roast dates 😂

B&w had a $10 tax and it’s a 🇺🇸 roaster

[compact hound]

That’s fucked LOL

[surreal pivot]

Completely

If I didn’t live close to two of their locations I’d never go.

But the convenience is hard to beat.

[cedar otter]

I add max $2

To the msrp

[dull adder]

Yeah.. I noticed some coffees are way more than direct and I kinda chocked it up to shipping from Denmark

[cedar otter]

Some shops just do 100% markup from their wholesale cost that’s prolly why the pricing discrepancy

For example if they paid $20 for a coffee that normally sells at $30 they might just sell at $40

[weary chasm]

makes sense.

as in, sometimes product doesn't sell.

[cold apex]

klatch does the same

$30 bag for some medium roast year round crop that has a fake roast date

[dull adder]

They switch out the stickers??

I don't mind an older roast, especially if it's a light roast. I recently asked Ondo for something a bit older so I wouldn't have to wait 2 months

[cold apex]

yep

ex workers told me

[brave crystal]

Like they did the dirty work?

[ornate ingot]

Anyone try My Friend's Coffee?

https://myfriendscoffeela.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoq-N60VFWSvQRhKFgSsbL2AnIBVzHYO2AnwlSfKcL_E1LZTEouK

Here in LA

[boreal solar]

Sort of explains those consistency issues lol

[weary chasm]

i saw it. but never did. have you?

[ornate ingot]

Nope, am considering it though. I sent them a message to see if they host cuppings

[brave crystal]

I didn't like their "out-roasting the best coffee shops in Southern California" and "outpaced the best third wave joints in Los Angeles" claims. lol

[drowsy knot]

was watching a Rob Hoos video a few minutes ago where he said you’d grow your roasting business faster by hiring a marketing consultant rather than a roasting consultant 😂

[brave crystal]

"wet cardboard" "grass clippings"
https://www.ddinstagram.com/reel/C8fHKIQxbWX

[weary chasm]

Sounds legit. Learning how to sell to move product VS getting a better product

[weary chasm]

Where's the lie

[compact hound]

Bro has a LM, P64, $50 panama and brews into a thermos

Crazy

[boreal solar]

White label roasting is pretty popular these days. I’ve met a lot of “roasters” that are really just brands. AI website+white label roasting can probably make some people money sadly.

[mellow sonnet]

You don't "day 2" your coffee journey and have a BDB, LM, p64 🥴

And using a hario scale? I can't imagine any LM owner being like "let's save money on the scale"

[cedar otter]

this is so true nowadays. you would grow your coffee shop faster by hiring a social media manager and a graphic designer than a barista champion

[weary chasm]

It's at least the fellow Carter

So it has some ceramic lining.

[weary chasm]

Lol. It's a coffee brand. I don't like the hario scale either... But they might have an acaia lunar near the lm...

[brave crystal]

Day two for the wife. I'm guessing less than a year for the husband. It sounds like she knows the aroma of wet cardboard though, and it sounds like the husband's perception is based on his expectations rather than reality.

[boreal solar]

Man, that’s some nasty smoke in my area today. Hopefully it’s clearer a little further west.

[tight gorge]

Seems to stall near Pasadena area

[boreal solar]

Apparently I should go to the beach this week.

[weary chasm]

Oh

For air quality

[dull adder]

Unless there's Santa anas then the closer to the beach the less you're affected by smoke/smog. It normally blows inward

[cedar otter]

@tight gorge

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1087385902808445/?mibextid=HHaHfI

👀

[tight gorge]

They came out with a new one earlier this year. Still $1,200 though

And then there this one that’s gonna come out that is $$& but it’s a breville on steroids https://www.impulselabs.com/

[compact hound]

Cant wait for you to update us that you bought it

[drowsy knot]

Hey all was in a car accident last night (not at fault) and my model X is totaled. Luckily I am not. But really did like that car and was planning on driving it until it fell apart. Have to figure out a next vehicle and prefer electric but not sure I can throw more money at Tesla right now for reasons. Also don’t want to drop that much money on a car again either. Anyone else drive 100% electric in the area from a diff company? Looking for feedback. The ioniq 5 looks like a solid possibilty… need longer range 250+ minimum per charge and needs to be able to hold some gear

[boreal solar]

I’m driving a 2022 bolt euv and aside from charger speed it’s been an excellent car. Range is great and it’s comfortable for the price. The only drawback is that it doesn’t support latest gen chargers and comes up short.

Fwiw I also test drove a mustang Mach e and that was my choice at the time before my wife vetoed

[drowsy knot]

thanks!

[boreal solar]

If you ever find yourself out this way(for a photo shoot or whatever) feel free to let me know and you can have a look at it. We still need to play with those roasters anyway 😆

[compact hound]

Holy shit man I hope you’re alright

Drivers are getting crazier these days

I think @cedar otter drives an electric but i dont remember which

[cedar otter]

BMW i3 -> BMW i3 -> Tesla Y -> Hyundai IONIQ 5 now

[mellow sonnet]

am a tesla x driver too my commute to work is 35miles one way, so i dont think anything will replace access to super charger network for me

[cedar otter]

hope you are okay!

[turbid herald]

Are you planning on doing more cuppings in the future @cedar otter ? Would love to make it to one, tough during the week days, but would absolutely make it for one on a weekend. Get that’s tough with increased business those days though.

[compact hound]

Deciding which days to schedule them is what hes in a toss up in currently but yes i think he might plan on doing some on weekends

But yes plenty of cuppings to come

They mentioned they want to try to do 2 a month

[turbid herald]

Oh nice, that’s awesome!

[cedar otter]

yeah definitely. Trying to do some on weekends when it's not so hot

also I would need like extra staff

so I'm also waiting until the numbers make sense

[surreal pivot]

Need to be able to hold how much/ what kind of gear?

[mellow sonnet]

The fire looks like a volcano w the mountain there

[boreal solar]

My view from Rancho captures it as well.

[civic crest]

Wow I’m looking at it now from Culver City

[mellow sonnet]

It's crazy that you can see a layer of grey and a clear dividing line to where the white clouds are

[primal laurel]

https://www.youtube.com/live/LiZ9LtCW88w?si=Ys7hZMSzM9dUF_DY

[drowsy knot]

Thanks everyone I’m “ok” in that I’m able to move about though very sore and tight in some spots. Literally every airbag deployed and def rang my bell. Crawling out through the smoke in the middle of a busy intersection during rush hour must have looked wild. @cedar otter might swing by sometime and talk about your ioniq 5 if that’s cool. Need to be able to load a few peli’s in the back, out of view

[primal laurel]

Damn so sorry to hear and glad you weren't severely injured

[mellow sonnet]

holy that looks bad

glad ur ok

[cedar otter]

Don’t take hot showers for a few days and go see a chiropractor!

And come by whenever and I’ll show you my car

I actually happen to have a peli in my trunk rn hold on

@drowsy knot

[drowsy knot]

Appreciate that hopefully can make it by this weekend!

[cold apex]

wow. i'm glad you're alright man. ioniq 5 is a great car

[brave crystal]

I want one, but I also live in an apartment with no charging.

[surreal pivot]

Sheesh! Glad you get to see another day! As far as cargo if all you’re looking to do is comparable to what Verbal B’s pic shows, I’d also take a look at a Mustang Mach-E (really good deals to be had on them lately). I just got one myself and I don’t love the trunk space coming from a Lexus ES 350, but it’s a great car, fun to drive and aesthetically pleasing in every way.

[vivid violet]

so glad to hear you're okay, erik. hope the next few weeks go smoothly, and you don't have any lasting muscle issues. take care 🙏

Hope you can find a good hauler. nice to hear the feedback about the Ioniq 5.

[cold apex]

i can see the fires from my house. damn

flames are just a little over 5 miles away

[drowsy knot]

My wife was driving me to Pasadena and the smoke over san bernadino was insane. Happened to be an ioniq 5 as well

[cold apex]

:o

[boreal solar]

Yeah… I live on the north side of Rancho in Alta Loma and they’re evacuating areas about 15 minutes from here. It’s spread to mount baldy.

They just evacuated San Antonio Heights and the North Side of Upland. It’s sort of crazy.

[drowsy knot]

That’s awful I didn’t know it had moved so fast 😲

[fiery crypt]

Is that on fletcher and riverside ?

Speedy recovery man 🙏🏼

[tight gorge]

Looks like it

[drowsy knot]

Thanks yeah Fletcher & Riverside

Hey @boreal solar @cold apex how are you guys? Air quality map actually seems better in Rancho and San Bernadino 🤞

[fiery crypt]

Yea that intersection is wild durning rush hour.

[boreal solar]

When I woke up this morning it looked like the zone had been pushed east a ways and isn’t as much of a concern now thankfully. Thanks for checking. I actually heard that the starting of line fire was due to an arsonist. Which is sort of crazy.

[drowsy knot]

Glad to hear that!

[boreal solar]

Thanks, how are you feeling today? I sort of glazed over the accident yesterday after you said you were alright. But I imagine there’s still some lingering pain.

Wrightwood got hit pretty hard with reported structural damage. I was just there on Sunday with my toddler at the park as we wanted to get her away from the heatwave. It’s sort of crazy to think about as it’s like thirty-five minutes from here.

[drowsy knot]

I was alright at first but I kept working and started noticing pain and tightness in all these weird places. Probably more serious than I realized so going to get checked out tomorrow. Luckily have the rest of the week to rest up.

[boreal solar]

Hopefully some rest helps. Be sure to take it easy though.

[compact hound]

EARTHQUAKE

Anyone feel it?

[leaden nacelle]

Just felt that

[compact hound]

Lasted a good amount of time

[tight gorge]

yee, nice lil rattle

tbh I generally enjoy earthquakes, but have yet to experience a nasty one

[civic crest]

Where was epicenter?

A decent one for Westside

[compact hound]

Don’t think I’ve experienced a crazy bad one

[tight gorge]

North of Malibu

[mellow sonnet]

Didn't feel anything 💀 5 is pretty big too

[compact hound]

Bruh

[mellow sonnet]

I work in a hospital basement too

Basement bad but hospitals have higher safety standard so idk if I should feel safer or not being here

[brave crystal]

I felt a nice rock. I'm not too far from the epicenter

[mellow sonnet]

Yeah 5 is the biggest one the past few months

I think 5-6 is spooky and 7 is scary

[brave crystal]

Was your first reaction to tell the Discord? lol you were quick with it

[mellow sonnet]

Anything under is kinda like "oh there's shaking"

[compact hound]

I live chronically online

[young spindle]

I know this chronic feeling

[brave crystal]

I have screen time displayed on my home screen. Hours and hours. 😭

[dull adder]

https://visualizer.coffee/shots/18e78d42-e030-4a82-8664-0ac05d93243a

My last little bit of the coffee, I decided to make espresso with the Decent and got hit with the skip first step bug... Can't wait for that to get fixed

Actually still tastes pretty good

[turbid herald]

Weirdly didn’t feel that one at all. Definitely felt the last one we had before this though.

[boreal solar]

We’ve had a quite a few in the IE this month. It feels like they’re getting more frequent. I should probably invest in an earthquake survival kit eventually. I know a lot of my friends have.

[cedar otter]

excited to bring the S

[cold apex]

hit my last brew on the santa librada, 5.5zp6 5:10 on pulsar. 20g in 1:17

by far the most juicy cup, was like overwhelming pomegranates and lemon juice

not much strawberry from the pink lemonade this time

or much black tea that i was getting before

unlike others this one was best hot right off the carafe, as it got colder the acidity became a little drying

[young spindle]

its also bringing “I’m on a boat”

[tight gorge]

dang should have tried hot. My morning routine brew > walk dog > drink coffee means I never drink it hot.

[primal laurel]

Very peak millennial

[vivid violet]

my gosh. hope the front stays away from your home.

https://app.watchduty.org/i/33685

had a friend who mentioned it's creeping down towards Sierra Madre / areas of Pasadena.

[compact hound]

Here’s my conclusion on the “socal coffee club” coffee

[tight gorge]

I feel the same way about wanting to have more, it was such a malleable coffee

[compact hound]

“Malleable coffee” is such a great way to describe this coffee

Im curious how do you feel about how things went with this first run of “socal coffee club”

I’ve said this before but kinda disappointed to not see much feedback/engagement

Maybe some sort of public google form with a questionnaire would help?

[compact hound]

Had a very similar experience to this and I just thought it was due to the way I was pouring

Kind of crazy how much the acidity increased with this one

[tight gorge]

ill DM ya

[compact hound]

🫡

[fiery crypt]

i wish i had more also to play with

[cold apex]

+1, i would be down to participate in the next one!

[dull adder]

It was fairly loose, people randomly dropping thoughts in here over the course of a couple weeks. Maybe a dedicated place to discuss could help

I also find people tend to kinda silently fade into the crowd. Maybe a bit afraid to speak up and "get it wrong".
Happens at the Counter Culture tasting every week. "What are we tasting in the coffee?" 🦗🦗
Even happened a bit at Rohan's place with like 8 of us there.
I feel this tendency in myself and know I need to push through and speak up

[brave crystal]

One time, I did a tasting of California growth Gesha. I was the only vocal one, but regardless of the process, all of them tasted like almonds and peanuts. 😂

[dull adder]

Oof.

[boreal solar]

Goodboy Bob was serving California grown cups at coffee fest this year. They were sort of interesting. But not super unique

[drowsy knot]

i don’t know how discord works (age related user error) but would be nice to have a dedicated space for the coffee club discussion specific to each bean. And maybe a pinned post about how to approach participating? Not to constrain people but to give anyone who might need it a little structure to work with to help facilitate feedback

[cold apex]

that might be best for a standalone server

that many threads would get overwhelming

i can help set up a socal coffee thingy

[compact hound]

Ah that’s something I didn’t take into consideration. I guess next time we can emphasize that there is no “wrong answers” with taste being a subjective thing at the end of the day. Im sure most of us are judge free (at least i hope )

Yeah i wouldn’t mind a standalone server either

My main gripe is that a majority of people at least didnt even try to share their thoughts

[compact hound]

I like this

[mellow sonnet]

Isn't that the point of joining 😐

[compact hound]

Exactly lmfao

[brave crystal]

I missed all the details on this club but it sounds cool

[cedar otter]

Help a brother out

[mellow sonnet]

backlog like 3kg right now 💀

[cedar otter]

Whats another 250g

Jk

[boreal solar]

@cedar otter do you guys still open at 8 on Sundays?

[cedar otter]

Yes

Need me to open earlier?

[boreal solar]

Nah, 8 should be alright. Though it’s crazy you would offer. 😅

[cedar otter]

😂

[boreal solar]

I was going to go into LA for smorgasburg and to drop an order. I’ve been meaning to check you guys out so I wanted to pop by.

[dull adder]

Hey I bought the last of the pizza coffee to free you up a slot

Btw you're not allowed to take Friday off, after the tasting at 10 is like the only time that works out so well for me 😉

[dull adder]

Best coffee shop and I'll die on that hill.
Today one of the baristas asked me what my go-to shop is and I was like... Ondo? Haha. And I had to explain I don't normally go to cafes

[fiery crypt]

Hot damn man

[mellow sonnet]

am i the only one that feels like a cafe is for food and a coffee shop is for coffee?

i dont mind a cafe but im prob going to get like some sort of food, im not there for coffee

[compact hound]

Last tasting was actually on his day off but he showed up like a boss

[compact hound]

Cafe i will lower my expectations on the coffee drastically

[dull adder]

King. But I really hope he's getting time with family and not overworking himself

[tight gorge]

I dont order coffee at cafes.

[compact hound]

Fair

[mellow sonnet]

yeah i basically stopped drinking coffee outside of home and specialty coffee shops

i drink for the taste not the caffeine

if im outside and need caffeine ill get a redbull or celsius 💀

[boreal solar]

Dang you must have been slumming it for us, haha

[mellow sonnet]

lol you had some interesting coffee

its always fun to meet eaf ppl too

i wouldnt meet any eaf ppl if they said they liked klatch thou

[cedar otter]

FWIW Klatch sources good beans

Their roasting is mid…?

[boreal solar]

They also sell their greens for more than most roasters sell the end product

[cedar otter]

I’ve never liked any coffee from Klatch except for this one roasted for a brewer’s cup competition

[boreal solar]

I’ve liked a few of their anaerobic processed beans or geshas. Debatably that type of product is more of an in-spite of roasting scenario

[mellow sonnet]

i got their "light" and it was so roasty i was like...ok maybe it needs more rest...
came back to it 2 weeks later and it was worse

and went "ok maybe it was that bag" and tried again

[dull adder]

Ayo? I'll be over that way in LA tomorrow

Owala is giving away free coffee and a free mug
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C_4YBmnP9O0/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

If it works out we'll see

[cedar otter]

I wanna go to that thang

[civic crest]

wow I might go get one. Anyone have experience with their drink ware?

[dull adder]

We have a few. They're nice ¯_(ツ)_/¯
Idk what I can help with

[cedar otter]

My family all converted to owala. I keep one at the shop to keep me hydrated

[mellow sonnet]

ive been using a nalgene for the longest time ever

maybe i should upgrade

[civic crest]

I’ve been OOTL for a while I still have an old sigg If any of you know what that is 🤣

[mellow sonnet]

i have a hydroflask but the cap is impossible to take off for me a lot of the times bc i have tennis elbow and have issues w grip

[civic crest]

We did get our kids yetis though since they are indestructible

[dull adder]

I mean it's free guys so
And in the comments section they're confident they will have plenty to give away

[civic crest]

yeah I know I rarely leave my Westside bubble with the kids schedules

so it takes considerable effort but I’ll try

[dull adder]

Ah I don't have kids so I wouldn't know 😅

[tight gorge]

Tomorrow is east side day for me but I’m afraid lines gonna be hella long

1,800 shares in that post

[compact hound]

Thats my favorite part about it

[civic crest]

What time are you going @dull adder ? Maybe you can hit us with a line update

[compact hound]

Been rocking my hydro for almost 6 years now

[tight gorge]

Now I’m scheming a fondry <> mug 1-2 punch

[dull adder]

We were originally going to go right when it opened but seeing them say it won't run out, now we're not sure when to go

[civic crest]

Wow I just checked their hours only 9-12 they must do super well lol

[tight gorge]

They implemented a “second bake” per their last IG post. So ya, printing

[cedar otter]

Only open like 3 days a week too

[compact hound]

I saw a story post saying they had a 5 minute wait when they had their second bake

Maybe you can try sniping that

The thing i dont understand is they say the second bake is only the most popular items

Meanwhile all of their items sell out every single day in like 2 hours…

[tight gorge]

Damn. Here I was thinking showing up 15 min before open was the move

But good looking g out, going later is ideal

[brave crystal]

I wanna get out, but SFV is so far separated from the rest of LA. I can't go too far out right now. 🍼

[young spindle]

You should try to go to Ondo on a day that I'm going

Please?

[carmine coyote]

Very late to the chat, but glad to hear you're ok! Like @cedar otter I drive an i3 and ioniq 5, which is my wife's and will be mine when the lease runs out. I absolutely love my i3 but the range, and moreso the space with the kids getting older is a bit of an issue.

As for the coffee club, I agree a dedicated space/server would be great. I tend to get overwhelmed in very active servers with many topics. I did weigh in on the coffee, but it may have gotten lost in here.

[leaden nacelle]

Nice selection Verbal B, I hope to make it out there some day

Was getting pomegranate juice and blackberry vibes from the hs Santa librada the past week or so (7/26 roast) have a lil left, gonna try again next month and see if any other flavors pop.

[boreal solar]

I’ve been using my hydro flask for a few years now. I’ve been fine with it. My partner has a Stanley thermos but I personally feel it’s too heavy for running etc.

[civic crest]

lol this Owala thing ain’t happening check out the latest post comments and story.

[mellow sonnet]

0.3miles im ded

[civic crest]

I’ll check for updates later to see if it’s any better but not looking good

[dull adder]

I was about to say the same thing we drove past it, I dropped off the wife, and before I could find parking she said to come back and pick her up

[cedar otter]

Time to hang at Ondo

We got Owala at home

[mellow sonnet]

ondo about to stock owalas now /s

[weary chasm]

Not before selling all the ondo water merch

Ondo branded owala after I guess

[mellow sonnet]

i was going to just keep using my nalgene but my sis has 2 owalas and loves them

am now considering one

[brave crystal]

The new product gets released on Monday on their website. It's actually cheaper for me to order online than to drive out. lol

[civic crest]

I always forget how crazy LA is with giveaways or marketing lines

[brave crystal]

House Roots Coffee is celebrating 8 years today

[tight gorge]

Fondry line chill af

[compact hound]

Ayy

Can i see

[tight gorge]

Butter croissant the best. Got that Konbi crunch

Overall it lives up to the hype

[compact hound]

I def want to revisit

Im glad you enjoyed it and didnt have to wait

How was the yuzu?

Do they not have the 3 pastry limit anymore?

[tight gorge]

4th best. Could have been more citrusy, but it wasn’t sweet which is a win.

[compact hound]

Ah i see

What time did you go and how long did you wait for?

Might go for second bake

[tight gorge]

Now that I’m done gorging on $30 worth of pastries, I’d say croissants were the standouts. Petitgrain has better flavor but the crunchy ness here is very nice.

[compact hound]

Yeah the crunch/crisp they have on their pastries is impressive

I still need to visit petitgrain

[tight gorge]

10:45 and 3 people ahead of me in line

[compact hound]

I will pay a visit to petitgrain before i revisit fondry

Im about to visit hooked for the first time

Cortado and mocha time

[tight gorge]

What they had

[compact hound]

Forgot about the onion danish

That was actually my favorite out of the bunch

[cedar otter]

Same

[tight gorge]

Time for some bourbon barrel aged coffee or what

[tight gorge]

If you forgot it wasn’t your favorite

[compact hound]

Tbf i forgot about all of them

[dull adder]

I've been wanting to go!
I kinda thought Menotti's was Nicely's shop but it's not

[compact hound]

I’ll post a couple pics here and quick thoughts after

[tight gorge]

Don’t ask for chocolate powder over the cortado, he will not like it

[compact hound]

People request that?

[cedar otter]

There was a whole drama about this

[dull adder]

I can imagine

[mellow sonnet]

🍿 go on...

[compact hound]

RIPPPP

Horrible accident on the freeway

Cant make it to hooked

[brave crystal]

The gist of it is that he found out the hard way at the beginning of the pandemic that he wasn't actually an owner.

[mellow sonnet]

💀 how does that even happen

[brave crystal]

Just got caught up in the everyday hustle of the operation

[drowsy knot]

thanks! I almost went with the ioniq but the supercharger network is just so nice so i went with a Y

[mellow sonnet]

yeah imo supercharger is a game changer

[dull adder]

I think the 800V stuff is the future but idk how available it is in the wild currently

[surreal pivot]

Menotti’s has the best flat white. Had no idea there was drama 👀

[dull adder]

All I know is what was discussed here. I still like Menotti's but I don't really make it out there much

[mellow sonnet]

i need to go back again

[tight gorge]

On the @compact hound tour

[compact hound]

Did you mention me

Did you order any of the sweets or katsu sandwich

Yess in arts district

He has residency there until the 28 th

Wed-sat

His roasts need some work but drinks are solid and hes a cool dude

Here’s my spread when I went if you’re curious

Freddo and matcha latte w/ lemon tart and katsu sandwich

Lemon tart was very simple flavors but done well

Katsu sandwich was solid but nothing to rave over

Also got the anaerobic natural guat java as PO and it was solid

Wasn’t too funky considering its an anaerobic natural

I’m actually going for a second time on thurs

[tight gorge]

No and no. Was also sweeted out after fondry.

[compact hound]

Ah yeah thats right

What did you order?

[tight gorge]

Cortado was ok, freddo was nice

[compact hound]

His cold brew offering was pretty interesting for today

It was a mix of a natty PB w/ washed pepe

His cold brew was pretty solid for cold brew

Not much wet sock taste

Pretty clean

[tight gorge]

Someone came out with a cold brew and yelled a big wow. Proceeded to take 100 pics with it outside. A lil extra lmao

[mellow sonnet]

threads is funny

[surreal pivot]

Speaking of arts district… has anyone checked this place out yet?

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C_wB573S0I8/?igsh=MWQ1ZGUxMzBkMA==

There’s another place that has been doing this cars/coffee concept thing but it wasn’t really hitting and they’re leaning into this BS membership model thing that I have absolutely no interest in

[compact hound]

I forget the name but yeah that place is stupid as fuck with the whole membership thing

The place you sent though is known for just creamy sweet shit so if thats you’re thing go for it

I haven’t been myself tho

[mellow sonnet]

membership 💀

[compact hound]

Its not my cup of tea if im being honest

I dont love the whole cars and coffee super hipster IG furniture brainrot look

[surreal pivot]

Oooof nope. I don’t do sugar bombs.

Cars align with my interests though

[cedar otter]

So they are directly ripping off motoring club?

[compact hound]

Basically except no wack membership

[mellow sonnet]

but its ExClUsIvE

[cedar otter]

Oh motoring has membershjp too

[compact hound]

Wait they both have membership?

[cedar otter]

That’s why I said

[compact hound]

I thought the one purp sent doesnt have one

[cedar otter]

It was a direct rip off

[compact hound]

Yikes

Fuck that

LOL

[tight gorge]

Isn’t motoring a coworking space?

If so, I think membership is fine

[surreal pivot]

They have a fashion element with what appears to be a space to try on shoes/clothes there?

I dunno. But Motoring Club stinks 🤷

[surreal pivot]

Haven’t seen anything about Thr Arts district spot having a membership but that would be funny 😆

[surreal pivot]

They had a Formula 1 car there a while back but you couldn’t see it without membership. Which is hilarious due to their proximity to the Peterson Automotive museum where multiple F1 cars were on display at the same time. Unsure about the co-working space, but regardless a complete nonstarter for me

[tight gorge]

Petitgrain flavor is wayyy better, but I do like the crisp of Fondry. I wanna say Konbi was best of both worlds but might me nostalgia.

The tomato puff pastry is fire 🔥

[compact hound]

Okay im actually jealous as fuck right now

Im going to visit by the end of the month

I need it

[cedar otter]

actually talked to akira yesterday about possibly bringing konbi back

he said he doesn't wanna put any of his money in or operate

so I just gotta find a sugar daddy and just get his recipes LOL

[compact hound]

Ondo Bakery?

You and LA give me fomo for not trying his croissant

You think if i sweet talk him and make him a cortado he’ll make me some croissants

[cedar otter]

everytime I bring up Konbi he just shuts down LOL too much ptsd

[cedar otter]

shop #3 according to the masterplan

bakery + catering operation

[compact hound]

What is he up to these days? If you think its appropriate to share

[civic crest]

Do you know what he’s doing now? Private chef or??

[tight gorge]

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0m0jlS0gV5ZSmJ8t91KiFD?si=q3ZmW7oGRNKaLaxwkHCPCg&t=2597

Really good listen

[compact hound]

Shit i totally forgot to listen to this when you sent it

[cedar otter]

afaik just a dad now

LOL

[boreal solar]

@drowsy knot I had no idea Ondo was so close to your place. I should have invited you out for a cup. 😅

[weary chasm]

this is a really good listen.

[cedar otter]

Lol why did u delete @weary chasm

[weary chasm]

i don't frequent your shop enough to know if you still work there

exposed

[cedar otter]

Lol I take two days off but I’m usually in the shop in those two days. I open the shop solo and stay until we close. I rarely do not “not work” and I didn’t even get to have lunch today

[drowsy knot]

Haha! All good between the accident and being swamped with work I have zero bandwidth…

[cedar otter]

It’s part of that small business life. You don’t get to decide when you work and when you don’t

We’re not that successful yet where I can just hire up a bunch of people and I just stay home and collect money.

But I know that our numbers are really good for a coffee shop this size. Our margins are really slim

[boreal solar]

Hopefully things calm down soon. We’ll have they roasting session eventually.

[earnest robin]

So, I'm not working for a couple weeks and wanted to explore some coffee shops in LA. I'm in MDR so everything seems very far from me.

I have these so far in my list:
hooked in Venice
Ondo
Sqirl
Endorffeine

[turbid herald]

I also like Dayglow and Mad Lab

[earnest robin]

I had shitty pour overs at dayglow a couple years ago and never visited since

Mad lab is new to me

After looking at their address I realized that I have driven by them so many times hava

[turbid herald]

To be fair I’ve maybe only had espresso drinks from Dayglow. Ondo is top notch for beans if you’re looking to stock up and try new stuff.

[civic crest]

@earnest robin why sqirl for coffee? Food maybe

[earnest robin]

Idk, someone told me to try

[compact hound]

Wouldn’t have high hopes on the coffee

Mandarin coffee stand is solid

[earnest robin]

Is it in Pasadena

I also heard about coffee.jpg but it's very far

[surreal pivot]

Yeah but the line might piss you off

Moves painfully slow and driving from MDR to Pasadena? Hard pass

Could probably skip endorffeine too unless you feel like dealing with terse disrespect

[brave crystal]

Boondocks Coffee Roasters if you wanted to try something different like Philippine Liberica or Catimor

[earnest robin]

Huh? I was there like 3 years ago, what has changed

[vivid violet]

Be Bright Coffee on Melrose in Hollywood area was really nice. took a trip there with @carmine coyote and a few other friends, they had some really interesting coffee drinks.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/oxkhJwk8iwy9euhD9

[tight gorge]

My recs

[weary chasm]

If visiting Pasadena, I like highlight coffee

[cedar otter]

I love that bana homie part lmao 5/16 was before we even opened

[tight gorge]

I might have edited the post to add you later. I’m using it as my evergreen recs list.

[cedar otter]

Time traveler

[earnest robin]

I got a solid list now

I also had:
Bar Nine in Culver City - I remember it used to be a big warehouse with coffee shop inside
Mad Labs in Culver City - never been but heard good things
Coffee.jpg in Sierra Madre - roast on S7, maybe worth a detour when in the area

Also, intelli in Pasadena is not bana homie anymore?:)

[cedar otter]

that melrose crawl

[cedar otter]

coffee jpg is solid. I know the owner well and I'll be roasting with him soon

[boreal solar]

Don’t they have a bar nine in MDR though?

They used to anyway

[cedar otter]

ten? they closed

[boreal solar]

Ah, it’s been a bit

[tight gorge]

bar nine uses pre-made espresso now, its their thing. Worth checking out for that but I didnt enjoy it.
Go to Syndicate next door to JPG, I like it better since they use light roast for their spro.
Intelli is coal so yeah...

[cedar otter]

bar nine is so weird and their coffees tasted really old, which got amplified by their weird cold brew extraction method

like I got parchment tasting coffee

[boreal solar]

Honestly at this point you’d be better off rolling the dice at gget than bar nine anyway

[cedar otter]

true

one uses coffee that's so fresh that they preground in batches

the other uses coffee so old that they pre-batch

pick your poison

[boreal solar]

tectonic opened up their first shop in Hollywood not too long ago if you’re out that way as well. I haven’t been out there to check out the quality but the owner is a good guy. Even if the coffee is a little inconsistent

[tight gorge]

@cedar otter i see Wynd is opening close to you, I wonder what type of shop they are trying to create.

[cedar otter]

theres another shop called good friend opening that is literally facing wynd

they apparently use beans from dayglow

who... if I remember correctly white labels from little wolf

hmm

[earnest robin]

Yes, it's bad

[boreal solar]

I thought you had the Culver City one on your to visit list. I may have misread

[earnest robin]

https://maps.app.goo.gl/BL8dhoKp2cjyV7t1A

[earnest robin]

I had, I have been there a long time ago, wanted revisit

[civic crest]

yeah ten is shutdown

[earnest robin]

It was a really small coffee shop with some breakfast items

I need more recs for expensive coffee shops on the West side

[civic crest]

save money just buy food

[boreal solar]

That’s not hard. It might be hard to find good expensive ones though.

[cedar otter]

should I open something that's 87.50 pts or greater only

[boreal solar]

Nah, because mine are mostly 86.7 😆

I have a bias though

For lower quantities it’s hard to source greater than 86 tbh. And I’d rather have something roasted well with worse grading than a great bean burnt to a crisp

[cedar otter]

true

I won't name names

but there def are roasters in socal who do that

[boreal solar]

They’re amongst the worlds best at what they do(which might include said task)

[dull adder]

The one coffee I bought labeled by Dayglow made me rather uninterested in trying again. Tons of roast notes in a light roast where I wouldn't expect that at all

[compact hound]

You already have

[boreal solar]

Wait, it’s not ragdoll is it?

[earnest robin]

Yes, in Culver City or Venice

[boreal solar]

@cedar otter I think your next shop should be near the SB/LA county border. Somewhere like San Dimas, Claremont, Rancho Cucamonga etc in a trendier part of those cities. There's not much there. Totally not just saying this because I want a shop within 15 minutes of my house with hard to find specialty coffees.

Other than Klatch there's not much out here.

[turbid herald]

I greatly appreciate you choosing a spot less than ten minutes from me @cedar otter - awesome having your shop that close, and also close enough to Doubting Thomas where I can make combo outings to get their seafood specials, which are always great.

[cedar otter]

oh man. I feel like I would need a different business model and a different approach

Maybe two Eversys machine and a bunch of syrups

I gotta do "trendy" drinks that are sweet and colorful

[boreal solar]

Now you’re just being mean

[cedar otter]

drive thru because ppl don't wanna get out of the car when its hot

[cedar otter]

Tbh at the place I worked, I helped set up a mobile trailer w/ Eversys and I had my best shot of espresso from their house blend w/ that machine

[boreal solar]

Honestly though, I don’t think I’d be mad if you started a specialty boutique drive through. There’s nothing like that really

And with the toddler and non specialty coffee loving partner I’d probably stop on my way back from the mall or something 😆

[mellow sonnet]

This is so accurate

[boreal solar]

Wanna meet up at rad coffee later for a cookies and cream cereal chiller?

[mellow sonnet]

Am dying at work in pasadena

[cedar otter]

I used to deliver to Chino/IE area a lot during the pandemic... I know what yall like

[mellow sonnet]

The basic shit

[cedar otter]

they also wanna try the cream top and all the "cool" drinks

As Seen On TikTok

[boreal solar]

Probably not going to help the market much now that Philz is coming to Victoria Gardens and the Claremont village

I’m sure the locals are going to be stoked with it as a hip spot since they’re from San Francisco and the mint mojito is a viral drink.

[mellow sonnet]

They live in isolation from society and get excited over any microtrend they see

[boreal solar]

Aren’t we amongst them though?

[mellow sonnet]

I drove to Pasadena for work so I get to experience society

[compact hound]

@tight gorge the akira podcast ep you sent was a great listen

Now i need to visit bodega to the chopped cheese

[weary chasm]

visit to NYC soon?

[compact hound]

Nah, silverlake

[civic crest]

i usually see akira at the SMFM on wednesdays

[tight gorge]

its good, ive had it like 8 times and only once was it mid.

[cedar otter]

Go with someone, order the chopped cheese and the aji chicken bfast burrito, fries, and their black sesame misugaru latte

Thank me later

[compact hound]

Thank you now

[weary chasm]

? why do you go with someone. is it so big you need to share it?

[cedar otter]

well if you're ordering 3 items and 1 drink...

it's better that you share

and yeah their portions are pretty good

[mellow sonnet]

ARP is in mandarin 👀

Time to start stocking Chinese roasters in mandarin 🤧

[compact hound]

Yo servio on SOE?

Time to use like $8 of gas to make the trip there

[cedar otter]

If only you were in the group chat last night with Sherry 🤣

[mellow sonnet]

I'm not cool enough to be in the talks w coffee shop owners 😢

[mellow sonnet]

How hard would it be to get a job as a coffee shop opener and just do dial-ins and morning rush and then leave 😔 as a part timer or something

[cedar otter]

Very hard

I mean

You can open a coffee shop and do that as an owner

[mellow sonnet]

If I ran a coffee shop it would be like endorffeine I don't like ppl and CS is def not my strong suit

[weary chasm]

Buy yourself a job

[cedar otter]

Oh don’t open a coffee shop then lmao

[boreal solar]

Very hard.

My friends and family keep asking me when I’m opening a shop. Most of them all excited. Those same friends and family bought coffee from me like once or twice since I started my roastery. I doubt I could trust them to visit a shop if I opened.

I’ve known a lot of owners and most lose a lot of money in the first year. You’re probably the one there most of the time because you’re making less than the minimum wage you’d pay someone if you factor in startup costs and lack of brand awareness.

[mellow sonnet]

Oh I meant opening shift for morning dial-in not owning a shop

[boreal solar]

Oh lmao

Maybe you could try and do consulting or training. Would probably be sort of similar to just dialing in drinks and optimizing all day

[mellow sonnet]

Trying to move to evening shift at hospital and then work at coffee shop in mornings maybe

And just work coffee for fun

[boreal solar]

That’s sort of why I got into roasting. I’ve been thinking of doing popups for similar reasons but all the red tape in the setup process has turned me off and turned it more into a special events type thing

You could talk to @drowsy knot he’s been running charity coffee popups for awhile and might have some insight into that process as well.

[weary chasm]

i too have looked at a shop. but then seems kind of hard. you can't just depend on family and friends to visit your shop. you need a lot of strangers to turn into regulars that can support it...

at least thats what i got from partially reading "what i know about running coffee shops"

https://www.amazon.com/What-About-Running-Coffee-Shops-ebook/dp/B07DTJ4Q6J

[mellow sonnet]

The real hack is open near a university

[drowsy knot]

I’m all about “working” coffee for fun. Used to take photos for fun but 18 years into a photography career and it’s just work like anything. I do fundraisers bc it allows me to grow my roasting/preparing skills while offering it to the public without stress (donation only/no prices). Plus I raise money for local charities so it feels good for everyone

[fiery crypt]

if you want a fire pour over without worrying about a barista messin it up then just go to ondos.. homie has X bloom set up with top notch beans on deck

[fiery crypt]

man when i was a barista i loved CS lol talking to randoms all day was pure entertainment

[compact hound]

Stumbled upon these pics again 🥲 @cold apex did you ever end up sharing the photos you got on your camera? Not sure if I missed that

[earnest robin]

Where is it?

[boreal solar]

Anyone know a good place to source espresso parts in the area? I need to replace the anti vacuum valve on my Bianca and I’m not feeling waiting a week for shipping(though I may have to I suppose)

Never mind, I just ordered online like usual. I wish SoCal had more showrooms/specialty shops like in Seattle etc.

[civic crest]

it was a meetup a while ago

[cedar otter]

fun fact: college students don't tip so your baristas will get very pissed that they have to work at a busy shop and not make much money and ragequit in a couple of months

after LACC opened, we got a little bit busier, but our tip percentage also dropped lol

[cold apex]

this would drive me nuts

honestly though ondo isn't the typical coffee shop though and if i was applying id be more than happy to forgo a couple bucks for a nice working environment

at least compared to the IE shops, its like a godsend 😅

[earnest robin]

Make coffee expensive. Cafe Dulce had huge traffic in USC and their prices were high.

And there were 5 sbuxes near buy it

But they stuffed mostly students and I have never seen one person to work for more than a year

So maybe you're right lol

[tight gorge]

Yall sure you want to open a coffee shop?!?

Sucks man, hopefully you can restaff the role quickly

[cedar otter]

Oh my guys are good. I’m just speaking in general

I run a very lean operation with experienced staff so I pay them above minimum wage and I run a smaller team. So everyone gets tipped well bc it’s not divided up with like 5 people

I did $1100 yesterday with one person 😂

[civic crest]

that's why shops/restaurants add that auto tip for the house lol

but i think LA is banning that now?

[compact hound]

Haven’t heard of this

[civic crest]

oh it looks like a last minute bill overturned it https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-06-29/gov-newsom-signs-new-law-restaurants-and-bars-can-continue-to-charge-service-fees-if-posted#:~:text=With little time to spare,to be outlawed beginning Monday.

[boreal solar]

I tip most baristas. Just not the bad ones. Heck there’s one in upland I don’t even pay half the time.

[cold apex]

Dem loans don't look too bad now

[surreal pivot]

Majority of those USC students were “authorized users” on Amex platinum cards 😂. Maybe a different story at LACC

[weary chasm]

I get the reasoning. Coffee is already expensive and an indulgence. So I guess depends on the age and income bracket I guess

[cedar otter]

Yeah for sure. This girl was like oh why did you charge me $6.50 when the menu says $5.50

Uhhh because you wanted oat milk. Oat is $1 extra

Well you didn’t tell me

It written on the menu which you just referred to

[mellow sonnet]

I just hate when the tip is % based and I buy a bag of beans so the tip is like dumb high for what is basically one cup of coffee

[cedar otter]

Sorry

This guy bought 3 bags and tipped like $12 yesterday

[mellow sonnet]

💀

[cedar otter]

I was like omg I love youuuu

[civic crest]

damn baller

[mellow sonnet]

I usually just do 1-2$ for a cup and when I buy a bag also I have to do custom tip

[surreal pivot]

Tipping for bags is a hard no. But for the labor of making a drink 👍

[cold apex]

ive tipped for bags before...not sure why. just feels like hey thanks for being such a dependable roaster

[cedar otter]

[brave crystal]

Recently, I've been getting upset over CA sales tax on whole bean coffee bags. I don't understand. The roaster doesn't get to keep it, right?

[brave crystal]

But what am I gonna do? Give a reddit reply? "ACTUALLY, according to the Business Tax Law Guide Title 18, Division 2, Chapter 4, Article 8, Regulation 1602..."

[dull adder]

Same. And ditto with buying beer at the brewery.
Actually I'm kinda against all tips. But I'm okay with it for vallet that runs to my car in the heat or when servers at a restaurant treat you well. That said I nearly always tip, even when they're just doing the tasks per their job description

[dull adder]

Interesting, I've never known roasted coffee shouldn't be taxed

[brave crystal]

Yeah, it's classified as a vegetable food product.

[boreal solar]

Eh, coffee beans are non taxable goods. I think the roaster might be a little mixed up.

[weary chasm]

Sales tax are some levels of Grey

If you combo it with something hot... Like a free cup of coffee or drink, then you can probably charge sales tax

And or, if most everything already has sales tax, you can just charge things that wouldn't have sales tax, sales tax

[boreal solar]

True. I was assuming they were just buying the beans.

[brave crystal]

You assumed currently. Beans only. Taxed when it doesn't need to be.

[earnest robin]

can you ask for refund from ca tax bureau? 😄

https://www.cdtfa.ca.gov/formspubs/pub117/

maybe i should try for fun

also, i wonder how they will deal with city tax

[brave crystal]

lol I guess I could reach out to the CDTFA and the Los Angeles City Controller Office.

[earnest robin]

do i need to reach to all offices to get my cents back?

[brave crystal]

😭 That's not the kind of change 🪙 I'm looking for (pun intended). I'm looking for changes to their online checkout and POS systems.

[dull adder]

I got a box of Aviary XX2 😎
We should figure out a way to share it

[tight gorge]

Idk how to share that

I got the two doses as well

[dull adder]

It'd have to be brewed and then we can mail the brew

jk but like actually would have to split a brew in person

[tight gorge]

Meetup wen

Ondo loft maybe?

[dull adder]

I was kinda thinking bring my own coffee to Ondo

[mellow sonnet]

BYOB bring your own bean

[compact hound]

Ondo loft would be a bit too crammed

[turbid herald]

Any opinions on best East side coffee shop? Like Eagle Rock or Highland Park? Don’t make it out that way often, but going to be there later today.

[brave crystal]

Maybe Kumquat

[cedar otter]

how many people?!

[compact hound]

Mini meetup guys?

[boreal solar]

Looks empty-sh. Whenever I’ve been by that place has been hopping. Whatcha ordering?

[glossy sail]

@crude citrus and I got hydrangea PB and Nestor lasso sidra(?)

PB is always very safe. Enjoyed the Nestor more.

[tight gorge]

Missed this

[primal laurel]

The best coffee I've ever had outside of a cafe was at Sqirl

Was really impressed with their coffee program (was there years ago tho)

[tight gorge]

I haven’t been since mold gate, but their food was fire

[boreal solar]

Mold gate? Did they have a sanitary issue?

[civic crest]

same

[civic crest]

Just look up sqirl and mold

[compact hound]

Had to be there

[compact hound]

Mr.Endorffeine went

[boreal solar]

I’ve never even heard of them before. Guess I’m not cool enough.

Ok, I wish I didn’t see that tweet. Also glad Ive never been now 😆

[compact hound]

Just a hip brunch spot that became famous off of their “rainbow toast” which was just a pretty toast that had creme fraiche and house made jam

I’ve never been myself

I hear it’s still solid after mold gate

[boreal solar]

Most articles say they peaked during the pandemic and that’s around the time I became a recluse. So that makes sense.

[civic crest]

One of the OG hipster brunch spots

[boreal solar]

I should go into the city and do a crawl one of these days.

[crude citrus]

This was literally down the street from Ondo so obligated to make a stop at both

[tight gorge]

Sounding like a hater bruh

Their crispy rice was also poppin

[boreal solar]

Don’t let him trick you. He’s a IE native like myself.

[surreal pivot]

Gotta at least try a place before laying down the indictment 😂.

[tight gorge]

It’s ok. You should see our food related DMs.

[compact hound]

LMAO quit exposing me bro

Can never hate in peace no more smh

[surreal pivot]

🤣

Post the hater scrolls

[compact hound]

Chill.

[boreal solar]

Now I’m curious if little badger was on it.

[drowsy knot]

Stopped by Sqirl to meet Scott the last time he was there shilling/serving filter 3 on a decent. Skipped the coffee but had a nice conversation

[ornate ingot]

His Rubi Chiroso today was the clear winner for me, and tasted a lot like geisha. I wanted to buy a bag but it was sold out

[cedar otter]

Scott Rao came to Ondo today after his own popup lol

[compact hound]

Damn he came back

[cedar otter]

Yuh

I handbrewed his own coffee

He said I brewed it really well 😆

[compact hound]

Duh

[cedar otter]

Willem Boot and Adam Overton from Gesha Village also stopped by yesterday too

But they left most of the ultralight pourover and soup spro

[compact hound]

Maybe rao will want to do a @cedar otter collab

[cedar otter]

Lol he told me to reach out whenever if I wanna do a brewing event

Maybe around Thanksgivings Day

[cold apex]

were we going to do another meetup? i thought there was talk about one in november (when we met up in march)

[compact hound]

Idk but we should start planning one

IIRC @drowsy knot said october worked for him

Not sure tho

Hes the boss man for LA

[compact hound]

He should be reaching out to YOU

[surreal pivot]

👀

[earnest robin]

He told me today that he sells you coffee

His event at Sqirl today

[cedar otter]

hah yeah

although I haven't really sold his coffee on retail lately 🫣

mostly been buying his rested coffee to throw on the slow bar asap

and the iced coffee blends which are really good value

(wholesale only)

[earnest robin]

Tbf, I only liked the boulder blend because others had tropical fruits (aka 🦶) in them

[earnest robin]

I might have tried a bad brew because it tasted very brown for me

[ornate ingot]

I was there just after noon. Hbu?

[earnest robin]

I was there at 11

[leaden nacelle]

So many celebs. Stonks

[drowsy knot]

October was definitely in the mix for a potential next meetup but we now have a complication that makes it hard to commit to anything. Our friend & neighbor for the last 13 years passed away suddenly and she was also the owner of our house. Her siblings are pushing to get the house on the market to cash out of Silver Lake. It’s likely that won’t happen before the end of October but I don’t want to plan something and have to cancel on everyone so I guess it is time to pass the torch!

[dull adder]

I also don't blame you for not wanting to plan something with so much uncertainty in your life. That sounds stressful

[cedar otter]

damn car accident and then landlord issue too. hope everything gets resolved soon

[drowsy knot]

Appreciate it. Life is good just very unsettled right now!

[brave crystal]

Yeesh. What a pain.

[compact hound]

Damn you seriously cant catch a break. I am so sorry this happened to you in a short period of time I hope things will be resolved soon and most importantly hope you’re doing alright. No rush to have a meetup and we can always try to figure out something else if necessary.

[boreal solar]

I’d be down to host as a halfway point if people wanted. Probably later in the fall when it’s not 100 degrees in Rancho though(I won’t do that to you guys)

[drowsy knot]

Thanks! It’s a lot but I am still living in the good timeline so grateful I didn’t lose anything more important than a car. Also just got some great news that my insurance company is offering far more than I expected for my X which means the new Y is fully covered! Now to find a house…. 😂

And as far as a location for the next meetup, if hollywood area is ideal we have a relationship with Hollywood Lutheran as my wife rents an office there and runs her summer sewing camp in their library. Can probably get access to a large room with plenty of power as well as sinks, etc. Plus there is parking. Lmk if there is interest for that so we can reach out and investigate

[compact hound]

So glad to hear!

[compact hound]

I would love this

[cold apex]

im interested!:)

[cedar otter]

I'm interested

[drowsy knot]

cool that’s enough response already for me to check into setting something up there. Will report back…

[cedar otter]

ooohh hollywood lutheran very close from here

[fiery crypt]

I'm interested x3

[mellow sonnet]

I can try but weekends are my work days 🥴

[tight gorge]

You don’ have to rsvp for your grinders dawg

[fiery crypt]

[drowsy knot]

Will check in about Sat 10/19 and Sat 10/26 and see if they have availability. Happy to hear from everyone on whether or not either of those works

[cedar otter]

Sat 19 works better for me as my wife and my kid are going on a trip without me 😂

[tight gorge]

10/19 should work for me

[compact hound]

10/19 is coo

How long did we do last time?

11-3?

[opal junco]

Either 10/19 or 10/26 works for me. I would prefer slightly earlier time-wise but no big deal either way

[turbid herald]

I’m late to the party here - and newish to this thread, are you guys arranging a cupping? If newbies are welcome, I’d be very interested.

[cold apex]

Just a coffee event, not necessarily a cupping. We bring coffee and brewers and kettles and all that jazz and...make coffee!

and you're more than welcome lol

[turbid herald]

Awesome, very interested then!

[brave crystal]

I think I can do 10/19 at the Hollywood Lutheran. It's worth the drive if parking is easy. 😂
Not sure what exactly I'd bring, though.

[compact hound]

Bare minimum is a bag of beans you’re willing to share

[turbid herald]

Do people typically bring super rare or high end beans? Or just a chance to try nice beans from a variety of solid roasters?

[brave crystal]

Personally, I wouldn't care as long as you think it's worth sharing.

[tight gorge]

Both, but by no means required. I just tend to want to share nice beans with people that will appreciate them.

[compact hound]

I regret not playing with your grinder more

I was too shy

[compact hound]

You can be like @cold apex acting like santa claus with all the H&S he brought

Jokes aside though as others have said you can literally bring any beans cheap or expensive

Better than coming empty handed

[cold apex]

yup! whatever you wanna bring for yourself/others to drink

[turbid herald]

Awesome, have some H&S, Hydrangea, etc that I’m excited to try. Will need to think on what to bring!

[brave crystal]

If I show up, I'll bring a Pro Brewing Pietro (no base attachment ) and a UniTerra Nomad (no riser or extra drawer )

Don't forget a cup to sip from

[turbid herald]

Anyone brought a sculptor 078 in the past? Happy to bring mine if people want to demo it

Assuming access to enough plugins to make that worth while - and there being interest

[mellow sonnet]

I'm free on 26 🙏

But looks like 19 is more popular

The woes of working weekends🤧

I would pack my L01 and drive it all the way

[cold apex]

would love to see it!

i need people to shill me their grinders so i know what the end game upgrade is after zp6

[vivid violet]

looking forward to 10/19 or 10/26, whatever date is best for y'all. Thanks for organizing another one, erik 🙏 excited for being able to attend.

[raven path]

I have a 064s I could bring if anyone wants to compare the two!

Could do 10/19. 10/26 is my bday weekend so busy 😄

[compact hound]

That would be sick!

[glossy sail]

@crude citrus and I went around 1030am before going to Ondo as well. I picked up a bag of the buncho gr 1 and finca la cumbre

[earnest robin]

We might have seen each other

I was eating my toast with jams inside lol