Intelligentsia: Signs of Smart Coffee in Silver Lake

September 22, 2007

I found my new favorite coffee shop in LA, and yes, it has good, no amazing coffee too. It’s some of the best coffee I’ve had in LA prepared in the upmost perfect way. Add a nice outdoor sitting area, a nice indoor bar to sit at to watch the baristas at work, and a parking lot in the back that’s free for the first 15 minutes… equals my new coffee shop.

No idea if there’s wifi. I don’t care. I’ll stand in line for 10 minutes for my espresso.

From LAist.com:

After much anticipation, this afternoon marked the opening day of Chicago’s Intelligentsia Coffee in Silver Lake at their new Sunset Junction location. I’ve been looking forward to this opening since the announcement of their arrival some months ago, mainly because after falling in love with their bean roasts while on vacation in the Windy City last year, ordering bags of beans for home brewing via the internets was getting to cost me a pretty penny. This way, so long as the parking situation is palatable, I can slip into their chic new local emporium, pick up a bag or two of beans, and get one of their creamy signature espresso drinks while I’m at it.

Which is precisely what I did today, and was pleased to be a part of their debut.

The inside of Intelligentsia is a departure from the buttery yellow and warm wood tones of their Midwestern outposts; instead their floors boast lovely blue and white tiles, the counter tops are stainless steel, the ceilings high and flocked with lights suspended on squiggly wires, all of which combined give the place an overall air of boho chic urbanity. The staff were warm and friendly, and the atmosphere rather congenial. Folks were already taking advantage of the refuge their covered patio offers. I grabbed a bag of the Flecha Roja beans from Costa Rica off the shelves, and when I inquired about the future availability of Intelligentsia’s house blends, the associate let me know that he wasn’t sure if they would be carrying them, since right now they were focused on their Direct Trade line. I happily accepted my bag of beans and admiringly watched as my barista put the swirled milk design atop my tasty latte.