Progressive Grounds, Cortland Ave., Bernal Heights, San Francisco

Early morning before I work the Bernal Heights Street Fair for CTA today, found Janine and me looking for a cup of coffee (writing in the passive voice makes it sound like I am not taking any responsibility for my actions - a victim of circumstances - yes). Two places were bakeries, that maybe had good coffee. But the neighborhood traditional establishment was Progressive Grounds.
The espresso drinks - a double small cap and my wife's Soy Latte - were great. The traditional brewed coffee refill I had was also exceptional. All drinks used a dark roast with berry, chocolate, and minty after tones. The back room was hosting a meeting of sorts, but the room resembled a living room with several chairs. If I make it back to this cafe again, I will have to sit back there. Not only that, but this seemingly former home also has a split level backyard patio with tables to enjoy a cup of coffee on a sunny day.

My wife and I sat in the front room. The cafe not only serves the usual bagels and muffins for breakfast, but also serves a range of lavash wraps, regular sandwiches and salads. They even serve several flavors of ice cream.
The neighborhood clientele is full of middle aged homeowners, in this traditionally working class part of town. No tourists stop here, but there must be a few artists that live here. I am sure they will be at the fair today when I ask them to stop Prop. 32 and support 30. The election is just two weeks away. When it is done, I will sleep better. Until then, more coffee, please.

Stanza Cafe, Haight east of Cole, San Francisco

There are a couple of cafés on the upper Haight that focus just on coffee. A short walk from home to Cole at Haight offers three choices in less than 50 yards from one another. I have never been to Cantata Coffee, that faces south at Cole. Cafe Cole, makes excellent coffee and breakfast bagels and sandwiches. Both of these cafés offer outside patio chair style seating. Stanza, which is owned by the same operator as Cafe Cole has the best indoor atmosphere. But more importantly, Stanza unmistakeable makes the best espresso drinks in the upper Haight, with Flywheel coming in second.

The cappuccino that I am drinking, and the soy mocha that my wife is drinking are served to spec. The coffee is a slightly sharp minty chocolate flavor with a smokey aftertaste. My wife's mocha uses the best chocolate I have tasted in a mocha, although it has been a while since I have had a mocha. All of their coffee is supplied by Auggie's Roasters from Redlands, Ca.

My only complaint with the space has to do with the barrel top tables. The table tops seem to be made from wood barrel ends. The problem with this is that the top lip of the barrel is a narrow metal edge. On top of that, and maybe this was intended, but it is impossible to use a laptop on these tables, or to write in a notebook. But I guess the table tops protect against spills. There is a coffee bar area in back, where the stereo seems to be focused.

The best cappuccino this side of town... But lose the table tops. I'll be back.

Elite Coffee Bar, Folsom at 5th St., SF

Put a new espresso machine in an old garage space, get a Blue Bottle contract, a good stereo system down the street from Moscone Center - will it work.
The urban feel is unmistakeable, just a block from a major freeway on ramp, this place might be exactly what can be afforded for a forever up-and-coming redevelopment area surrounded by new condo structures that are reminiscent of lower profile construction that is going on in every major redeveloped city that is booming with the idea that young professionals need a 900 square foot condo a ten minute walk from the downtown corporate towers that print their paychecks and pay off their student loans.
It is a brave new world in most downtowns. I even saw similar urban renewal in parts of Istanbul this summer, with designs for condo, and multi use six to eight story buildings replacing the older Ottoman tenements that seemed so common a hundred years ago. This part of San Francisco is no different, having been a hub for small workshops - glass, furniture, car repair, and a hefty number of welfare hotels that in recent years have mysteriously burned down. I end up in downtown Los Angeles about four times a year, and the scene is no different. The skid row of old is replete with 10-20 story condos - either converted apartments or newly built condos. The plan is simple - get rid of the older, 100 or so year old buildings in the low rent district and build something that seems to work for most people the first ten years of their professional life, fulfilling their dream to live in a bustling civic center, until they decide to family down. Welcome to south of Market.
The Blue Bottle Macchiatto was great. Gotta go. The constant, rhythmic hum of major traffic never ceased. A great stop if I wanted to escape Moscone for a convention day off for a quick cup of Blue Bottle.

Mojo - Bicycle Shop & Cafe, 639 Divisidero south of Grove, SF

I resist coming to cafés that have a competing business shared in the same space to read or write. The restrictive space typically causes the cafe ambience to be compromised by a smaller service area, or a lack of space for customers to either line up or to wait for their orders to be delivered. I have been here in the early morning during the week and weekend in the past, and like most cafés, the early morning still allows enough air in a smaller space to enjoy a cup of coffee while waking up before the cafe starts to buzz with customers. But once a cafe like Mojo gets rolling with lines out the door and people standing waiting for tables on the adjoining parklet that is bordered by a tight sidewalk mirrored by two relatively noisy lanes of traffic in each direction on Divisidero, the energy of the cafe seems cramped. I almost feel that strange NewYork feeling (sorry to my cousins on Long Island) where customers seem to vie for each available chair, hovering in the narrow path through the shop between the row of tables on the opposite wall which dually serves as the main path to the bicycle store at the rear of the store front, having to dodge the occasional bike shop customer's repaired bicycle.

The light breakfast fair is top notch and the espresso drinks made with Ritual Coffee suffice, made with medium roast from Central America. The service staff is very friendly and immediately responsive. I would come here to eat and drink a cup of coffee if I had a half an hour before getting on a bus or bicycle to go to work during the early morning work week. Otherwise, I would choose to go to another space for that sunny morning ambience of a cafe to wake up with a quiet cup of coffee during the weekend.

Sight Glass Coffee Bar and Roastery, 7th near Folsom, S.F.

On my way to Jury Duty, I was in search of coffee South of Market. There are a few cafés in the area, west of the Freeways, but only one or two flagship locations of a roastery near the courthouse. My search takes me to a large warehouse, cement and wood beamed, with the largest attraction of a industrial size roasting machine. This area, just off Folsom has shed it skid row history, but only to still be infected by the continual flood of vehicles on four lane, one way by ways that still clog South of Market for commuters.

The coffee is served to spec. The double cap that I ordered was exceptional - chocolate hints with stone fruit accents. The milk was steamed, and some slightly poured off before it was added to my cup. I the romance of listening to the roasting machine in full working makes the coffee taste better, it definitely fills the air with the slight buzz of caffeine, almost able to absorb it in your pores. But the machine and the space in genial reverberates with the sound of the whirling of the belts that must drive the machinery.

In contrast to this space, or other spaces that I have reviewed for their unique musical presentation, I sit here yearning for perhaps a quieter space, having to go face a jury selection process and fluorescent lights often court house that I do not find relaxing. The coffee is great, but this morning the whirling of the machine is too much.

I will order a cup of coffee to go as well, and review that while I wait with all of the other jurors, police, lawyers and suspects to get into the court house. I will report on this on this out of review - the paper cup to go cup to see how this coffee stands up. The roasted bags of coffee here do look more appealing, since I can see the bags literally being filled right behind me as I look out at the street through this cafe's large windows.