Eating L.A. got a peek inside Intelligentsia this morning on our morning jog. It opens at noon today (Friday) with an opening party tonight. They're still putting a few finishing touches on, but the sign painter graciously gave me his cup of freshly-made Ethiopian coffee. Intelligentsia's Kyle (pictured), a finalist at the World Barista Championships, told me that coffee will be served from both the expensive Clover coffeemaker and another system of near-equal quality which makes more at a time for peak hours. The cup I tasted was super-smooth with some hints of berry.
Most of Intelligentsia's coffees are medium-roasted -- the taste should come from the bean, not the roast, Kyle said. Or as he put it, "Would a real foodie order a well-done steak?" Even if you're a dark roast lover, try out some of their more nuanced varieties just to see the difference. The store is spacious with elegant marble counters, a shady patio in front and a lots of beans for sale (pictured). Intelligentsia serves croissants and baguettes from BreadBar and cupcakes and other pastries from Echo Park's Delilah Bakery.
4 comments:
Of course it opens just after I leave (though there's plenty of good coffee in ny). Glad to hear they've got Delilah's goods--I really like their muffins.
I never should have let my ex keep the apartment in Franklin Hills. Now he can walk to those places while I'm "stuck" in Atwater Village! Man, parking is so bad at the Junction, I will probably never try Intelligentsia
Imagine my surprise when visiting from Chicago to find an Intelligentsia Cafe right by my sister's house. These guys hawk the best beans in Chi-town and it's pretty sweet (fashionable) of them to plant roots in LA. You're still crazy LA, but this makes it better.
It's interesting to look back at these early reports with the benefit of seeing the L.A. coffee scene evolve over the past four years. Intelligentsia has definitely had a big impact on how Angelenos view coffee, especially now that they have three locations and a bigger wholesale presence.
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