Last year I spent time in Panama researching this feature for Food & Wine Magazine

This Coffee is a National Treasure in Panama

While there I met Manuel Barsallo also know as the coffeetologist

Manuel took me on tours of the Don Benjie Farm and introduced me to Cristian Cuellar the founder of Mendo coffee. I visited Mendo Coffee in Ciudad del Saber in Panama City near the Panama Canal.

I brought home this coffee and have kept it in the freezer. Here are some tips from the experts about how to keep your coffee fresh in the freezer

So this morning I am drinking a cup of Pacamara from Don Benjie roasted by Mendo Coffee.

In October I will be going back to Panama for the World of Coffee events and the World Barista Championship. In the meantime it is so fun to have coffee from my previous trip there.

I started coffee fest week with a pop-up tasting by Marquis Monzon (2026 US Latte Art Champion) and coffee super star Jaymie Lao at A Darling Kiosk in Goodnight. Their tasting set was an adventure in flavors and temperatures.

This Saturday Jaymie will present the last A Darling Kiosk pop-up before the Goodnight team renovates and transforms their store into a new configuration.

On Thursday I took break from the coffee fest activities for a coffee and lunch with a friend from out of town who wanted to go to Max & Helen’s

On Friday I headed to the LA Conventions Center to check out the Coffee Fest LA.

I ran into many friends:

Gavy from Be Bright, Alex from Civil Coffee, and Alejandra from Estellar Coffee

I could not help but notice that there were more than a dozen matcha companies at Coffee Fest. That seems like a lot for a coffee festival. With the popularity of matcha many companies a vying for coffee shops to buy their products. I have a lot of opinions about what is going on with the matcha craze in the US (more about that in an upcoming newsletter).

For now here is a gallery of images of all of the matcha companies at Coffee Fest LA.

Add even a company that has decaf matcha…

Next stop was a party of the new soon to open Be Bright in Koreatown

Then I headed to Boyle Heights for the Picaresca Latte Art Throwdown which has become a neighborhood happening with the party spilling out into their parking lot.

I described scenes from last year’s throwdown in their LA Times story .

The Cafec team was kind to invite me to their tasting experience at Quat. where founder Shigeji Nakatsuka brewed coffee for us. It was such a special morning.

And finally a big celebration with coffee friends hosted by Erica Escalante, Tricia Lu, and Eric Grimm. The room was filled with tacos, elotes, drinks, music, dancing and many smiles. They gave out some LA coffee awards. I presented the spotlight award to Picaresca for their leadership roasting coffees from Mexico and around the world while creating a two vibrant spaces for Boyle Heights and the greater LA coffee community.

Thank you to everyone who made our Coffee Fest LA week so much fun!

If you think I am speaking from the perspective of being one of his friends, I am not. I was drawn to his music, impressed by his accomplishments, and amazed by his ability to make genuine connections with so many people around the world. I loved going to his live shows. Witnessing him focus a rowdy crowd at the Hollywood Bowl or mesmerize the audience in the quiet rarefied air of Disney Hall… was truly spellbinding. I loved him in on screen in The Commitments and of course his unforgettable performance in Once.

I have experienced the news of the death of favorite musicians before, but it has taken me me some time to identify why Glen Hansard’s passing feels so visceral. Beyond my time in the audience, I only spoke with him in person once for about 10 minutes. In that short amount of time, Glen taught me a powerful truth. We don’t always know our effect on other people.

I’ll take you back to the setting.

It was the summer of 2012. I was staying at the infamous Chateau Marmont hotel in Hollywood for a story assignment. There I would meet David Lynch to talk about a special bottle design he had created for Dom Perignon champagne. It was a whirlwind weekend of parties including a launch party at Milk Studios where Lynch introduced one of his favorite bands, The Kills. I made my way to the front of the stage and stood directly under Alison Mosshart’s microphone. Jamie Hince shredded on guitar and two drummers pounded the beat in breathtaking unison.

Back the hotel was a wild scene that felt very rock and roll. I was at the front desk when Carrie Brownstein of Sleater- Kinney was checking in. I spotted actor Jeremy Renner having breakfast. And I remember walking into the lobby in the early hours of the morning to find Linsdey Lohan running around. Yes, it was that summer. In the Penthouse suite, I interviewed David Lynch about his design process and distinctly remember him talking about how much he loved the fried chicken at the hotel restaurant.

Likely many more famous people were staying at the Chateau Marmont that week. I feel I can mention these names now because it was 14 years ago. There is an unwritten rule at the Chateau Marmont, do not bother the famous people. It seemed exceedingly clear that this was the expectation and anyone who broke the rule was … not smart, not cool, and that it was not ok to talk to the celebrities. So as a person known as a rule follower, I was following the rules.

Until one morning when I walked down into the courtyard… and there sat Glen Hansard.

I looked at Glen and thought to myself… ‘look away’ don’t bother him. But he was sitting in the sun and seemed a bit bewildered at the scene. I smiled and he smiled back. This is when I realized this friendly Irishman was not tapping a rule book. He was staying at an impossibly hip Hollywood hotel and seemed to be wondering why nobody was talking to each other.

He smiled at me again with a telepathic… ‘It’s ok, come say hello’.

So I walked over and introduced myself.

“I’m Glen,” he said. “Yes, I know,” I responded. “I have listened to your music for years and seen your shows. Are you enjoying your time in LA?” I asked.

“Yes,” he said. “I am.” with a knowing smile looking around the oddly glamorous and patinaed French Castle on Sunset Boulevard where we found ourselves.

And then I told him. “My young daughter Sofia plays guitar. She has started to write songs.” I told him how much she loves his music and that she had asked for concert tickets to see his show for her birthday.

I will never forget his response. He said, “Please tell Sofia that Glen said to keep practicing guitar and to keep writing songs. I hope one day to see her perform.”

“Thank you I said I’ll tell her.”

We said our farewells and I floated away to my next meeting.

When I returned home my daughters often asked funny questions about my work. As I conveyed Glen’s message to Sofia… her eyes lit up. “I will mom! I’ll practice every day! Can we see Glen play again the next time he is in LA?”

“Of course,” I said.

And she did keep playing and now tours singing her songs and playing guitar.

Can we truly comprehend the power of generosity and kindness? Can a smile and friendly gesture change the course of someone’s life? I think so.

What did I learn from Glen Hansard? Listen, support, uplift. By all accounts he did this with his music and being warm and kind to so many. He played his guitar on the streets, in small pubs, and on some of the grandest stages in the world. Glen teaches us to follow our passions and bring others across the generations along with us.

In his song Winning Streak he sings “And may good fortune wait on every bend
And may your winning streak May it never end”

I love so many of his songs. The one that squeezes my heart particularly tightly lately has been Maccormack’s Wall

“Well, this is a song of drinking

And for a drink it will be sung

And I’ll sing it right, and I’ll say goodnight

Unless they’re serving another one”

There are videos of Glen pulling shots of espresso during a jam session. Glen was known for his love of coffee.

I toast to you Glen, the man who Bono says has more best friends than anyone else in the world…a man who lived every year of his life to the fullest. His music and joyful spirit shines a light over us all.

Those moments together on that sunny afternoon will live in my heart forever.

I have visited Ireland a few times. I remember a distinct feeling of homecoming that I could not explain during my first trip there in 2012. We have no Irish roots in my family. Theirs cafe culture matches their jovial and kind spirit.

A few of my favorites:

3Fe in Dublin founded by 4 time Irish Barista Champion Colin Harmon

Established Coffee in Belfast from the fantastic duo Bridgeen Barbour and Mark Ashbridge (more in Belfast here)

Also in Belfast Process Coffee not only roasts delicious coffee, but they package it is impossibly hip VHS style boxes

I am a big fan of Calendar Coffee, but I have not been to Galway yet. Next time!

For the 15 years that I have been writing about the world of specialty coffee. My first story was a feature for Cool Hunting about Intelligentsia’s Extraordinary Coffee Workshop. Since then my exploration of coffee culture has led me on adventures around Los Angeles and all over the world. In that time I have also begun to collect books about the history and contemporary world of coffee.

Here are a few examples from my collection all that are helping in my journey to write a book about specialty coffee.

At the Central Library in downtown LA, librarian Ryan Peña in Special Collections has been helping me with research projects. He pulled a copy of The Romance of Coffee by William H. Ukers and I was lucky enough to find a copy to buy too. And I love the cover of Cyrus Townsend Brady’s The Corner in Coffee, a 1904 novel set during the gilded age of New York society a tale of love, money, high society, and the bustle of the Coffee Exchange.

I have also been collecting coffee cookbooks. It’s fascinating to leaf through coffee rituals, recipes, and pairings.

I bought this book by Hidenori Izaki at Tsutaya in Tokyo. Though it is in all Japanese, it is so fun to look at the illustrations and graphic design. I may ask a friend to translate a few of the drink preparations for me.

Recently I bought this coffee philosophy book by Julian Baggini with James Hoffmann, an inspiring read about the meaning of coffee and coffee spaces in our lives.

During a recent trip to the Bay Area I stopped by the Friends of the San Rafael Library store and was fortunate to find a copy of Coffee Makers 300 years of art & design. I loved finding the coffee train from 1840. Now I know what would be my most sought after bucket list thing to look for in an antique store!

Hollywood Cafe Coffee With the Stars has been a fun addition to my collection. I have mentioned it in a few feature stories, when a film reference is what I am looking for to illustrate a detail. These photos of Ginger Rogers and William Powell are so fun! I love imagining who was making coffee on this sets. There are a few photos of Lauren Bacall too… her decaf coffee commercials are iconic!

In 2019 I read The Monk of Mokha by Dave Eggers, a county of the life of Mokhtar Alkanshali growing up in the Bay Area and the challenges he faced starting his coffee company Port of Mokha. Since that time Mokhtar and I have become colleagues and dear friends. Last year I reread the book and told him that what was once a concern for a man who traveled to Yemen to bring back coffee had transformed into an alarmed how a “how could you put yourself in jeopardy like that?!” Mokhtar laughed and reminded me that it all worked out. And indeed it did, he is now one of the most well known people in the global specialty coffee world.

I was told that the English language edition of the Panamá Café book was sold out, so when I was in Panama last year for this Food & Wine travel feature I bought the original in Spanish. The idea being my attempts to read it would be a chance to keep studying the language and lear more about coffee in Panama at the same time. Can you guess how far I have gotten in the text? Not far. But I love having this book in my collection and will keep at it. I am looking forward to going back to Panama in October for World of Coffee and the World Barista Championships.

I am looking forward to Morgan Eckroth’s book Coffee, For Here to come out in October.

Please reach out to tell me about your favorite coffee books.

The Civic Center was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, one of the famed architect’s final designs.

Our 4^th Street was the location for many of the cruising scenes in American Graffiti. I recently interviewed Harrison Ford for this story about a special whisky he made at The Glenmorangie. I asked him about his memories of driving a 55 Chevy in the movie. In the late 70s George Lucas set up Skywalker Ranch in Lucas Valley (the area already had that name).

But this newsletter is about coffee. And there significant coffee history in my hometown too. Pioneers of sustainable and ethical sourcing, Helen Russell and Brooke McDonald founded Equator Coffee in San Rafael and now have cafes throughout the Bay Area and in Laguna Beach. In the late 90’s Willem Boot opened Boot Coffee… that now for the last decade has their coffee campus in San Rafael. Boot, Russell, and McDonald also own Finca Sophia in Panama, a world-renowned coffee farm.

OK, so there is your background about my hometown. I drive there about once a month to visit family.

With so much time in the Bay Area, last year I wrote this coffee shop story for San Francisco Magazine

While there this week I visited a few cafes in SF:

Better Half Coffee inside Bar Bibi

I had been to Better Half once before and had a delicious cup of coffee and an inspiring conversation with Joshua Kaplowitz about their approach to serving food and coffee.

After a morning spent at the Asian Art Museum to see the Chiharu Shiota exhibit I had just enough time for a cup of coffee and a quick bite. I navigated myself back to better half and I am glad I did. I ran into my friend Julian Pappas there. You know you are at a good cafe when you see local chefs go before work or on their days off.

The special that day a wagyu and butter bean cassoulet. The coffee a delicious cup from Flower Child. Then Joshua suggested I add a piece of their garlic confit babka – what?!?! Yes, please!! If you are in SF, don’t miss Better Half

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Wrecking Ball Coffee on Union

That day on my way back to Marin, I stopped at Wrecking Ball on Union Street to see my friend Trish Rothgeb. I had already consumed my limit on caffeine which gave me the chance to try their decaf espresso as a cortado. Tasted great! I brought some beans home to make tiramisu. I like James Hoffmann’s recommendation to make this recipe with decaf since each portion will have about a shot of espresso, making it not the best dessert option for kids or people who avoid caffeine at night or altogether.

Hedge Coffee in the Mission District

At the beginning of my drive back to Los Angeles, I stopped at Hedge Coffee in the Mission District to meet up with Chef Andrew Hori. Hedge has been recommended to me by many coffee friends, so it was fun to finally make it over there. The space is gorgeous.

We lucked out to not have to wait to order, but while there for about an hour we saw the like keep growing. We both decided on batch brews, which are dispensed automatically into black Hasami mugs. I am looking forward to going back to try more coffees there.

While in Marin I also found this book at the Friends of the San Rafael Public Library book store:

More about my growing coffee book collection in an upcoming newsletter.

That’s all for now coffee friends!

For me it was a bit of all of these…the stolen sip, the café au lait in the mornings during high school before a test, and Jamoca Almond Fudge ice cream at Baskin Robbins. I already loved chocolate, all things almond, and now the sweet flavor the coffee ice cream. For me these ingredients were all an ideal path to a great dessert.

I have interviewed Nicely Abel many times over the year. This World Latte Art champion had a prodigious resume in specialty coffee. At Hooked he obsesses over the coffee beans and is quite particular about sourcing milk… and of course steaming and pouring it with renowned expertise. With all his ultra-high end knowledge of coffee, it always makes me smile to remember when he said his gateway to loving coffee was pint of Coffee Haagen Dazs.

So this week I am thinking about ice cream and frozen coffee desserts. Affogatos in Italy, the semifreddo that Nancy Silverton told me was one of her favorite coffee desserts, and learning how to make coffee granita. I am excited to get my hand on a copy of Lokelani Albanza’s new book Ice Cream Queen. I know there is a recipe in her book for Coffee and Donut ice cream that is calling my name.

During a recent trip to London, I had a blast spending time with Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich of Honey & Co. They are currently celebrating the launch of their new book Honey & Co Daily filled with recipes optimized to cook and enjoy every day.

Though the recipes are straightforward, I dare say some are still plenty delicious for special occasions too. Recently I made the roasted cauliflower, chickpea, and lemon salad for a dinner party for a table filled with smiling faces.

But we are here to talk about coffee and the new book has a brilliant recipe for a No-Churn Coffee Ice Cream. So when their recipe asks for instant coffee, I went down my rabbit hole in search of just what coffee I would use. Look below for my choice.

No-Churn Coffee Ice Cream

By Itamar and Sarit (A very kind gesture for them to agree for me to share the recipe here, now go buy the book!)

200g/7oz condensed milk

250ml/9oz double cream (I used heavy whipping cream)

2 teaspoons instant coffee (I used Blue Bottle Craft Instant Espresso)

1 tablespoon boiling water

10g / ¼ oz dark chocolate shaved into flakes (I used a microplane)

Mix the condensed milk and cream with an electric mixer in a large bowl until the mixture thickens to ‘ribbon; stage, when it just holds its shape but is still soft and does not form soft peaks.

Dissolve the instant coffee in the boiling water then add to the cream mixture. Whisk on a lower speed until it thickens to ‘ribbon’ stage again. It should have a custard-like consistency, without forming peaks.

Fold in the chocolate flakes and pour the mixture into a freezer proof tub. Seal and place in the freezer for at least an hour - you can store it in the freezer for up to a month.

If the mixture has been frozen for a while, allow to sit at room temperature for 5-6 minutes before serving so it has time to soften to a nice consistency.

Does this recipe taste good made with the Blue Bottle Craft Instant Espresso? Yes it does!!

A shout out to my adorable recipe team: Vivian Wolfson and Lucy Lipofsky

I had never sat down for coffee with Jak before and was curious about this barista champion, who is a boxer and a competition level ballroom dancer. If you want to know if Jak has a big personality, the answer is obviously … yes!

I want to congratulate all the competitors. The final six were strong and any of them could have come out on top. A warm shout out to ultra talented Morgan Eckroth. And can I admit here I was routing for Jason Yeo and Meg Skop to give us a California 3-peat. (With Frank winning in 2024 and Kay Cheon in 2025.)

This is not to take anything away from Jak, his routine was an evolving masterclass in presenting a theme of time. And with the overall competition having some technical issues with equipment and other challenges, his background in dance and sports served him well

Jak and I talked at length about the competition, working in coffee, the coffee community, and how dance informs everything he does. I asked him about three things he learned ‘ rehearsing and choreographing’ his way to the top spot.

Trust yourself:

“I need to back myself every corner, so anytime something goes wrong, trusting my instincts was actually what led me in the right direction.”

Be ready to adapt:

“Trusting my adaptability would be the second thing I learned. My ability to pivot on a dime and respond to the environment, or the people, or the machinery, or anything that was an obstacle.

Be yourself:

The third would be that being myself is a good thing. That was a very humbling realization that it is something that does benefit the people around me and quite often is less troublesome than it would normally appear. Being myself, being who I am is totally okay. That was the most important lesson I learned.

And some advice for making coffee at home:

“Make sure your ratio is locked in and that everything is taken away from hopes and dreams and vibes and feelings. Time becomes the only variable you have to worry about and I would say simplify to amplify. Don’t worry so much. Always try and find the simplest and most fun way to enjoy and interacting with coffee. The more complicated you make it, usually the harder it is to grasp and repeat.”

Thank you Jak!

Sending time with professionals with years of experience brewing up some of the world’s best coffees could potentially intimidate me from wanting to make coffee at home. And yet, it has not. I love making coffee in my own kitchen.

In series of stories I have been writing for Food & Wine Magazine several topics focus on coffee superstars sharing brewing recipes, advice, and best practices. Each time I find myself with a new level of knowledge on how to bring aspects of their professional expertise home.

So here I will share some advice and a few gems that I have learned along the way.

Is the water important…yes!

If water is the largest percentage of what it is your coffee cup (98-99%!), then it is not a surprise that water quality is important.

There are a few things to consider. What is the water quality from your tap or the filter tap water you drink? Now it may be time to get a little sciency in your kitchen. For about $10-20 you can buy a digital TSD (total dissolved solids) water tester will help you determine your starting point. Generally 75-150ppm is considered a good range for filter coffee.

If you are ready to go to the next level. Buy or make distilled water and add Third Wave Water or water minerals like APAX Lab Jamm.

If you are not sure if you will be able to discern the difference in the water, brew two cups and taste side by side. You may be surprised.

I have been experimenting with water recipes (I know that phrase can sounds funny) and will be writing a feature about my water journey later this year.

Star with fresh coffee beans

Is it important to start with fresh coffee beans? Of course it is!

How you know if your coffee beans are at optimal freshness, this is where the debate begins. For many years it would be common to hear 4-14 days off roast.

Now the prevalent advice is more nuanced. For lightly roasted coffees some roasters suggest at least a few weeks off roast. So my best advice is to ask when purchasing the coffee.

At home be ready to keep your coffee fresh with vacuum seal containers.

Freeze coffee when you need to store some for longer.

Grind fresh

Grinding coffee beans just before making a cup or a pot of coffee will ensure preserving as much of the flavor as possible. Buy the best electric burr grinder that fits your budget.

Or invest in a hand grinder. I have the Comandante C40. It’s become part of my morning ritual to hand grind coffee and make a pour-over. Such a tactile way to start the day.

Pick a brew method or two or three….

We make so many specific choices in our lives why not invest a little time in finding your favorite brew method? Collect a few to make coffee brewing time…play time.

When time permits brew 2 cups with different methods taste side by side to note the differences and learn your preferences. This may sound intuitively simple, but also when was the last time you tinkered? Why not take a little extra time to make something delicious?

What are the milk choices? So many!

This one is simple. Get good fresh milk or alternative “milk”. I mostly drink black coffee and espresso. For an occasional cortado or milk-based drink I would opt for local organic whole milk. The number other “milk” options keep growing. Especially for hot drinks, look for one that says “barista” and has been formulated for steaming.

Good cups

A beautiful cup that is the right size and feels good in your hands will add to the sensory experience. I have been collecting handmade ceramic cups. Each morning I can look at my shelf of cups and pick one that feels special for the day.

Drink coffee with an open heart

For coffee to make the journey all the way into your cup… someone had to plant seeds, nurture the coffee trees, harvest the cherries, and process the coffee. Unless you are reading this from a coffee farm where you are drinking your own coffee, the beans had to then travel to a coffee company, get roasted, and be packaged. Many hands put their hard work and expertise into the coffee beans.

Then when you put some intention into brewing coffee you complete the circle. So take a deep breath, breath in the aroma, and enjoy a sip.

In our ever-changing world this is one small gift we can give ourselves to just enjoy the moment.

And a book recommendation…

I just finished reading The Book of Coffee: A Philosophy by Julian Baggini with James Hoffmann. It is a meditation on the spiritual side of coffee. A perfect companion to pair with an exploration of the details of brewing coffee.

First I unpacked my pour over set up. The new rooms Mauna Kea have a beautiful beverage counter. They have Fellow tea kettles and I used the tea pot spout to approximate a gooseneck kettle. I packed my own Comandante coffee grinder, Fellow Tally Pro scale, and a Snow Peak Field Barista drip cone. My friend Bich Ngoc Cao had been in a Hawaii the week before and brought me some beans from Heavenly Hawaii that I had waited to open (kind of funny to carry right them back to Hawaii) and I brought some beans from Kay Cheon’s new company Parterre.

So I was ready to make a pour-over for my first morning - with the time change, I woke up about dawn, and took my coffee down to the beach.

That day I also drove to Weilea to check out Surf Camp. They were serving a local Hawaiian grown coffee for drip and Onyx for espresso.

The next day the group woke up at dawn to learn about Hawaiian traditional morning prayer and take an early dunk into the water. Then for me time for another pour-over enjoyed at the beach (I could get used to this!) That day I also drove North to Kohala and stopped into Hawi Coffee Co for a drip coffee and to Kohala Grown Market for a Coffee Chocolate Chunk coconut cream gelato.

I scheduled my final full day in Hawaii with time to drive South along the Kona Coast to coffee farm and more cafes. First stop was BerryBird Coffee in the Alii Gardens Marketplace. Owners Matt and Lisa Lu were kind enough to make several pour-overs for me to taste some their favorite coffees they have been roasting. BerryBird is also know for a signature drink they call a Dirty Coffee, which consists of espresso, milk or oat milk, and house made honeycomb that is piled on top to melt into the drink as you sip. As a person who does not order that many sweetened coffee drinks, I have to say I really enjoyed this one- taste like my kind of dessert.

It was time to head over to Kona Farm Direct. Owner Kraig Lee was away traveling in New Zealand and had set it up for me to meet with Payman Namvar of Hawaiian Goat Coffee (soon to be rebranded as Namvar Coffee).

Kona Farm Direct champions Hawaiian specialty coffee offering resource for local farmers. I will share more in depth about their work soon.

My next stop was a quick pop into White Nene for a drip coffee owned by Hawaiian roasting champion Mike Kove. I also tried a Sun Dog Bread croissant cinnamon roll. Yum!

My adventure continued at Heavenly Hawaiian. They have farms tours, brewing classes, cafe, and a WorkStay program.

And my last stop was Greenwell Farms where they offer tour and have many samples out for visitors to taste.

If you think maybe I drank a bit too much coffee that day (and I am usually so careful) you are correct. I stopped for some poke at Umekes on the way back to the Mauna Kea to get ready for there 60th anniversary gala.

I hope to return to the Big Island soon!

A few days in London drinking many cups of coffee and a few cocktails.

On my way to the Venice Biennale, I spent the weekend in London. The first night I headed to Tayer + Elementary, Monica Berg and Alex Kratena’s innovative bar. There I ordered the Elderflower + Paw Paw cocktail with Somerset Cider Brandy 5yo, sherry, Minus 8 Verjus, and coffee.

The next morning I headed to Hagen for a filter coffee

Then Special Guest for pour-over. I ordered the Los Rodriguez from Bolivia

The next stop was a quick pop in at Nagare for one more filter coffee before heading to dim sum with Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich of Honey & Co.

We also saw the Cecily Brown show at Serpentine Gallery and checked out the new Arome Bakery to try their matcha baguette filled with lime marzipan

The next day I went back to Special Guest, then to WatchHouse, and on to Oma for a cortado.

A few more stops before my flight to Italy. Monmouth Coffee at Borough Market and Scenery for a filter coffee and a sandwich.

Let me know if I missed one of your favorite places in London to drink coffee.

Close to home led to this feature for the LA Times

And recently the World of Coffee events brought friends and colleagues from all over the globe to Southern California. Some of them are still here and traveling back and forth to coffee growing origin countries.

A bright spot in Los Angeles specialty coffee scene is a light filled salon space in Glassell Park. The campus, by the founders of Kumquat and Loquat, now have Quat, their HQ with a roastery, cupping room, production. coffee bar, and a dreamy retail shop.

Currently the tasting room, Atelier Q, hosts special events and eventually will also be available for by reservation tastings from their coffee library ( featuring many rare Panamanian coffees).

In the last month, I have attended a few of these special Atelier Q tastings and wanted to share some of the behind the scenes with you.

Wilford Lamastus spent a day in LA on his was to coffee events in Shanghai. He shared coffees from his farms in Boquete, Panama. I visited Finca Elida for this Food & Wine story.

Last week 2021 World Brewers Cup Champion, Matt Winton brewed four different Panamanian Geishas including the Lamastus El Burro Geisha Honey

Kumquat’s own Esther Kim, the current US barista Champion brewed coffees from Longboard and Finca Sophia in Panama.

And yesterday, a very special Tasting Course at Atelier Q with Erik Liao of Tri-Up making a milk beverage, Yasuo Ishii and Miho Hariu of Leaves making filter coffee , and Yu (the 2025 Taiwan Barista 1st Runner Up) making a non-alcoholic signature beverage in the style of an Irish coffee.

Atelier Q at Quat tasting event reservations

In the years since I have discovered an affinity for delicately floral coffees and tasted geishas and other varieties that taste delicious when lightly roasted. And time and time again the coffees from Panama calls my name.

In 2024, I traveled to Panama City for a travel story assignment to write about Hotel La Campania in Casco Antiguo for Cool Hunting. Between visits the the churches and the Panama Canal, I slipped away from my group to drink coffee at Sisu Coffee Studio, a gorgeous cafe by the Lamastus Family.

Later when asked what I would pitch to Food & Wine Magazine for the annual travel issue, Panama immediately came to mind. I had been dreaming of visiting the Boquete region to tour coffee farms. Since so many of the top farms have tours and tastings open to the public with cafes and other coffee experiences, I felt I could write the travel feature that would appeal to coffee enthusiasts like me.

With the story greenlit - thank you to Stacey Leasca, Mel Hansche, and the Food & Wine team- I was able to plan my dream trip to Panama City, Boquete, and Volcan. Starting this week the print edition of the magazine in on newsstands and heading to you in the mail. And the online version was published today! This Coffee Is a National Treasure in Panama

I want to thank the many people who helped me with this story. My editors, many colleagues in the US, and the coffee community in Panama… who were all so generous with their time. Thank you to Finca Lerida for being such a dreamy place to stay among the coffee cherries and to Sofitel Legend in Panama City for the most picturesque views of the water (and more cups of geisha coffee too!) I want to also thank my friends, who not only drink coffee with me, but listen to me go on and on about the topic.

It’s been a journey!! And I can to wait to go back to Panama!

A few more photos from my trip:

A few highlights:

I spent the weekend with my dear friend Trish Rothgeb of Wrecking Ball Coffee. We took a break from the pandemonium at the convention center to have a happy hour meet up with friends at Palihotel’s Saint James French Diner.

On the convention floor…

The Roaster’s Village was my happy place… tasting coffees from Rosso, Dak, Tanat, CoRo, Nice, and many more. I made several stops at the Be Bright booth and at Onyx. I sipped California grown coffee at Frinj. I drank Leaves coffee at Slow Pour with Yasua Ishii, and Proud Mary at Comandante.

Here is US Barista Champion at the Stronghold booth with Juan Peña from Ecuador.

And three time barista champion from Mexico, Jenny Borrego pulling a shot of espresso at Untold.

Ioham Orum and Christian Bak hamming it up at the Onyx booth.

I spy several barista champions at Slow Pour… (can you name them?)

The La Marzocco mega-booth was jumping all weekend. Here are Chris Baca and Jared Truby of Cat & Cloud surfing their way into our hearts.

A sweet moment with Paul Ahn from Neem Coffee Project and Joe Han from Moim. Dalla Corte makes the official espresso machines for this year’s World Barista Championship.

I “met” Bartholomew Jones of Cxffeeblack in Memphis during the Clubhouse days, when online was the way we communicated during the early weeks of the pandemic. It’s been so inspiring to follow his journey and now finally meet him IRL. Also pictured my friend Royce Rollins of File Systems of Coffee in LA.

Sey Coffee teamed up with Hyunah Coffee Club to create Sey House a space filled with a variety of coffee brewing equipment and espresso machines in a ‘choose your own adventure’ spirit. Guests could choose a vial of coffee beans and make their own pour-overs and espressos. I just followed Michael Phillips and Charlie Habegger around reminiscing about the Handsome Coffee days.

And a final sip with Jerry Truong his mango sticky rice inspired “cocktail”- so good

And all smiles with Lance Hedrick…

As you can see for me the weekend was about the people. Coffee really does bring us all together.

My book project The Golden State of Coffee was inspired by many years of writing about coffee culture. The idea solidified while I was visiting Jay Ruskey at Frinj where he was growing rare fruits and coffee beans. The Ruskey’s work, loyal support, and sharing of knowledge and resources inspired many farmers in Southern California to grow coffee.

In 2024, I drove to at their farm in Goleta with barista champions Hide Izaki and Miki Suzuki and LA Times food editor Betty Hallock. There we met up with James Freeman, Benjamin Brewer, Jay Ruskey, and his team. As we walked through the lush landscape, our farm meet-up began to feel like an impromptu coffee summit.

This feature in the LA Times will always be one of my favorites:

Will Southern California be the ‘Napa Valley of coffee’?

May their memory be a blessing

To make a donation to the Ruskey family: Go Fund Me

Are they groggily reaching for a French Press or geeking out about the details on their espresso machines? The answer is both.

Read on for some home brewing tips from: Flynn McGarry, Brad Matthews, José Olmedo Carles Rojas, and Nathan Lyon.

Food & Wine: How Professional Chefs Make Coffee at Home (and at their restaurants)

Nathan invited me into his sunny Los Angeles home to sip cappuccinos together. He is an avid baker. That day a large tray of chocolate biscotti with open the counter, making for a delicious bit to dunk into our coffees.

The conversation turned to coffee cake, of which I am generally a big fan…the more cinnamon sugar the better. I have been gathering coffee cake recipes for my upcoming book. And here Lyon shares with you, my dear readers, (can you tell I have been watching Bridgerton?) Nathan’s Cinnamon Crème Fraiche Coffee Cake.

Cinnamon Crème Fraiche Coffee Cake with Pecans by Nathan Lyon

Yield: 1 13x9x2 coffee cake

Streusel Topping:

1½ cups roasted, salted pecan halves

¾ cup dark brown sugar

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces

Place all ingredients in a food processor with the blade attachment and pulse until clumps form, approximately 15 to 20 1-second pulses. Transfer to a bowl. Set aside.

Filling:

½ cup strawberry jam

Cake:

2¼ cups all-purpose flour

1½ cups dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon orange zest

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 20 pieces

8-ounces crème fraiche or mascarpone

4 whole large eggs

¼ cup maple syrup, preferable grade B

1 tablespoon Grand Marnier

Place an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Create a parchment sling (for easy removal of the coffee cake) to fit into a 13x9x2 pan.

Add the flour, sugar, cinnamon, orange zest, baking powder, baking soda and salt to a food processor with the blade attachment. Pulse until combined.

Add the butter and pulse until small pea sized pieces form, approximately 15 quick pulses.

Add the crème fraiche, eggs, maple syrup and Grand Marnier to the food processor. Pulse until a batter is formed, approximately 10 to 15 1-second pulses, scraping down the sides as needed.

Transfer approximately 1/2 of the batter to the parchment lined pan. If you see tiny pieces of butter in the batter, that’s perfectly okay.

Level the batter with an offset spatula or rubber spatula.

Top with half of the streusel topping and evenly distribute the strawberry jam.

Add the remaining batter and level it off again to create a smooth surface.

Complete the cake by evenly dispersing the remaining streusel topping.

Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes, rotating the pan once halfway through.

Remove from oven and let cool 20 minutes before removing the cake.

Tip: for easiest removal of the cake, lay a piece of parchment paper on a cutting board and quickly invert the cake onto the cutting board. Remove the parchment sling if it’s stuck to the bottom of the cake. Invert the cake once again to a cooling rack. Let rest for an additional 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Have ever had a delicious meal served with top-notch hospitality only to be met with a boring or worse yet, a terrible cup of coffee? With all of the lengths chefs go through to source and prepare ingredients, a disappointing cup of coffee at the end of a meal is certainly a missed opportunity. Thankfully more and more chefs are finding ways to share their love of coffee. I interviewed several of them in this story for Food & Wine Magazine. So, if you want to know what coffee they serve at SingleThread in Healdsburg… or at Gem and Cove in New York… read on.

Here Are the Coffee Roasters the World’s Best Chefs Recommend

Last weekend I was in CDMX for Zona Maco and Mexico City Art Week events. I also was able to visit several coffee shops in the city (more about my coffee adventures there soon). I bring up my trip because in addition to seeing some exceptional art, I also ate in several restaurants, including Pujol. Something told me to order coffee and I am glad I did.

The waiter came to the table with a small carafe of coffee and poured it into a beautiful handmade ceramic cup. And it was an excellent cup of coffee! Chef Enrique Olvera and his beverage team work with Café Estelar.

Stay tuned for more chefs who love coffee stories for Food & Wine.

Combine that with a history of food and travel stories at the LA Times with only coffee assignments since 2023 and I think we can make it official. With more than 20 years as a generalist journalist… I have a beat.

You will still see a few travel, art, design, culture and lifestyle stories from me, but if it is coffee stories you want then it is coffee stories you will get. And eventually my ultimate specialty coffee book.

For Food & Wine, I spoke with the ever-charming World Barista Champion, Michael Phillips who I met when he was at Intelligentsia, then opened Handsome Coffee, before several leadership roles at Blue Bottle. I asked Phillips what he would tell someone who prefers to brew their coffee in a French Press pot.

We talked old school technique: grind coffee, add water, wait, and press. And new school, optimal grind, weigh everything, time everything, add a paper filter, and be generally geeky about it.

Want Better French Press Coffee? Start With These Essential Steps

And recently there have been many memorable cups of coffee:

The new Be Bright Flight

Jerry Truong’s tasting set at Goodfight

Road trip drip and a little iced latte at Little King in Montecito

An after dinner cortado make by the chef himself at Bar Le Cote

Making a pour-over at home Poppy Soda from Dak that came with the new issue of Standart

Café Quesillo, a Venezuelan flan latte at Chainsaw

Caballeros y Escuderos by Picaresca X Civil Coffee at the new Picaresca location in Boyle Heights

It’s a huge accomplishment.

It takes grace and grit and a whole lot of practice.

Kay is the head of wholesale and education at Dune Coffee Roasters in Santa Barbara - my must stop shop in all visits to the area and 101 freeway road trips. (Here’s a link to the guide I wrote about coffee shops along the coast for the LA Times)

This week I catch up with Kay for 5 questions about coffee, music, and holiday gift ideas (hint hint… support your local or favorite coffee roaster… maybe give some beans from Dune!!)

Golden State of Coffee: What’s your current winter brew?

Kay Cheon: Recently, I’ve been drinking a bit more coffee than usual! A lot of sample roasts, with a few coffees from Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador. I’ve been brewing the same roasts as filter and espresso, and seeing how far I can push each coffee in any direction.

I’ve been drinking a Geisha from Hacienda La Esmeralda in Panama, super floral and structured. And from Colombia, a Red Bourbon from Finca Las Flores that’s citric and bright, and from Ecuador, a natural Sidra from Hacienda La Papaya.

GSC: What do you like to drink when you are not having coffee?

KC: I’ve been doing some work with signature beverages lately, both coffee and non-coffee based, so lots of R&D tasting on that end. I enjoy tea quite a bit, and although I don’t typically consume alcohol, I love tasting wines and cocktails.

I found a bit of an aged Taiwanese oolong tea from Song Tea (2012 Lishan Winter Sprout) that I’ve been enjoying lately, and I’m also looking forward to opening a wine from Jean Foillard (2016, 3.14).

GSC: What are you listening to and reading now?

KC: I’ve had The Grass Roots album Leaving It All Behind on repeat, and I’m slowly reading my way through The Molecule of More by Michael E. Long and Daniel Z. Lieberman.

GSC: What is the best coffee related gift for the holidays?

KC: Knowing your audience is important! I always suggest giving a gift that someone can easily integrate into their coffee brewing habits, but will be an improvement from what they’re used to. Giving a burr grinder to someone who has a blade grinder, for example. Giving coffee is such a great way to share new roasters or flavors, too.

GSC: What is the most surprising thing that has happened to you since you became the US Barista Champion?

KC: Realizing just how much more there is for me to learn, whether that’s from other coffee people or people outside of the industry. It can be easy to imagine that being a champion means you know all of these different things, but for me, the title has come with a whole host of new things I’ve learned and things I look forward to learning, as well as how I can continue sharing those things with others.

Thanks Kay!!

And some coffee news:

Some fun gift ideas here: The New Yorker: Holiday Gift Guide Gear for the Coffee Nerd by Kelefa Sanneh

Stacey, you are an inspiration!! Food & Wine: I’d Fly All the Way Back to Tanzania Just to Have One More Cup of This Coffee by Stacey Leasca

Ok espresso martini fans, here’s you go!… Food & Wine: The Best Coffee Liqueurs for Espresso Martinis, According to Bartenders by Vicki Denig

Can’t wait to check out the ones on the list I have not been to yet…SF Chronicle: Best Coffee in the San Francisco Bay Area by Cesar Hernandez

Chill people!! People: Traveler Makes His Own Espresso on a Plane — and the Internet Has Strong Reactions by Desiree Anello

Would you buy… this espresso machine?\

As always, I’d love to hear about a coffee experience that has made an impression on you. Has anyone see some rogue coffee brewing on an airplane? (I usually just bring some instant) And if you have any coffee related questions… send me a message!!

Think local… experience global. Please support your favorite local roaster. Buy a bag of beans for a gift or a subscription for the cover lover in your life.

Some advice for buying beans in this LA Times feature (one of my favorite projects ever!) when the LA Times Food department devoted an entire Weekened section to the local coffee scene. This illustration for the cover is by Brandon Ly. (I have some copies of the poster. I will send one to first 3 people who send me a message here on Substack - my holiday present to you)

And check out Lisa Boone’s recent story in the LA Times: Where to Grab Coffee While Shopping in LA

Let’s start shopping…Roasters in LA!

Order a subscription to Woodcat

Buy the Cervantes Blend and Café de Olla Syrup from Picaresca

All of the coffees at Be Bright are good – try one from their Unique & Surprising profile

For a gift set with a brewer the Canyon Coffee Chemex Starter Set

I once gave a bag of Equator Coffee beans to a friend who enjoyed it so much he has been a loyal customer ever since. Equator offers several sets to tryout at home or for a gift.

Matt Rodbard from This is Taste, a fellow coffee enthusiast, is quite knowledgeable about coffee. He recommends ordering from Madcap the Madcap Best of 2025 Tasting Set. And I was jazzed to be talk with Matt about coffee on his popular podcast about all things culinary. Check out this episode featuring the phenomenal Khushbu Shah (the absolute best of the best) with a conversation about coffee at the end. Also a great gift idea… buy a copy of Khusbu’s book Amrikan, which includes her recipe for saag paneer lasagna and one for a dessert she calls Cold Coffee with Ice Cream!

Earlier this year Little Waves Coffee Roasters sent me a fun box of sample of many of the competitions and award winning coffees. These box sets are fun gifts offering a variety of coffees to try. What’s a better gift that? Try their Super Natural or East African sets.

If you have followed along any of my coffee adventures, you may have seen that last year I was in Kyoto when Noma had their Ace Hotel residency. The purpose of the trip was to learn about their upcoming launch of Noma Kaffe (which launched in March, which I wrote about for the LA Times) if coffee from the famed restaurant would be the ideal gift they are offering access to their monthly coffee subscription.

Brewing for the win…

Fellow: I am a devout pour-over enthusiast, but time and time again lately I have been reaching for the Fellow Aiden in the morning - the Guided Brew feature takes the guess work out. I am excited about the launch of their Espresso Series 1 (I tried it out in the Venice showroom) They plan to start shipping in March.

At my house I have a Breville Oracle Jet. It’s fun to navigate its touch screen. It’s very user friendly - like a iMac of coffee. We mostly use it to make fun espresso based drinks and steamed milk for other drinks. Breville makes several less expensive options too.

But of course the most cost effective method for making espresso at home is also a classic. A recent visit to Italy inspired a renewed fascination with the Moka Pot. Morgan Eckroth was generous with her time and advice for this Food & Wine feature. You can buy the Original Moka Express from Bialetti and many other retailers.

The Fellow Tally Scale is one of my most useful kitchen tools to measure coffee bean weigh and just about everything else for baking and cooking. I had a OXO for years that was good, but this one is more like the luxury car of coffee scales.

A new and fun collaboration - I am hoping someone buys this for me! Victorinox x La Marzocco Barista Tool. I never thought I would want top carry around a pocket knife, but now I do.

These Loveramics Coffee Dosing Trays are surprisingly useful. They look good on the counter and make measuring coffee beans a breeze.

Storage options to keep coffee beans fresh may not sound like a sexy gift, but your coffee obsessed friends and family will thank you: Fellow Atmos, Airscape, and some super fancy Weber Workshops Bean Cellars are all good gifts options. And here’s some advice for keeping coffee fresh.

These mugs are “So LA!” PKK LA mugs by ceramic roosts Phill Kim

And for brewing coffee on a camping trip, Snowpeak makes this Field Barista Set

Coffee Cuties :) and Stocking Stuffers

The Moka Pot Charm Necklace from Jet Set Candy - aw!!

These Kyoro Kyoro Eyeball Mugs at the MOMA Design Store are adorable!

How about this Miniature La Marzocco espresso machine for dollhouse? (Which will send you down a rabbit hole of miniatures, who knew?)

This 3D Printed Latte ornament will lead to an adventure of finding cute coffee ornament options like this Moccamaster Ornament

This Coffee Pot is one of the coffee-themed rubber stamp options at Paper Plant

I use wooden spoon to scoop coffee beans similar to this Kinto wooden coffee spoon

Every time I go to a cupping I think I should buy my own cupping spoon. This blue one from Third Wave Water

For your little Coffee Kiddos

Does the tot in your life need this Babyccino Maker wooden toy espresso machine?

I first saw this Baby Barista book at Be Bright

Jelly Cat seems to be getting more and more popular. Super soft and adorable… they make an Espresso Cup, Coffee Bean, Coffee Cup and several more

And for the big kids and kid in everyone about this retro I Love Coffee Puzzle from White Mountain Puzzles

For the bookworm:

Kumquat has copies of Drift Magazine: Pick your favorite city. I wrote about Saint Frank Coffee in the SF issue and about Civil Coffee in Highland Park for the LA issue as well as Endorffeine and Thank You Coffee in Chinatown. Kumquat has many world roasters, Loquat bean, brewing supplies, many other gift ideas too, like this Barista Hustle AutoComb

The first time I read The Monk of Mokha I was mesmerized by the story of Mokhtar Alkanshali’s dangerous journey to Yemen to start his company Port of Mokha. Then I met Mokhtar and we have become good friends. I reread the book and told him that now that know him, I was now super stressed out about by the risks he took. Thankfully we all know he made it home safe and he has become. elder on the world coffee community. This is the perfect book to buy for a holiday gift too. Order from City Lights Books ( or your favorite independent bookstore) And order some Port of Mokha Coffee too!

And maybe the best gift of all.. write a heartfelt letter telling your loved one how much they mean to you and offer to take them out for coffee!!

Happy holidays everyone!!

So many of you have been asking when Max & Helen’s will be opening. The answer is …today!!

A few weeks ago, my friend Phil Rosenthal invited me to the first morning his new diner would have a “friends and family” service. The goal to start getting the restaurant up and running and give the staff a chance to practice. The menu was created by Nancy Silverton with input from Phil and his son in law Mason Royal, the chef at Max & Helen’s.

The plan for the diner was to open on Larchmont, the cutest shopping street in Los Angeles, and serve comfort food made with the best ingredients. The place named Max & Helen’s to honor Phil’s adorable and hilarious parents. And the menu to feature their favorite foods. Max was well-known for his love of fluffy scrambled eggs, so much so that his tombstone says, “Are my eggs fluffy?” and bowls of matzah ball soup, the kind Helen would make for the family and enjoy eating, often while she was listening to an opera on the radio.

So let’s get back to the coffee. Every morning (the ones when he is not traveling the world filming Somebody Feed Phil or on his popular TV show tour) Phil meets up with neighborhood friends for coffee on Larchmont. The setting Go Get Em Tiger, the original location (that opened after the initial Sqirl pop-up).

So, when the decision about what coffee to serve came up, Phil talked to his GGET friends to plan a special medium roast with enough oomph for diner customers who may add milk and sugar… and affordable enough to offer never ending refills. That’s right now that I have had 2 meals during the “soft open’, I can attest to 2 things. The coffee tastes good! And they keep refilling your mug, so I had to say… stop… so that I would not drink an indeterminately large amount of coffee.

Now let’s talk about the food. Coffee with Nancy’s omelet? Very good (say it like Phil!). With the Larchmont Slam? Also, an excellent pairing. With the Courage Bagel and lox uh huh… tuna melt, Reuben, and meatloaf sandwich… check check check. Don’t mis the pancakes and waffles and of course the milk shakes. Order Lily’s favorite… Oreo!

You will run into the lovely Lily with her husband Mason, who are keeping the proceedings running at a lively clip.

Max & Helen’s is just as warm and cozy and sweet and fun as you can imagine.

A speaking of GGET, even though the founders have moved on… the locations that remain open are still trucking. Links to some of the articles I have written about them over the years.

A way way back with Babinski and Glanville at Sqirl PBS SoCal

Go Get Em Tiger opens on Larchmont for Sprudge

G&B open at Grand Central Market Sprudge

GGET Coffee Regular for the LA Times

Charles Babinski prepares for the World Barista Championship for the LA Times

An LA Coffee Guide for Hotels Above Par

These days you will find:

Charles Babinski in Sydney Australia at Café 143

Kyle Glanville with his brother Brent Glanville have opened Mustard’s Bagels … as someone who was there on day one, I can say these are some kick-ass crispy bagels with house-made cream cheese and house smoke salmon. Other imaginative and delicious topping round out the menu

Jaymie Lao, an essential part of the GGET team, is now thriving in her career as a coffee consultant and barista competition trainer. She helped Frank La of Be Bright maneuver his way through the 2024 competition circuit to become the US Barista Champion and compete on the world stage in Busan, Korea.

Wishing you all a cozy November day!

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