Failure to reach Lofty heights.

Wanting a day away from Orange County. I thought a drive to Encinitas for a new coffee experience might do the trick. My mother, my coffee partner, was dying to see the wild flowers of Encinitas (problem was she did not know where they were). So we set off on our exploration.

Located a few blocks from the sea, Lofty Coffee sits nestled on the corner of the Lofts apartment/business complex. From the outside Lofty Coffee looks like your typical Orange County shop. A sleek wood bar houses all the tools for their brews. A beautiful Kyoto held by wooden branches is the star of their shop. Their coffees are roasted across the street at their original shop, which has slightly shorter hours.

The coffee has dreamy Californian names such as Sweet Blue and Morning Dove; not your typical coffee name. The presentation reflects Lofty Coffee's name and their prices. Tip included, my Nitro-Kyoto cost roughly five dollars (5$) for under (6) six ounces of coffee. Ouch! Lofty's Nitro-Brew can be equated with the Guinness of coffee. The nitrogen produces an incredibly smooth cup, but their roast is as acidic and earthy as Guinness. As someone who can count the number of alcoholic beverages I consume per year on my hands, this drink was not one I would order again.

During this evaluation of the coffee my mother made a friend, inviting a young (and attractive) man from the sugar/milk bar over to our table. My mother has the gift (possibly curse) of gab and continued to engage him in conversation for the next hour (poor man). The man had chosen their speciality Turkish Coffee Latte with almond milk, which he described just sweet enough with hints of the iron bite from the traditional method of brewing Turkish coffee.*

As I said the conversation continued for some time. He politely answered all my mother's questions and did so with a smile. I tried to give him outs to escape, but he must have enjoyed talking to us as he continued to pursue conversation. Partway through I decided to order my usual pour-over Ethiopian, being unsatisfied with the Nitro-Brew.

Given a number engraved with their logo I waited for my comforting cup to deal with what I thought was an awkward social situation. Served on a wooden slab with spaces for the hario pot and the glass I was impressed with their stylish presentation that was reminiscent of my experience at McCune Smith.

After an hour and a half I finally pulled my mom away so we could see the wildflowers before sunset, leaving Lofty Coffee, but not without arguing for a vegan, gluten-free oat chocolate chip cookie that was soft, crumbly and the perfect level of sweetness.

Overall Score: 7

Pros: Diverse menu with some non-traditional items, roast their own dreamy beans.

Cons: Over-priced and a little "Orange County" atmosphere.

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_coffee

#beach #Vegan #pourover #ethiopian