Zinc

What is it about California? Is it the beachy, laid-back vibes of the people? Or the fact that the local Whole Foods has juice bars?  Or maybe there’s something to be said about waking up to the sound of Pacific waves crashing on the beach?  Venturing out to California is something I now do 1-3 times per year since my brother, Joshua, moved out west (whatareyouuuudoingherrre?). On a recent trip to CA for Joshua’s graduation, we got to try a mocha at Zinc Cafe and Market in Laguna Beach, CA.  Joining us for a mocha and breakfast were some other CT to CA transplants, Nicole and Alex! We arrived at Zinc pretty early, and while it was already busy with breakfast-goers, we scored a beautiful table outside on the patio.

Taste: 5

I ordered a small cafe mocha and I couldn’t finish this; my cup is to the left, Joshua’s is on the right. These are large portions. I had to stir the mocha in order to actually taste the cocoa flavor.  I could not even finish half of this mocha, in part because it was so large but also because it gave me a little stomach ache.  Maybe the coffee was too strong.

Appearance: 4

Obviously no latte art here, so minus a few points for not even trying. But this just looks simply enjoyable, no? The warm, dark color of the mocha latte looks great in contrast to the sleek, white lines of this cup. I would have preferred to see a cup and saucer combination; mochas just taste better in a cup and saucer.

   

Ambiance: 6

Zinc is a small chain, and while I have never been to their alternate locations, I can’t imagine any can compare to the beauty of the Laguna Beach location. There is ample outdoor seating, but if you cannot find a seat you can easily stroll down to the beach and relax there with you coffee. There are two entry ways into Zinc, so it was a bit confusing to figure out which door leads to the the cafe and which leads to the market. Luckily, Joshua had been there before so he led the way.

When I walked into the market I was impressed by their large menu. For the both cafe and the market, the menu features breakfast, lunch, and snack choices. I was surprised to see that there are no carnivorous options to be found. Is this place technically a vegetarian restaurant? The market has a small retail section where you can purchase home necessities like candles and cups/saucers. Zinc was smart to place some delicious looking pastries right where you place your coffee order. I had to grab some pastries to go — they looked too good to pass up! This is a great place to meet friends, study by yourself, or listen to live performances by local musicians. Give it a try next time you’re in Laguna. http://www.zinccafe.com/

On a related note, I’ve been getting into Jerry Seinfield’s short series called Comedians in cars Getting Coffee. Jerry basically picks up his comedian friends in cool cars, they drive around, and they grab coffee. It’s pretty funny. The 15-20 minute episodes give me great ideas for places I can try a mocha, plus it’s also fun to see how some great comedians take their coffee! Check it out here and let me know what you think. http://comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com/