Barista Magazine

AUG-SEP 2017

Serving People Serving Coffee Since 2005

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SAN LUIS OBISPO Leaving Santa Barbara by way of the 101, you'll be treated to more beautiful coastline driving, although travelers should keep an eye on the speedometer as vigilant California Highway Patrol cars and motorcycles line the road. Past El Capitan and Refugio, the 101 winds inland for about an hour, when you pass into the town of San Luis Obispo, or SLO for short. Even if SLO is just a stop on your route farther north (or south), you can't miss a chance to visit the beautiful Scout Coffee. Founded by former Verve Coffee staffers, Sara and Jon Peterson, Scout's soft, cozy style, delectable baked goods, and impres- sive coffees made the original downtown location an instant hit. Jon and Sara found themselves opening their second shop, this one by the California Polytechnic State University—or just Cal Poly—faster than they could have predicted. Both of Scout Coffee's locations emphasize SLO's obsession with agriculture and fresh produce, offering a range of made-in-house seasonal syrups and sodas to complement the coffee, and bowls of oranges on the counter at the ready next to food processors and blenders. Similar to The French Press with Dune, HoneyCo Coffee Roasters operates the roasting side of the business while Scout is the company's café arm. With several options for single-origin coffees, as well as a seasonal drink called the Sunshine Gibraltar (made with cinnamon-and-tangerine-infused milk), Scout offers a pleasant respite for customers taking a break from their day. The Cal Poly location has plenty of indoor seating, including a side bar where you can watch the baristas hustle between two three-group FB80s while juggling orders and drinks. Next to Boo Boo Records—named one of the best record stores in the U.S. by Rolling Stone—sits Ascendo, formerly Bella Mundo. Roasting in house, Ascendo attempts to make coffee accessible with a single coffee for both fi lter and espresso, but also offers pourovers and even coffee shots (fi lter-strength espressos commonly prepared with an EK43 grinder) by request. Coffees are served with little biscotti treats on the saucers, and signs around the café denote certain bars and tables as community seating in an effort to encourage customers to refrain from setting up laptops and to instead engage in conversa- tion with one another. Recently, Ascendo played host to a latte art throwdown with all pro- ceeds going to benefi t Ella Bailey, one of their baristas who had been in an accident and required extensive medical help. The community came out with baristas driving up from as far south as Santa Barbara, and as far north as Santa Cruz and San Juan Bautista. In the middle of the standard bracket/knock-out format, there was a bonus round of teams of two facing off against each other with one person pouring and the other steaming to let Ella join in on the fun. From San Luis Obispo all the way down south to Calabasas, these notable cafés and roasters are just some of the coffee professionals in central California taking specialty-coffee service to levels previously considered the exclusive territory of big cities' coffee cultures. Each of these companies is distinct, though they share the warm familiar- ity that being part of a tightly knit local community brings. As more shops open and push specialty boundaries along the central California coast, this coffee region, as geographically stretched as it may be, will just continue to feel closer together. With exposed brick and plant decoration outside and in, Scout Coff ee's Garden Street location in San Luis Obispo is unbelievably photogenic a pleasant place to pass some time. 38 barista magazine

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