The smell of walking into a good coffee shop is unmatched. Breathing in the swirls of freshly ground beans- mixed with some decadent pastries baking, it reminds me of running into Starbucks with my mom as a kid. She would always say the smells reminded her of being in little cafes in Italy when she was 16 years old.
While I so lovingly speak of coffee shops and the smell of coffee, I actually don’t drink it anymore. After college, I was working through some autoimmune issues (constant work in progress, honestly!), and a doctor recommended I switch to green tea. From that day on, I have been slinging back green tea like its my job, and my love of matcha was born!
Trader Joes, Costco, Fresh Thyme, Whole Foods, and Dom’s all have lovely matcha/green tea options, and I try to DIY my green tea/matcha every weekday. On weekends, there is something about having someone else make it for you that just honestly rocks.
One of my favorite rituals on Saturday mornings is going for a long walk with my husband and dog to new coffee shops that serve matcha. I am a screenshot machine saving new places that come up on my feed. Send me all the recs! Never not on the hunt for the goods!
If you’re a fellow matcha lover or you may be looking to make a switch over to the green side, I want to shout out a couple local places I can’t stop talking about.
Get a little lavender + vanilla in your matcha and a ‘cruffin’ from Dan the Baker! Afterwards, stay for a pilates class, or walk around the coziest neighborhood-y feeling area, Roscoe street.
Get your matcha latte iced, also with lavender + vanilla. (I think I am addicted- it tastes like fruity pebbles! lol) New Wave also sells Beacon Donuts (they’ve vegan if you’re into that!)
The macadamia milk goes crazy in a matcha! Sweet Potato donuts here are great, as well!
Chances are you’ve heard of this place for their breakfast sandwich. I suggest you get that, too! Their unsweetened matcha was deliciously earthy when I had it.
This one kinda goes without saying. If you don’t know how good a military latte or matcha latte with macadamia milk at Sawada is, call yourself an Uber immediately. Wild.
Wake up a little early on a summer morning? Head over to Ipsento, and you may just score the last itty bitty donut to pair with such a nice matcha. Dainy, cute, fun, delicious. Go walk with your little latte on the 606.
I am starting to think I will need a part 2 of this, and maybe also a post about best bakeries/where to get donuts! Until then… enjoy! I hope some of these matchas bring you as much joy as they bring me. Tag me if you visit any of these spots for a lil latte treat!
