Theatre Thursday

Location: 2981 Bristol st. #b6 Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Hours: Monday - Thursday 8 am - 10 pm 
Friday - Saturday 8 am - 11 pm 

Sunday 10 am - 10 pm

Website: www.milkandhoneyshop.com

Special or Seasonal items? Frozen Yogurt and Chai Latte <3<3

It's been awhile!

Today I happened to stumble over to a hole in the wall cafe called milk + honey.  It is INCREDIBLY small, most of the place was the kitchen. But all is not lost, the remaining space for the customers was very well kept and pleasant to stand in. Despite the lack of personal space, I really enjoyed this little getaway. It could be the fact that it is at The Camp (one of my personal favourite spots to be inspired) or it could be that I enjoy the more quiet spots to enjoy a cup of coffee. Speaking of coffee, let me tell you:

I have never had a cup of dark coffee that tasted so good.

Today's roast at milk + honey was French Roast; a generally nutty coffee with a huge bitter aftertaste. What I did not expect was the absolutely smooth and sweet quality to this coffee. I have not had a good cup of coffee in a long time, and this was a GOOD cup of coffee. The nutty flavor was sweeter than usual, it could have been made with a different type of nut or some sort of unique processing (I will ask next time I go). But I would love to share with you the quality of this cup of coffee I wish I had more of (currently drinking a soy Yerba Mate Latte). I absolutely recommend this place if one wants hands down quality coffee.

Food for Thought

milk + honey is noted for its shaved ice (specifically its watermelon shaved ice) but it was much too cold today to try something of that temperature. I didn't attempt to try anything today though, most of the food was not vegan and my food critic was not around. I did hear that their pizza bagels are popular, but I can't indulged in details. I will try something next time I am there (I have to go back for the Chai Latte!).

Since it's Earth Day and everyone here is actually celebrating it, I will mention to save as much electricity as possible and not be on your computers or televisions (as I write from my computer, of course), or possibly attempt to not eat any meats or processed foods, or maybe try not to drive either. Is it sad that I already do most of those things on a daily basis? I tend to laugh at those kinds of situations. So today I will be going to see Oceans later, I heard it is a beautifully documented movie. I am a huge fan of the oceans and, sad to say, am really excited about watching something like this. I might need to bring some tissues. 

Cafe Sketches

There was no room to sit and draw :( 

Anyways, I hope you guys have a great Earth Day! May you enjoy this day in peace and prosperity!

Namaste

Zenday

Location: The District

So I did what the normal people usually do to relax: I went to the movies! I watched Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland while stuffing my face with Natives' Scorpion burger (SO amazing). After the movie I topped my day off with going to the beach for more R&R. 

Taking days off to do nothing special really helps, even if it's nothing special. I didn't bother with what was going on in the world today, I didn't even bother with the time (unless it was time for the movie). Doing all of this by myself really allowed me to slow down and relax, I didn't have to worry about what movie my friends might like to see or what restaurant to go to: I did everything I wanted to do and I enjoyed every minute of it. I recommend going somewhere where very few friends go and just be quiet for the day, wether that's going to the mall or staying at home. The only thing I regret is not bringing a book along with me; but honestly, it's not that big of a regret.

Today I had Trader Joe's Pumpkin tea (one of my favourites) and a Chai tea from Panera Bread.

If you are interested in Native Food Cafe check out their website: http://www.nativefoods.com/

Tea Tuesday

Location: Pete's Coffee, Irvine

Hours: Monday-Thursday 5:30 AM-11:00 PM, Friday 5:30 AM-12:00 AM, Saturday 6:00 AM-12:00 AM, Sunday 6:00 AM-11:00 PM

Website: www.peets.com

Any special or seasonal items?

I'm sorry I've been totally lacking in the coffee entries. Busy life is busy. 

So today I went to Peet's coffee, which was an incredibly short visit. The whole 5 minutes I was there it seemed very nice and relaxing, and only a handful of people were there. Even though it didn't have that french connection that I'd hope for it to have, it would be a very nice place to meet up with some friends before you cruise on over to the theaters. 

Today's tea is Jasmine Green Tea. Cold or hot, I'm always up for a good cup of Jasmine tea. Today's tea was exceptionally interesting: it had an extra little kick to it. I'm not sure if its a good kick, generally I like my tea dark and with no additives, but for this cup I added some vanilla soy milk. If you like a strong cup of tea, then boy did I just hit jackpot.

Food for Thought

These people know their food pairings. The lady who helped me could have probably given me a lecture on each item to ingest with what. I really appreciate those kinds of people: who actually know about their proffession. It's easier to have them worry about the overall knowledge of what should be eaten with which drink.

Cafe Sketches

sorry, forgot my sketchbook!

Friday Funk

Location: Panera Bread, Newport Beach

Hours: Monday - Friday 6am - 10PM, Saturday 7am - 10pm, Sunday 7am - 7pm

Website: www.panerabread.com

Any special or seasonal items? Bread!

Welcome to the first Friday Funk! I hope you like today's choice in music, I based today's title off of the song. Friday Funk's are generally what will be happening this weekend, generally in the OC, for local attractions. This weekend is a little hectic for me, so I'm just going to mention that it is the Whale festival in Dana Point. And I'm only going to mention them because I got to design the tshirts for this year's festival. Check out the one I'm wearing! It's got no words on it so its a little blank...

Today I tried out Panera Bread. Whenever I go to Panera I always try to have an empty stomach, I love their food (even though it's pretty limiting to my special diet). The enviroment has such a great lounge feel to it, it's so open and clean that I could easily mistake it for being a five star hotel cafe. The slow and soothing music adds a great addition to all the positive posters that try to get you to relax. The one I went to was located near a hospital, and even watching the bustle of doctors meeting up with each other and rushing on, the bakery still gave me a relaxed enviroment. The customer service was nice, the workers never tried to rush your order and offered tips as well as a nutritional guide of what goes into the food.  The workers always had a smile on their face despite it was 6:30 in the morning which gave me the idea that these people actually liked their job. Personally, I wouldn't mind either, although I'd probably gain about 50 pounds from eating all their great food. 

Boy, do these guys know their coffee: I tried today was Colombia Rever del Patron, and while I'm helping myself to the cup I notice a little blurb about the coffee I was tasting. It delved into how each bean is selected and from what company, where it was roasted and even the date of when the beans were roasted. These guys have it down better than Starbucks. I think I was more taken aback by the science of today's coffee over the actual cup of coffee (which, was quite nice- smooth and earthy, no real surprises there).

Food for Thought

So Panera Bread is most famous for its pastries, and I can't blame them- they look fantastic. I tried their Mediterranean Veggie (without the feta cheese) with a side of Black Bean soup. I wish my mouth was bigger, that stuff was absolutely delish! I can easily recommend any of those items off the menu for a lunchtime special or even a light dinner. I don't think my stomach's been that happy since I first tried Natives! As for pairing it with coffee, I would not suggest to drink a cup of their hot coffe while divulging on their sandwhiches or paninis, stick with the pastries please. 

Cafe Sketches

just one sketch this time... scanner problems

So I'll be writing later today, since it is Celebrity Saturday, as soon as my special guest arrives. I'll look forward to hearing from you then!

Namaste

Theatre Thursday

Location: Rose Bakery Cafe, Corona Del Mar

Hours: Monday-Saturday 4am-6pm, Sundays 4am-4pm

Website: none

Any special or seasonal items? Doughnuts, St. Patrick's Day Cookies

Theatre Thursday is the day where I look forward to hearing your opinions. I will be discussing what is coming to the box offices and what I hope will be a good movie, or at least a good blockbuster hit. But with the Academy Awards coming this weekend, I would rather not talk about my personal opinions of Alice in Wonderland or Brooklyn's Finest.

Today's cafe of the day is the Rose Bakery Cafe. The time of day I went was earlier in the morning, so it was very nice and quiet. As I was leaving it was getting a bit on the busy side, so I'm going to guess that there is a set schedule of when to show up and when to show up with the crowd. The layout of the cafe was a little bit messy. Tables here, chairs there, it was almost a haphazard series of chairs and tables. If you've got a case of the Twinkle Toes, then this place is a very nice french connection. Everyone here knows each other and if they don't, they get to know each other. I recommend to just people watch in this cafe, it isn't exactly the best thing to study your finals while sitting next to PCH (and witness the driving skills of the NBs).

So today I tried their Dark Roast and was surprised at the smooth quality. It did not have the usual bitter taste or earthy texture, which makes me believe that it was either the best cup of dark roast coffee I have ever had, or it was just a burnt Medium Roast. Either way, the coffee was smooth and maybe a little on the burnt side, but it was a decent cup of coffee.

Food for Thought

This place is famous for their food. They have sandwhiches, burritos, french fries, doughnuts, fresh bakes bread... you name it they probably have it. And I do want to note that whatever you eat there will probably one of the the best items you can come across along PCH. I've been told that the doughtnuts melt in your mouth, the cookies crumble at your touch, the Bear Claws have just the right ammount of almonds. It makes me a little jealous that I can't eat anything outside their fresh bread, which, by the way, is fantastic. One can see the real quality and effort the workers put into their food, and it shows off quite nicely. I recommend anything off of their list of food items, and that you could eat there any time of the day.

Cafe Sketches

Instead of sketches, again, I have decided to put my opinion in who I think will be winning the Oscars (or at least who I WISH would win the Oscars)

BEST PICTURE

Like there is going to be any competition with Avatar? I doubt it, but I would like to hope that District 9 get the award.

BEST DIRECTOR

James Cameron, no doubt. Even I'd vote for him. He may be a complete douche and make people cry but he's specific in what he wants and he gets the job done.

BEST ACTOR

My money's on Geroge Clooney. But I really enjoyed Morgan Freeman's performance in Invictus. 

BEST ACTRESS

I hope Meryl Streep, she did such a great job in Julie & Julia. But I wouldn't mind if Helen Mirren won either, she was great. Gabourey Sidibe did fantastic as well, so I guess its a tough choice.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Everyone says Christoph Waltz will be getting this award, I don't particularily blame them. That beginning scene, oh man, that was intense.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Two with Up in the Air? Watch it'll be Penelope Cruz haha

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

I'd love for Up to win. That was an amazing film. I never saw Coraline, so I can't make a good guess at who will win here.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Again, I'd love for Up to win. It was very original and incredibly well written. If Up does not win, I sure hope The Hurt Locker wins.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Definately a toss up between District 9 and Precious. Both were very true to their original story as well as adding a little extra flair, I enjoyed both very much.

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

I hope for The White Ribbon, but I have not seen all those films so I will not make an accurate choice.

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Avatar, hands down. That music was moving me to tears. But it wasn't exactly original... I wouldn't mind if Hans Zimmer won either, he did great in Sherlock Holmes.

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

Randy Newman usually wins with these, and he's got two songs in this year's Oscars. That's, like, double the chance to win on top of the already high percentage that he will.

BEST DOCUMENTARY

The Cove. I saw that movie right after Sharkwater and just before Earthlings. That movie made me put a good investment in tissues. But, you know what, The Most Dangerous Man will probably win. Just because it's about the Pentagon. 

BEST DOCUMENTARY (SHORT SUBJECT)

Honestly, I think The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner will win. It's about todays economy and the high ups can really relate to that subject.

BEST SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)

I really liked The Door, but I never saw Miracle Fish or Kavi. 

BEST SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)

I have always been a Nick Park fan, so my money will be on A Matter of Loaf and Death. Even though it seems like Park's films are getting darker each episode, what happened to just going to the moon for cheese? 

BEST ART DIRECTION

Again, Avatar hands down. Meeting the artists didn't help much, it just showed that everything was still unoriginal: they took other peoples ideas and designs and added a more realistic flair to them. I liked it when they took a break and made Transformers and Star Trek, those were good designs.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Surprise: Avatar! As unoriginal the designs, characters, and screenplay was, I found that their method of cinematography was absolutely amazing. Their concept of designing the world, then filming on a green screen, THEN overlaying the animations to the people and all the details within those details. THAT is intense stuff.

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

I'd have to say either The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus or Coco Before Chanel. Doctor Parnassus should win only because it was Heath Ledger's last film, that would be my best guess on why. I prefer Coco's movie, they did an amazing job on the histroical clothing.

BEST MAKEUP

More than likely it will be Star Trek. 

BEST FILM EDITING

Avatar. Of the few good things about that movie was that it has the best editing I've seen in a very, VERY long time. 

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Like there is any competition? Avatar will win. I hope there might be a slight mishap and they might allow District 9 to win, the detail that movie had put into it was really an amazing job. But then again, Star Trek did fantastic as well.

BEST SOUND EDITING

As much as I'd like, I'd have to go with Avatar on this one. They did a great job in mixing the sounds to fit the persona of most of the movie's involvements. I wouldn't mind if Up won either :)

BEST SOUND MIXING

Geeze, like it's more obvious that Avatar will win this one too. But I'll just throw in Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen to throw you off.

Alright that's it for today, thanks for reading Theatre Thursday and I hope to see you on our first Friday Funk!

 Namaste

Zenday

Location: Corona Del Mar

Hours: 4am-11pm

Any special or seasonal items? Sand, sun, and waves

Zenday is the day I have dedicated to not spend anything, to do with what I have already and enjoy the moment of the day. I will usually be writing about a storebought tea or coffee brand that I will make myself, or else I will be just writing about great locations to relax.

Today's location is at my favourite place, Corona Del Mar. It's a very small beach located just south of the Balboa Island. During this time of the year, there are very few people who venture out into the beautiful harbor; but, during the summers I spent there as a little girl, I remember it being crowded like a Sunday evening at the Boardwalk. This beach has helped me find myself and be at peace with my stressful life, and I hope if you venture out there you will find the same results as well. 

When I go to the beach to just relax, I bring nothing that might keep my mind entertained. No towels, no sandals, no books, nothing. Everyone, including myself, must learn that your mind doesn't always have to be in constant motion in order to relax. In yoga, most of the forms are to help your mind relax or pay attention to specific spots of your body structure. I want you to try something like that the next time you go to the beach. No, I don't mean you try a Cobra pose the next time you're in public; I just want you to take maybe ten minutes out of the beach day to go somewhere alone, where not many people can interupt you. Take a seat somewhere comfortable and just listen to the waves, let your mind wander where ever it may go but never act upon your thoughts. Do your best to not move. It's harder than it sounds sometimes, I know that, but after I sit still that long I feel so much better about the day. There is an old Irish saying: "Sometimes, I sit and think and sometimes I just sit." That means, you don't always let your mind turn to mush, but sometimes, it just happens like that. 

Cafe sketches

I wrote some haikus instead of drawing today:

lying on the dunes

between sea beats and heart beats

sun on warm bodies

sea swells on sand dunes

lover's kiss, children's laughter

reading poetry

waves in the ship's wake

the mountain moving backward

blurring through my tears

the warm sea water

washes across bare tan legs

awakens dreams

Thanks for reading today! I hope to hear from you tomorrow, Theatre Thursday!

Namaste

Tea Tuesday

Location: Sprinkles (Newport Beach, CA)

Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-7pm, Sunday 10am-6pm

Website: http://www.sprinkles.com/

Any special or seasonal items? cupcakes!

Tea Tuesdays are exactly what the title says: all about tea. I will usually go to tea houses or cafes to try out their takes on tea and dabble a little in facts of tea. Did you know China was the birthplace of tea? 

So today I chose Sprinkles cupcakes. They always have a friendly enviroment and that always rubbed off onto the customers. The seating is non-existant inside of Sprinkles, you have to sit outside in the deliciously warm sun to enjoy your cupcake or beverage. If you want to catch some rays and enjoy the beauty of the day with a few fat sparrows, this would be the place to be. Dogs are a constant visitor in the area as well as their best friends. It feels, to me, like a very relaxing-yet-upbeat spot to just be. The Central library is on the other side of the parking lot, so it's recommended to grab a book from there and sit with a shot of frosting to disappear into your book. 

Today, though, I'm guessing it was a different kind of day. Whenever I go I always feel so happy and carefree, but today it seemed to be less on the friendly side of life and more of getting through the day. It could have been a really busy morning, or a lousy customer that came in just before I did; but regardless, I felt something was a little off in the store. The workers were not as welcoming, they didn't ask the usual customer service special questions, and they were taken back when I asked for a cup of tea. I got the feeling that not too many people get tea made there, it took a few minutes behind the back door to get my small cup of Tangerine White tea, but at least I got one?

The tea itself was very light compared to how long I can assume they let it steep (which I'm not sure, everything was done behind a closed door). It had the typical white tea flavor, almost like refreshing water, with a slight hint of citris. I can not give too accurate of a review, I actually burnt my tongue on the first taste, but that was my own fault: I was a bit too eager and freeflowing to notice the wafts of steam rising from my cup. Such is the life of a hippie. I can say, with my love for tea and Starbucks training in tea making, that this cup was just nice. Nothing too exeptional or fancy, but not horrible. It was a very basic cup of tea. 

Food for Thought

There really isn't anything besides cupcakes at Sprinkles, I will be reviewing my favourite type of cupcake (er, the only type of cupcake that I can eat): the Vegan Red Velvet. By far my favourite thing to splurge on, it is so rich and filling that it feels like I'm cheating when i eat this cupcake. The cupcake was very overpowering to the tea, though, so I recommend pairing it only with a cup of black coffee. 

Cafe Sketches

Thanks for reading! Namaste

mundane monday

Location: Pain du Monde (Newport Beach, CA)

Hours: Mon-Thurs 6am-2pm. Fri, Sat & Sun 6am-3pm

Website: http://www.letseatoc.com/info/paindumonde_nb.htm

Any special or seasonal items? The beverage items are mostly just black coffee, but everyone orders a cinnamon twist or almond twists.And the specials change on a daily basis, here is todays

Mundane Mondays are the beginning of the week for my blogs. This is usually where I'd tell you all the things that would be coming up this week, and if there is nothing confirmed then I would just give you readers a lesson in coffee history. This entire week is just going to be introducing the basic pattern in which I shall be writing to you as well as revealing a few coffee places.

I chose Pain du Monde to start my blogging due to the fact that this cafe was the place that has given me every idea and inspiration to be what I am today: an artistic blogger. The store has such a quiet, homely atmosphere that it feels like I'm in my living room drinking my favourite cup of coffee (which, today, is actually a soy Chai latte- my favourite!). Everyone knows each other in this little cafe, making small talk of where they have been so far this morning and where they plan to go. Sometimes there is even deep conversations over what is the best way of dieting for their next 5k run. The traffic flow of the customers aren't as heavy as I thought they would be, but it is a slow and steady flow of new people grabbing a quick bite of the pumpkin muffins or almond twists (which is a bit on the pricy side, but it is well worth it). Everyone is so casual here it instantly makes me relax, I could easily stay most of the day to just people watch, which I will dub a "french connection". When I was in France a few years back I noticed the people at the cafe's would stay there for hours at a time, maybe even the whole day. I have yet to see people in America do that, but I hope these little places I share will help encourage that relaxed french connnection pace.

So, onto the beverage review.

Pain du Monde's black coffee is probably the most rich coffee I have tasted in a very long time. I tried the Dark Costa Rican coffe and the Medium Sumatra, both very dark and earthy cups of coffee. The Dark Costa Rican smelled almost of a light aroma with a hint of freshly tilled earth after a day of rain, while the Medium Sumatra was more dense and rich in aroma flavour. A medium roast is to have more caffeine in it, hence why most cafe's only serve it early in the day. Both coffees had a very flavoured taste to it, I did not feel like i needed to add anything to expand my taste palate in order to fully experience these two brands of coffee. Dark Costa Rican had a very rich and earthy taste to it, but it also hinted a citris flavour in it, like the coffee bean was grown next to a berry farm. I enjoyed the Medium Sumatra blend very much, the earthiness to this cup of coffee is apparent, but it was not the usual syrup texture: it was much lighter than expected.

Food for Thought

As popular as the Cinnamon Rolls and Twists are, I had my food expertise try the Pumpkin Muffin. "It is really rich and heavy, " she noted "with lots of almonds and raisins . " D e f i n a t e l y recommended as a breakfast meal item, it is a very filling pastry. It pairs very nicely with the Dark Costa Rican, each enchances the flavor of the other.

Cafe sketches

I hope you enjoyed my first entry! Tomorrow is Tea Tuesday, I hope to see you then!

Namaste