I tried Philz Coffee (reviews) last year on the SF Weekly‘s recommendation, and I was impressed. Much like Blue Bottle, they grind and brew all their coffee one cup at a time (a mint leaf on top is optional, but recommended), for a strong, dark cup that goes with just about any situation. The blends all have fanciful names like “Philharmonic,” “Ether,” and their flagship, “Tesora,” which Phil experimented with for years before he was satisfied. After the jump, another picture and impressions of the shop:

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This morning I hadn’t even gotten out of my neighborhood when I realized that I had forgotten my coffee. Fortunately I was near ‘Elvas Coffee Stop” on Lincoln Ave. in Willow Glen. A shop I had heard of but hadn’t had the opportunity to visit. Elva’s is the kind of place where everybody knows your name, or at least Elva does.

Elva and Frank recently returned from Maui with 100% Kona Beans. This Friday, June 30th, will be Kona Friday at Elva’s Coffee Stop. The kona will start brewing at 5:30am.

This is my new favorite cafe in the city: Progressive Grounds, on the corner of 21st and Bryant.

The place opened a couple of months ago. It has the usual cafe fare and the (now) usual free wireless, but it is very clean, uncrowded, and nice. The bathroom is free almost entirely free of grafitti, and they play unobtrusive music. It’s a great place to hang out for hours.

I mentioned Café du Soleil in an earlier post, but I went back to try the food and do some work. It’s a nice little place–I’d like someone who’s actually been there to verify this, but I imagine it feels very much like a French neighborhood cafe. It’s very laid-back, very friendly, and very conducive to reading, conversation, and all the other things one should be able to do in a cafe. (And blogging–I’m sitting in Café du Soleil right now.) More on the food after the jump.

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