Coffee

Woman Named "Virginia" Goes To Starbucks; Gets "Vagina" Written On Her Cup

It was bound to happen sooner or later: a Starbucks barista, either having misheard the name "Virginia" or not able to spell it, has written "Vagina" on a customer's order.

Portola Coffee Lab To Open Second Location Inside Haven Gastropub's New Provisions Market

When the news broke that the Haven Gastropub team would be reviving Bruery Provisions, Old Towne Orange's beloved bottle shop, local craft beer fans cheered. But they also wondered what would be in store. Now we know one thing: coffee. Insanely good coffee.

Gaüfreé, Another Waffle Sandwich Shop, Planned For Irvine

Last week, our own Anne Marie broke the news that the waffle-juggernaut Bruxië's next location was slated to be Irvine. Now it looks like it will have some competition just a few blocks down on Culver. We don't know much about the new waffle sandwich shop called Gaüfreé except that it will be sa ... More >>

Starbucks Tests Video Chat Screens At Drive-Thrus

Compared to the fast food stalwarts that pioneered it, Starbucks drive-thrus are still kind of a new thing. The company's first foray with it began in 1994, seven years after Howard Schultz bought it from the original owners and twenty-three years after the first Starbucks opened in 1971. But now i ... More >>

Starbucks Says There Is No Pumpkin Spice Latte Shortage; Confirms Pumpkin Spice Latte Ice Cream Rumors

To be honest, I had never heard of the Pumpkin Spice Latte until this year. And I've still not tasted what people are calling the "hipster's McRib". Then again, I don't have a Twitter account and I'm barely on Facebook. But apparently there was two pieces of Pumpkin Spice Latte news yesterday:  ... More >>

INFOGRAPHIC: Which Professions Drink The Most Coffee?

Addicted to java? Blame your career.  Dunkin' Donut and CareerBuilder conducted a joint survey on U.S. coffee consumption trends in the workplace and released a list of the top 15 professionals who need coffee the most. Any guesses who takes the No. 1 spot? Hint: It's not this guy. 

Los Dioses de la Cafeína: Das Cortez

After a night spent out late on Sixth Street or in the pulsating, mind-altering nightclub known as Clássico, the body needs two things: restorative caffeine, and something chile-spiked and offal-y. The latter is easily found anywhere in downtown Tijuana, with menudo and birria practically bursting ... More >>

A Very Brief Review of Starbucks' Cool Lime Refresher

I ended up at the Starbucks on Bristol and Memory Lane today because my favorite Mexican bakery, Las 3 Princesas, didn't make any champurrado today and I needed something to dip their excellent pan de anís in. While I placed my order for a latte, the barista offered me a sample of the new Refresher ... More >>

Starbucks To Start Opening Tea Shops?

Starbucks got Americans hooked on coffee--can they do the same with tea? The coffee empire is opening its first Tazo tea store in Seattle this October. Bloomberg reports that the shop will offer more than 80 varieties of loose-leaf tea, priced by the ounce, and feature a tea station where custo ... More >>

Starbucks To Open at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure

The Happiest Place on Earth will soon become The Most Caffeinated Place on Earth. Starbucks will be coming to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, it was announced today on the Disney Parks blog. The first location is set to open in June at California Adventure. It will be located i ... More >>

Starbucks Raises Prices In China; Chinese Mad As Heck

​For a country where the average person, according to data from Nestle, only consumes three cups of coffee per year, the Chinese are downright pissed that Starbucks is raising prices. They took to the Internet to bemoan a two yuan price hike that the Seattle company announced last week--a change t ... More >>

Martin Diedrich Did It First: Starbucks Introduces "Blonde Roast"

​Ask a coffee connoisseur why they don't like Starbucks coffee and it's a fair bet they'll tell you that it tastes burnt, that it's over-roasted, that it's the world's most expensive and least efficient charcoal filter for water.

Long Beach Writers Read

Portfolio

TopBrewer: A Revolutionary iPhone-Controlled Coffee Faucet

​There are things you want, and there are things you need, but some products cross into the very special territory of want-need-now.   TopBrewer, developed by Denmark-based Scanomat, is an awe-worthy coffee machine built like a sleek faucet. It can produce four cups of coffee in a minute ... More >>

Koko's Cafe to Take up Old Dickey's Barbecue Pit Space in Irvine

​Dickey's Barbecue Pit at Irvine Village Center, at the corner of Jeffrey and Irvine Center, has been closed for about two years, after lasting about a year there. Now the vacant space has apparently been taken up by a new business: Koko's Cafe. The tip came from loyal reader thatguy542, who saw t ... More >>

Chuck Boogie Trio

Commonwealth Lounge

[UPDATED: Residents Speak Out] Garden Grove Police Want Little Saigon Waitresses To Put On Some Clothes

Cafe Miss Cutie Facebook PageWaitresses at Cafe Miss Cutie: "Would you like a smoothie with melons?"UPDATE, MAY 11, 1:17 A.M.: After the jump, read community responses to the proposed ordinance. ORIGINAL POST, MAY 10, 9:21 A.M.: Vietnamese coffee shops are getting too hot for Garden Grove polic ... More >>

Free Ice Blended Drinks At Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Summer Open House TODAY

​Not to be outdone by the frappuccino mixologists at Starbucks, rival Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf will one-up them with absolutely free Ice Blendeds this afternoon. Their open house hours are even reasonable enough to swing by after work, so why not check them out?Three featured concoctions will be ... More >>

Starbucks Frappuccino Happy Hour Returns This Friday

Starbucks good, DUI bad...​If you manage to scrape yourself off the floor after a rousing Cinco de Mayo, stumble into your nearest Starbucks for a sobering happy hour. Reusable mug, coupons, and secret phrases not required.Starting Friday, May 6 through Sunday, May 15, participating stores will ha ... More >>

Attention Teabaggers: Coffee Bean to Debut OC-Specific Chai and Coffee

​On Feb. 28, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf stores throughout Orange County will be selling two new blends, one coffee and one tea, that the company says will "capture the true spirit" of our unique county. OC Blend Coffee is "a light citrus aroma with a malty flavor, smooth body and a caramel finish" t ... More >>

Go Now: Free Latte at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Free Spicy Chicken Biscuit at Chick-fil-A, $2 Artisan Breakfast Sandwich at Starbucks

​The perfect antidote to those post-holiday blues--and that post-holiday debt: Free (and cheap) food! Today from 4 to 7 p.m., get a free 12 oz. latte at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. Choose from the Scottish Breakfast Tea Latte, the English Breakfast Tea Latte or the Vanilla Latte. Exc ... More >>

Why Can't We Have Café Gourmand in OC?

Flickr user handyandy88​On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to meThree small desserts, two tiny spoons and a minuscule cup of coffee.Orange County, the time has come for you to embrace the Gallic wonder known as the café gourmand, or as we say in American, the dessert sampler.

Le Napoleon Sells Cream Pan, But About the Spelling...

Edwin Goei​It's no secret that most coffee houses source their pastries from elsewhere. Kean Coffee buys theirs almost exclusively from Pacific Whey Cafe. I'm sure other local java joints do the same. It's a symbiotic relationship as perfect as the pairing of their chosen specialties. What bet ... More >>

Handheld Espresso Maker, Why Do You Exist?

Flickr user coffeegeek​A friend of mine, browsing the ThinkGeek catalog earlier this week, came across the Mypressi Handheld Espresso Machine.

Jeff Duggan of Portola Coffee, Part Two

John Gilhooley​Jeff Duggan is a coffee geek, and the county is better for his efforts. Those efforts will soon be redoubled; Portola will be opening later this year in Costa Mesa's ersatz Ferry Building-type gourmet marketplace, the MIX (currently called "South Coast Collection", over west of IKEA ... More >>

Not-So-Special Delivery

[Hey, You!] A tip about tipping 'the help'

Get Your Milkshake On: Half-Price Frappuccinos May 7-16

frappuccino.com​Starbucks, as part of a national campaign to push their dessert-masquerading-as-coffee concoctions known as Frappuccinos, will be selling all Frappuccinos at half price from 3-5 p.m. from May 7 to May 16.

Free Starbucks Coffee on Tax Day (Bring A Mug, Though)

pierofix @ flickr.com CC BY-NC-SA 2.0​Hey you! Yes, you.Do you want a free cup of coffee? Then take a reusable travel mug and go to any Starbucks today for a free fill-up of brewed coffee.Other places are doing freebies or discounts as well, including McCormick and Schmick's, Cinnabon and Jamba Ju ... More >>

Starbucks Paying for Legal Defense of Former Barista, Admitted Statutory Rapist

Generic picture of coffee lest Starbucks get snippy with any parodies of its stupid logo...​Better stop buying your Frappuccinos and whatever other drinks Starbucks brews--your hard-earned cash just might be going to the legal defense of a former barista criminally convicted of statutory rape. In ... More >>

Two More Frozen Freebies: One Tomorrow!

Just as the hot weather hits, we get wind of two more giveaways, both in the name of charity.First up, the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. Drop by tomorrow, Thursday, May 7, between 4:00pm and 8:00pm, and they'll give you a free 12oz iced coffee. For every one served, CB&T will donate 25¢ to commun ... More >>

Starbucks News, Including Four Imminent Closures

Yet another round of Starbucks closures was recently announced, including a dozen locations in Orange County. Combined with those from the previous wave that are yet to shutter, that makes 15, four of which (in bold below) have definite closing dates at this time.The branches set to close are:Anahei ... More >>

Andean Express

Libreria Martinez

Long Bach Holiday Pop Up Shop

Art Theater

Satisfaction's Michael Rosas Acoustic Tonight!

If you need to get your Satisfaction fix, good news: front man Michael Rosas will be performing tonight at Alta Coffee in Newport Beach, which has to be one of the coziest little coffee houses in Orange County—let alone Newport Beach. Rosas goes on at 9:20 p.m. and he promises to get his "acoust ... More >>

Ed McKie Has Been Stymied in His Efforts to Create a Safe Space for Gay Meth Addicts in Santa Ana

[CD Review] Ida, Lovers Prayers (Polyvinyl)

No Starbucks? Not a problem!

With 7,100 Starbucks locations closing tonight at 5:30 for a three-hour, nationwide "training session," what's a coffee addict to do? There are dozens of local coffeehouses that should be cashing in and welcoming new costumers. A few worth a visit: • Kean Coffee, 2043 Westcliff Dr., Ste. 100, ... More >>

Love, Actually, Isn't Like This

Feast of Love knows nothing of what it blabs on and on about

Diary of a Mad County

Aug. 16 - Aug. 22

Malled

The Labs creator discovers theres no I in Irvine

Make Mine Male

Diary of a Mad County

Who Killed Cappuccino?

Suspect acquitted, murderer at large

True Believers

Our encounter with authentic Sicilian

Tom Mitchell

Bassist/Vocalist for the Over-Reactors, Insomnia Sufferer

Working for Beans

Demo at Diedrich Coffee is no Battle in Seattle

Extreme Holiday Gift Guide

The Wish List They Don't Want You to See!

Virtual Pansy Road Game

A virtual tour of touring

A Guide to Our Advertisers

Famous Food, Part 2

Conductors! Rock Stars! Restaurateurs! Poets!