One of the great things about living in the Bay Area is the abundance of awesome coffee shops. Possibly due to the abnormally high number of hipsters that flock to San Francisco, many of these places are independently owned and offer a tasty, cheaper (and in some cases, green and healthy-ish) alternative to the Starbucks empire.
Today’s post is not about one of those independent, hole-in-the-wall shops. But it is about a place we didn’t even have anywhere near the Bay Area until a couple of months ago.
The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf was one of my most-frequented spots during college, since the branch furthest north was only a 20-minute drive away from my college town. Once I moved back to the Bay Area after college, I particularly missed their cinnamon-y, earthy, delicious chai lattes. Every time I make a trip to SoCal, where there are an abundance of Coffee Beans, I make it a point to go, even if it means going out of the way to a shopping center a mile away from the freeway.
So imagine my giddy, squealing, practically jumping-up-and-down delight when I discovered this past December that there was a Coffee Bean going in at one of our local malls, right here in San Jose! It’s not the closest mall to my house, which is probably better for our bank account, but while I was waiting for T’s car to get smogged today, I was able to run across the street to the other mall and grab a much-longed-for chai latte from the brand new shop.
The other people relaxing in the open café area thought I was ridiculous for taking a selfie.
If you’re planning a trip to SoCal, it absolutely must include a visit to Coffee Bean. And if you find yourself in NorCal, specifically West San Jose, check out the newest location at Westfield Valley Fair!
Perfect Harmonies 