Chaos on commercial streets: For fans of gritty, cluttered stores and restaurants.

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by edale

Hayes Valley is so pleasant. I also love the little alley shops around there. There's a teeny tiny Blue Bottle in the alley right around there, which I thought was very charming and borderline twee, much like a lot of SF.

Blue Bottle is about the most expensive coffee around and beloved of hipsters but I much prefer Philz, mainly because I have to drink decaf for medical reasons and Philz has 3 different kinds (mine's "Ethiopian"). I know the Blue Bottle you're talking about. I often walk down that alley.

You know I go way back before they tore down the Central Freeway and Hayes Valley used have more Western Addition character. Hookers hung out under the Freeway overpass to keep out of the rain and the best restaurant along these blocks sold soul food and the best fried chicken in town. Now there's a much wider range of food, in type and price range, but the soul food place alas was displaced (over to the Fillmore neighborhood).

Now you can get a $100 prix fixe meal with wine parings for an additional $80 though.

[SIGSEGV]

I wonder how Philz will do here when they open a store in the spring. I like it, but I don't know that it's better than Intelligentsia, Metropolis or even Colectivo...

[sopas ej]

Oh mah gah Blue Bottle. I went into one once and walked right out---$17 for a cup of coffee? Does it come with a happy ending?

I'd rather get a cup of sake for way less than that.

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by SIGSEGV

I wonder how Philz will do here when they open a store in the spring. I like it, but I don't know that it's better than Intelligentsia, Metropolis or even Colectivo...

If you can drink caffeinated coffee you have all sorts of options, in SF as well. But very few places offer a variety of decafs beyond a standard "house" variety (and in SF many don't even have that and the best they can do is an "Americano" which is a blah decaf espresso wantered down after the fact and much inferior IMHO).

Originally Posted by sopas ej

Oh mah gah Blue Bottle. I went into one once and walked right out---$17 for a cup of coffee? Does it come with a happy ending?
I'd rather get a cup of sake for way less than that.

In Hayes Valley you don't have to walk out. The alley has been turned into a sort of pedestrian mall that allows access to the cars of people whose garages open onto it only--no through traffic. And there's concrete seating in the public space, so Blue Bottle really just has a kiosk although it's on the ground floor of a building. You buy your coffee and sit on one of the alleyway seats. The good news, I suppose, is you can probably fire up a joint or vape since it's open air, if you want. But if the prices are too much you just keep walking down the alley. I said . . . it's tres hip.

[Sun Belt]

Originally Posted by SIGSEGV

I wonder how Philz will do here when they open a store in the spring. I like it, but I don't know that it's better than Intelligentsia, Metropolis or even Colectivo...

I'm a coffee a drinker. I love it, drink it all day [I just bought a new coffee maker 3 days ago, that I'm totally stoked on, have it preset to brew at 5am - morning person]. I've been to Philz. It's ok - if you want to wait for a cup of coffee and pay 2x the price of Starbucks which is already 2x the price of what coffee should be priced. I'm pretty sure I paid close to $5 for a cup of no frills coffee there.

[edale]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

Oh mah gah Blue Bottle. I went into one once and walked right out---$17 for a cup of coffee? Does it come with a happy ending?

I'd rather get a cup of sake for way less than that.

I pay about $4.50 for a latte, cold brew, or their "New Orleans" which is just a sweetened iced coffee with cream. It's expensive for sure, but only a bit more than Starbucks and SO much better. They do offer one pour over that's super deluxe and expensive, and I completely agree that is ridiculous, and would never order it.

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by Sun Belt

I've been to Philz. It's ok - if you want to wait for a cup of coffee and pay 2x the price of Starbucks which is already 2x the price of what coffee should be priced. I'm pretty sure I paid close to $5 for a cup of no frills coffee there.

When I'm in a cheap mood I go to Starbuck's or Peet's (which has a Bay Area pedigree even though it's now owned by a Brit). But honestly I think their coffee is over-roasted . . . too dark and bitter for me. I have to put lots of cream in it. When I can find it decaf I buy blond-roasted Kona. But Philz Ethiopian is my favorite from these coffee shops.