Finding the coffee shop that's right for you

By Anna Baldasty

Finding a good cup of coffee isn't hard, but finding the right atmosphere to drink it in can be.

Local coffee shops have discovered a way to resolve this dilemma by brewing up a particular mood along with their milky lattes -- concocting a unique ambiance along with their sugary pastries and savory sandwiches.

What makes a coffeehouse a favorite, however, depends on whether or not the coffee drinker's personality matches the persona of the place.

Each different coffee locale showcases a singular blend of decor, sounds, smells, tastes and people.

And once you find the one that fits you, look no further. You've found your coffee home away from home.

Starbucks Coffee, located across El Camino, wins no points for being that quirky, artsy, hidden gem sort of coffee shop everyone wants to claim they found first. In fact, it's quite the opposite: It's a big, international, money-making chain.

And yet, the great success of Starbucks cannot be so easily dismissed, for it testifies to its universal appeal.

No matter what state or country you're in, walking into a Starbucks is the same, comfortable, wonderfully generic experience.

This, combined with its oversized chairs, the low, seductive voices of artists like Carly Simon and Leonard Cohen piping in through overhead speakers and students working on laptops by large sunny windows, turns sipping a latte at Starbucks into sipping something deliciously familiar.

If Starbucks is a generic chain, then Mission City Coffee Roasting Co. is its arch nemesis. Located on The Alameda, Mission City is a fledgling artist's, musician's or writer's caffeine haven.

Of course, if you are a student who lacks the look of a starving poet or actor ready to break into an improv routine at any moment, you don't need to sip your cappuccino while hiding in a corner.

In fact, Mission City draws a wide range of customers, from artsy intellectuals to preppy students who gather to gossip with friends.

Still, the atmosphere is undeniably alternative.

Grab a seat at any one of the wooden tables bathed in soft, natural light, savor the warm, delicious taste of foamy milk and take advantage of prime opportunities for people-watching.

Even if you have never been there before, you will feel like you are returning to someplace old, worn and soulful.

Unlike Mission City, City Lights Espresso, located on Homestead Road across from Franklin Square Mall, doesn't give off an artsy vibe, but does bring the meaning of comfortable to a whole new level.

Despite the newness of the building itself, this coffee shop strives to transport its customers to a cozy cabin in the woods.

In the center of the room there is an enormous couch and chair, and a bookshelf displaying well-worn bindings is nestled into a corner by the door. The books are clearly not just for display, and, after taking over the comfy couch, you might just want to pick one up and risk getting lost in fiction and caffeine for a few hours one rainy Saturday morning.

And if your morning coffee break lasts until lunchtime, don't miss sampling one of City Lights Espresso's crispy paninis or fresh salads.

But what about coffee shops outside a one-mile radius of campus? Isn't there someplace where you won't necessarily run into everyone you never wanted to see while wearing your Saturday morning sweats?

One place is Cocola Bakery on Santana Row, but then again, I wouldn't really recommend wearing your Saturday morning attire to this high-end, sophisticated espresso and bakery shop.

The glass case at the front counter displays an assortment of glazed, delicate and beautifully decorated desserts that almost seem too perfect and fragile to eat.

The elegant woodwork, the butter-yellow walls, the green and yellow mosaic tile that decorates the table tops and the decorative touches of bright fruit bowls and floral arrangements do not make Cocola cozy and intimate, but they do succeed in giving it a certain classy charm.

In warmer weather, you can sit outside and savor your five-dollar mini tiramisu while watching Santana Row fashionistas stroll by.

Go to Cocola not to write that ten-page term paper or read that novel, but to indulge, letting your poor college student self surrender to a moment of pure decadence.

Contact Anna Baldasty at (408) 551-1918 or abaldasty@scu.edu.