West coast roasts

Bluebottle Coffee Company soy latte

Besides eating my way through a new city, I also love to get the buzz on the local coffee. An insider friend and I kept the caffeine coming by hitting up two dueling San Fran coffee roasters, Ritual Roasters and Bluebottle Coffee Company in the same day. It was hard to pick a definite winner, but both offered up a hearty and robust cup of joe, and rich, creamy espresso drinks that didn’t need an ounce of sugar or milk added. Bluebottle scored points for their cool (but always crowded) hidden kiosk that looks like a nondescript garage, while Ritual has a great cafe space, a perfectly frothed cappuccino and “loyalist” coffee cards. Both had nice logos and serve up their drinks with fun espresso patterns in the foam.

Bluebottle beans

Ritual Coffee Roasters in the Mission

Ritual Roasters cappuccino