One of my favorite things to do when I am in a new location is find a cute local coffee shop- as many of my friends know, coffee is essential for me to function. I try to make friends with the owners and baristas, and make a point of going there regularly instead of a chain. In high school, my friends and I were consistent customers of Douce France, a bakery and cafe right across the street from my high school. In college, I found a cute little patisserie on Maple Street that I would always stop in at on my way to work. Working in Redwood City over the summer led me to find a corner kiosk called The Daily Boost in the square with excellent service and divine freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.
I love knowing the first names of the baristas- when I make my daily visits they always ask how things are going, how a weekend trip went, or my opinion on a new baked good (Usually I can't complain!). Even if these places are a little more out of my way, the interactions make the trip worth it. I personally find it very important to support local businesses- and they generally have higher quality ingredients and less of a carbon footprint than big name chains.
When I arrive in Spain (less than a month!) I look forward to finding another café that I can go to daily for some
café con leche- let me know if you have any recommendations for places in Granada!
-K
