Tartine Bakery

Tartine is a famous bakery with locations in Los Angeles, the Bay Area and Seoul. Everything on the menu looked incredible and their morning buns are very populary but we opted to share the chocolate croissant and the Gougere which is a cheese bread made with mouth-watering gruyere. They were both so fresh and absolutely delicious and we were able to satisfy our sweet and savoury cravings!

They bake fresh loaves as well and make amazing hot pressed sandwiches and serve coffee of course! I did not have any room in my stomach for more coffee which is a shame but will need to try some next time I’m visiting the Bay Area.

Four Barrel Coffee

Four Barrel is an independent, locally owned coffee roaster in San Francisco. They operate a pair of cafes and have a partner location in The Mill. They also directly source almost all of the coffee that they roast for themselves and their wholesale partners. The roasting style is very clean yet complex and I could definitely taste something special in my (decaf) cappuccino! They roast their beans onsite in the back so that’s why the coffee tasted so fresh!

I met up with some friends at their Mission location and let me tell you - this spot was popping (literally)! The space was pretty large but there were no seats available and the line was almost out the door! We ordered our coffees hoping a table would open up but eventually just settled on some standing room around a counter. The atmosphere was very hipster and cool with exposed beams and a rustic vibe! This was such a great spot and I’ll need to come by to try something else next time I visit San Francisco !

Perch Coffee

Perch Coffee was my first coffee stop during my California trip! Conveniently located right around Lake Merritt in Oakland, I stopped by after my morning run for some breakfast! I was a bit disappointed with the food options (mostly just muffins, bagels and pastries) but landed on a ham and cheese croissant. I was also already so hyped up from my run that I opted to try the Mexican Hot Chocolate rather than a coffee drink. My hot chocolate was tasty but could’ve used a bit more kick to it (maybe Cayenne pepper?) and could’ve been a bit hotter!

Prior to my visit, I had read a tons of review about rude customer service (seems like it’s a consistent issue with one particular barista who I did not encounter) but I found the staff to be friendly enough and I had an overall pleasant experience! My favourite part was that they encourage a plastic free experience! Perch has partnered with the non-profit “For Here Please” to encourage more people to drink their coffee in reusable mugs at the café. I did see a handful of people leaving with plastic cups but the majority of the customers brought reusable mugs or were enjoying their drinks and food at the café. There is plenty of seating and people definitely perched themselves for a while. I was happy that I didn’t feel rushed to leave and really enjoyed some quiet time with the sun streaming in! Definitely a convenient spot if you’re exploring Oakland and the Lake Merritt area!

My 2020 Book List

Happy 2020! I can't believe how fast time is going by. I love reflecting over the past year during the Christmas season and of course goal setting for the year to come. One of my consistent goals over the past few years has been to read more and more specifically to read 50 books! I'm also making my way through the Time's All-Time Top 100 Novels. You can follow my book progress here and my Goodreads account here.

1. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

2. Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow *

3. Women & Power: A Manifesto by Mary Beard

4. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

5. The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry

6. The Bride Test be Helen Hoang

7. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys *

8. The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

9. Rabbit, Run by John Updike *

10. American Royals by Katherine McGee

11. From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily and Finding Home by Tembi Locke

12. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen *

13. A. House for Mr. Biswas by V.S Naipaul *

14. My Cat Yugoslavia by Pajtim Statovci

15. The Jetsetters by Amanda Eyre Ward

16. The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene *

17. The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin

18. I Know My Name by C.J. Cooke

19. William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Mean Girls by Ian Doescher

20. The Confessions of Nat Turner by William Styron *

21. Red White & Royal Blye by Casey McQuiston

22. Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller *

23. American Pastoral by Philip Roth *

24. Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov *

25. The Black Swam: The Impact of the Highly Improbably by Nicholas Taleb

26. Whisper Network by Chandler Baker

27. I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness

28. Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee

29. White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo

30. Under the Volcano by Malcolm Lowry *

31. Portnoy's Complaint by Philip Roth *

32. In Conclusion, Don't Worry About it by Lauren Graham

33. The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon *

34. Neuromancer by William Gibson *

35. Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan

36. Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

37. The Heart of the Matter by Graham Greene * 

38. I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

39. White Teeth by Zadie Smith *

40. Silver Bay by Jojo Moyes

41. Play It As It Lays by Joan Didion

42. The Home Edit by Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin

43. Wild Interiors by Hilton Carter

44. The Man Who Loved Children by Christina Stead *

45. The Home Edit Life by Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin

46. The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow* 

47. We Met in December by Rosie Curtis

48. Majesty: American Royals 2 by Katherine McGee