Pubs, Cafes and Coffee Shops

This is a region of the country I want to see more of. It is beautiful. On my second visit to this region (I was in Palo Alto last year), I had little time to really get a sense of the place thanks to shittily planned work schedule. The only time I was able to escape the clients was at 7:00 in the morning. I headed out of my hotel on South Santa Cruz Avenue and strolled down the main street that led into the main shopping district. There was a charming little town square with trees, green grass, park benches and the mountains surrounding you. A nice place to sit with a cappuccino, if you didn't have a 8:45 call time! So I traversed onward down to the main shopping drag. At first glance, the street had a sort of "lifestyle center" vibe to it, except most of the buildings were older and built up over time. ( And there was no piped in music like most "new urban lifestyle centers", ie. outdoor malls. What is it with us, that every experience has to replicate fucking Disney World.) There were the predictable likes of William-Sonoma, Napa Style, and an Apple Store (we are in Silicon Valley after all). There were jewelry shops, expensive restaurants and botique clothing shops. But as I walked a little further I started noticing some welcome surprises. I passed an honest to goodness Mom & Pop hardware store. I strolled past a retro candy shop, all decked out for Christmas, that was so sweet it would put Willy Wonka in a diabetic coma. There was a movie theater with an old fashioned, no strike that, old marquee. This place has real charm.
So, at 7:00 am I was no doubt looking for my caffeine fix. I set out to find the ubiquitous Starbucks, sure that would be my only choice. What I found instead was Great Bear Coffee & Café. On a rainy cold morning, this store front was warm and inviting. Exposed brick, wobbly tables in the windows, oil paintings done by local artists, skinny college kids with splotchy facial hair. This was no Starbucks. My latté came in a mug. Glass not paper. Was I to actually sit and enjoy my coffee? What a concept! (sidebar: I went to a Starbucks in Nurenburg, Germany and found they also serve your coffee in ceramic mugs unless paper was asked for. Almost everyone sat and drank their coffee. No drive-thru.) By the way the coffee was good. Short on time I decided to cut my lingering short and continued walking. I came across three more coffee shops and still no Starbucks. How could this be? I'm sure there is one right around the corner I didn't turn. I could feel it's presence looming. (I mean they had a Gap for christsakes, there has to be a Starbucks!) In a town with a Rolls and a Ferrari dealership, spas and high end furniture shops there is still a nice small town vibe. At least in the wee hours when nothing but a few independent coffee shops are open. The work was about as exciting as a rectal exam, but my morning in Los Gatos was, while probably not worth the trip, a nice respite from clients and surprisingly Starbucks.