Blue Bottle Coffee co. is a micro-roaster of organic coffee, with just a few cafes in San Francisco (4 or 5).  A colleague recommended I try it out sometime when they saw how often I was heading to the Starbucks on the first floor of the building we were working in…

Historic Light Rail, before everyone boarded

The first time I tried it I was taking the light rail to work and just stopped early at the Ferry Building.

The Blue Bottle Coffee Co. In the Ferry Building

But it had been a few weeks since I last made it to Blue Bottle, and I had previously failed to get a picture of the fantastic coffee they serve.  I resolved to return early one morning before work…

So I woke up to a nice sunrise…

Sunrise in San Francisco

And walked a couple of extra blocks to the Ferry Building to return to the scene of the crime.  The first time I went, I ordered their fairly well-regarded hand-drip coffee.  They make each cup of drip coffee individually, and many coffee fans rave about it. But I’m used to drinking espresso or lattes and mochas, and the drip coffee is still too acidic to my taste.  When I returned, I tried the latte- which I found to be excellent, and this last time I ordered a mocha.

They sell all kinds of coffee paraphernalia at the Blue Bottle Coffee Co.  Siphons and French Presses and other exotic tools of the trade.

coffee siphon anyone?

One of the redeeming qualities is the location: the Ferry building is just unique.  It has a great feel, and when you step inside, it feels like you’ve stepped into an alternate world of anti-marketing – for none of the specialty stores inside have a shingle hanging outside the Ferry building itself.  You have to step inside to find out what’s there.  And maybe that counter-intuitive branding is part of the charm.   There’s no logo on the cup, just good coffee.

Don’t believe me? check out the yelp reviews.

Oh, and what about the coffee? Check out the pictures, they definitely have good foam-art skills.

mocha latte

closeup of mocha latte