By SHARAEL KOLBERG
Beautiful latte art at Urth Caffé
LAGUNA BEACH RESIDENTS MUST LOVE THEIR COFFEE BECAUSE THIS SMALL BEACH TOWN SEEMS TO HAVE EXPLODED WITH NEW CAFES OFFERING A VARIETY OF CUSTOM CAFFEINATED CONCOCTIONS — JOINING MANY LONGTIME FAVORITES . LAGUNA NOW HAS AT LEAST 20 PLACES TO GRAB YOUR MORNING CUP OF JOE , WHICH MEANS YOU COULD VISIT A DIFFERENT CAFE FOR NEARLY THREE WEEKS TO TRY THEM ALL .
Whether you like a hot espresso , pour over or cold brew , there ’ s something for every coffee connoisseur , not to mention alternative drinks from herbal tea to matcha lattes and chagaccinos ( made from chaga mushrooms ), plus delicious pastries to pair with your favorite morning beverage .
NEW TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD If you ’ re in need of a morning jolt or an afternoon pick-me-up , these new businesses have a variety of sips to get you going .
Coffee purists will love Jedidiah Coffee ’ s beans , which hail from places like Ethiopia , Guatemala and Colombia and are freshly roasted in Laguna Canyon . The local brand ’ s “ Keep Laguna Caffeinated ” motto extends to educating customers about its craft coffee , and the north Laguna cafe is much more than a coffee shop , it is a community gathering place . Local groups meet there and the owners , husband-and-wife team Steve and Embry Munsey , organize beach clean-ups and Corner Markets with artisan goods . “ We like to think we give back to our community by really being ingrained in it ,” Embry Munsey says . The company is named in loving memory of the couple ’ s stillborn son . After several years of pop-ups and event catering , the Munseys finally opened their brick-and-mortar cafe earlier this year , partnering with local companies such as Gelato Paradiso for their affogatos and South Swell Donuts for the pastry case .
Also in north Laguna , The Lost Bean Coastal Cafe opened in May in the space formerly occupied by Zeytoon Cafe ; it ’ s the
VICTOR BOGHOSSIAN
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