Vacation- all I ever wanted

Mark and I went to Southern California for a much needed vacation away from the shop. The first day, we went to Manhattan beach, and I had the BEST cotton candy ever.

cotton candy head

Tuesday we went to Little Ethiopia. A restaurant there did coffee ceremonies. Traditionally, it consists of roasting coffee on a cast iron skillet, and serving it up right there, complete with incense. The woman who served us is from Ethiopia, and told us she learned to make coffee from her mother, who still lives there.

The coffee, just off the fire. It's crackling and popping.

Pouring the coffee from the clay pot

She pours it from a certain height to keep the coffee grounds out.

Mark tries his hand at pouring the coffee.

Little cup of coffee. Black, no sugar. No cream. Soooo Strong! But tasty.

A boobilicious confection at an exotic cake bakery in Little Ethiopia.

After our adventures in Little Ethiopia, we trekked across town to find the L.A. Intelligensia Coffee. It's a Chicago-based Coffee Roaster with just 4 locations there, and one new one in L.A., on Sunset Blvd.

We walked in, and I heard a familiar sound. Chop. Chop. Chop. Chop. The sound of chocolate being chopped on a cutting board with a big knife. Hey! I thought WE were the only ones who did that!!!! Once I saw the pile of chocolate on the cutting board, I knew I had to have a mocha. And it was delicious.

Cool place, eh!?