one that popped up that was relatively new was this...
The Merchant, which is just a few steps away from the Long Beach Creamery (a bougie ice cream place recommended by a friend)...
Their menu scroll. Their prices were on the slightly pricey side. I usually see cortados for $3 or even $3.25; it's $4 here. But yes, I did get one while Bert ordered a cappuccino.
The barista in the photo was fabulous. He also had a cool Disney enamel pin collection on his apron; one of the pins moved, the characters from "The Princess and the Frog".
The owner, Andrea Fleytas is also the head baker (see the article linked at the end for more detailed info). She originally wanted to be a ship's captain but instead, followed her dreams of becoming a baker and opening up her own shop.
It's cute inside with slate blue walls and clean lines.
Morning snack - savory scone (it had bacon, so yay) and chocolate chip cookie...
plus our drinks...
Their coffee is from Portland's Stumptown. I was hoping they would use a roaster local to Long Beach. Their latte art wasn't that great but the drinks were quite nice. I was surprised that Bert ordered a cap. The cookie was also quite nice, very buttery with crisp edges and a softer body.
I was also surprised that my cortado came in a cup rather than the de rigeur Gibraltar glass.
I also ended up getting ANOTHER coffee drink because I saw it on IG and forgot to ask Bert to order it. That drink was their iced cortado
I've never had an iced cortado and when I saw the photo on IG, knew that I had to try it. Yes, I'm a sucker for espresso based drinks with a twist. Plus, look at that cute glass! What I really liked was the addition of the crushed ice. This really made the drink refreshing, if you could call coffee refreshing.
Across the street, I found out later, was the Blessing Prosperity and Longevity Monastery and the Dharma Realm Buddhist Association.
Awww, the bike rack was heart shaped!
The Merchant was a really cute coffee shop...their baked goods were excellent but since this is a gentrifiying area, the prices reflect that as well.
The building next to The Merchant looked vintage, especially with the curved corners. Streamline moderne maybe"
While en route to our next coffee stop, I saw THIS from afar...
OMG, yes.
Articles:
"Tons of new businesses are coming to Bixby Knolls..." PressTelegram, May 24, 2016 (this article details the gentrification of this community; it also mentions Steelcraft, which we visited during this roadtrip; that post is forthcoming)
"What's good, Long Beach? The Merchant journeys back to neighborhood bakeries" Gazettes, June 24, 2017
The Merchant
4121 Long Beach Blvd.
Long Beach, CA 90807
(562) 317-5155
www.themerchantlb.com/fb page + reviews from that four lettered site
Of course, you know my MO. This was only coffee stop #1...
and that giant donut shop would also be a new stop, heh heh...
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