#picaresca

Cuando se nombra a Cervantes, rápidamente nos viene a la memoria el título de su obra más conocida: Don Quijote de la Mancha, pero este sublime escritor del Siglo de Oro español es mucho más que esta novela que le dio fama internacional, aunque, para ser sinceros, en su momento ni con la poesía ni con el teatro tuvo demasiado o ningún éxito, y es que la sombra de Lope de Vega era inmensa, por no…

Como se puede ver, los individuos se dedicaban a llenar carros de compra con packs de latas de cervezas, rompiendo las mismas y dejando espacio en medio para cargar con otra mercancía oculta, ya que el personal de caja lo que suele hacer es contar la cantidad de packs desde fuera, sin mover las cajas, así podían hurtar varios productos ocultos.

Picaresca opened in 2020 in a mini mall in Boyle Heights. They roast their own coffee beans using a variety of methods and they aim for a medium roast. Their space is small – just room for their equipment and a 2 or 3 customers.

For drinks, they have drip coffee, cold brew, espresso drinks, café con leche, flavored lattes, specialty drinks (with Mexican inspired flavors), tonics, and teas. They’re known for their café de olla latte. For food, they have a few pastries from the panaderia, cookies, burritos, a breakfast sandwich, and wraps. They do not offer pour over coffee.

Flat white ($4): No foam art, flavorful but a bit bitter

Breakfast sandwich ($6): Made to order, the sandwich includes turkey, cheese, egg, mulato jam on a soft bun (it looks like a white hamburger bun). Mulato jam is made with dried chilies but not spicy. It’s sweet and fruity. The sweetness of the jam was a nice counterpoint to the salt of the turkey slice.

The mini mall is older and not well-maintained but the shop is clean and cheerful with plants, books, and art work. The mini mall is stuffy and smells like laundry and incense. There are two small tables and a counter outside of the shop. Coffee beans and branded merchandise are for sale. I noticed their customers are very talkative…they never stop talking. Must be their regulars?

You can also find them at the Silver Lake Farmers Market. Online ordering and bean subscriptions are available. Park in the strip mall next door.

4 out of 5 stars.