Saturday, April 5, 2008

blame it on Rio

I love cafes. I love ordering them, in places where coffee's called "cafe," and I love sitting in them, whether in LaVerne or Laval.

One of my regular stops is Café Rio, next to the Vons at Foothill and White. Truth be told, the coffee was terrible, but it was quiet, comfortable, friendly, and equipped with free and dependable wi-fi. To my dismay, however, Café Rio has closed. I wouldn't argue that it deserved to stay open -- the coffee really, really stank -- but I'm going to miss it.

Can anyone suggest a non-Starbuck's replacement? Yesterday I ended up reading my book in LePainQuot, but they don't pay me enough to visit there regularly, and sometimes a girl wants to avoid Claremont Village. ARE there any other independent cafes around?

11 comments:

calwatch said...

The award winning Coffee Klatch. http://www.klatchroasting.com/

meg said...

I'll try it this afternoon -- thanks!

Funny that I never saw it; I shop there fairly often.

Anonymous said...

Euro Cafe in the Vons shopping center at Base Line and Mills is good if you're ever up there.

The owners are Portuguese, and they make their own chourico, which they use in sandwiches, omlettes, and soups. They also sell the chourico, and it's pretty good butterflied and grilled.

They make a variety of Portuguese dishes, such as a grilled steak covered with a fried egg and served with potatoes or caldo verde soup or a number of pasteries and baked goods.

The coffee and espresso are first rate as well. It's open fairly early for breakfast and is open until about 8pm on weekdays.

me said...

Boveldt Coffee at 386 S Thomas St (that's just below 3rd) in Pomona. South African bent. More info at:

yelp.com/boveldt-coffee-cafe-pomona

I popped in LPQ yesterday too.

G of P

meg said...

I do like Euro Cafe quite a bit. In fact, I had a bowl of soup there this afternoon before getting my hairs cut. Somehow whenever I go there, though, it's packed. Today, for example, I got the last seat at the too-narrow counter.

I also tried Coffee Klatch this afternoon, calwatch -- or rather I tried to. It too was full to the gunwales, with no seats inside. Moreover, the music was poundingly loud, which is a bit of a deterrent for middle-aged me. I'll give it another try to see if today was a fluke.

Thanks for the suggestions, both of you. Keep those recommendations coming, folks!

meg said...

GoP: So they are open now? The last time I drove by, they were "Coming Soon!"

I'll swing by in the next couple of days.

Anonymous said...

Ahh, Cafe Rico. I went there only once after numerous invites from a friend that loved the place. It was a nice atmosphere and the jazz band that played that night was terrific.

When I found out it was closed I was disappointed. I am sure that the Starbucks inside Target had something to do with it.

I do not go to Starbucks unless I have too. I would much rather my two dollars go to a mom n pop joint that to some corporation.

I too saw Bouveldt Cafe in downtown Pomona and I am looking forward to trying it.

As far as Euro Cafe I have a friend in Upland that swears they make great paninis for breakfast.

Anonymous said...

I came upon this blog quite haphazardly...but I am new to Pomona so I am enjoying all the great info. It turns out we are also neighbors...I also live in the historical district, a short walk from Lincoln Park.

meg said...

Welcome to the nabe, Anonymous. You've got a lot of competition (or co-authors) for that name -- pull up a chair, pick some random nickname by which we can know you, and set a spell.

Of course, you'll almost certainly get to know most of us in the flesh. My initiation into the neighborhood was at a Pomona Heritage event, where a certain other Anonymous said, "Wait, you're not the Meg that has a blog are you?!?"

Guilty as charged.

Garrett Sawyer said...

I think making my own coffee is a lot cheaper, although there are many nice things to going out and getting some... All the suggestions I had were mentioned already, sorry. I've never been, but does 2nd St. Bistro have coffee? Not that I would ever need coffee at lunch or dinner. lol.

Anonymous said...

Some of the best coffee I have ever had came from Peets Coffee and Tea. The new store in The Shoppes @ Chino Hills will be the closest to you in Pomona. A bit of a drive but well worth it!