Coupa Cafe, Palo Alto

I think this is my new favorite cafe in the Peninsula... Not that I really had a previous favorite... But this place has everything I like in a cafe:

• Good ambiance (comfy and cozy, with indoor and outdoor seating)
• Good food (including lots of sweet or savory food options)
• Lots of beverages to choose from
• Friendly service (order at the counter, they'll bring the food to you)

Jon and I stopped in yesterday before catching an early screening of "Little Miss Sunshine" (which, by the way, is hilarious!). Jon ordered a blueberry scone, BLT croissant sandwich and orangeade. I had a slice of Quiche Lorraine and an iced "Chuao" chocolate. The grand total was about $25, but it was a good amount of food (his sandwich and my quiche each came with a small helping of salad). Food-wise, the only gripe was that the crust on the quiche was gummy in some spots, and yet perfectly flaky in others.

As promised, that Chuao was spicy! At first, it goes down nice and smooth. Then suddenly, the chile and pepper kicks in and you feel the heat. I loved it. Coupa is actually known for its Chuao Chocolatier treats -- with unique fillings such as banana caramel and chevre -- as well as the strong Venezuelan coffee that's served up here.

We were in a bit of a hurry, so didn't really get to relax and hang out as much as we would have liked to. (I dig the leather couch in the back room, situated right in front of a fireplace.) Next weekend, maybe!

Coupa Cafe
538 Ramona Street
Palo Alto, CA
(650) 322-6872

Caffè del Doge, Palo Alto

Caffè del Doge -- a Venice(that's Italy, not CA)-based coffee company -- has just one North American location. And luckily for us, it's in Palo Alto.

I won't go into the history of Caffè del Doge -- you can read all about that on their web site. I'm just here to tell you about their delicious European-style hot chocolate. It's super-thick, rich, creamy. While I loved it, I should warn you that it's not for everyone. Jon took a sip and was not impressed, maintaining it was like "drinking hot pudding." (Whatever!)

When I stopped in, it was about 9am on a Saturday, and there were still some seats available. But word on the street is that this place gets crazy-crowded later in the day.

Caffè del Doge
419 University Avenue
Palo Alto, CA
(650) 323-3600

New Restaurant in Palo Alto

Wow. The Chronicle's Food section is all over the Peninsula today! Here's another item from the Inside Scoop:

Caffe del Doge a Venice-based coffee roaster and cafe has opened at 419 University Ave. (near Waverly) in Palo Alto.

What's unusual about this coffeehouse is that customers can choose which kind of beans they want for their espresso from a staggering 10 or more choices, and how they'd like it prepared: straight up, or in a variety of fancy coffee "cocktails" like espresso Marco Polo ($2.50), a spiced espresso with cream or Caffe Pedrocchi ($3.70), espresso with mint cream.

Besides coffee, the 50-seat cafe serves a selection of cured Italian meats, salads, panini and aperitivi.

The cafe is now open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., but may stay open later in the near future.