Red Window Coffee Brings Aussie Flair and Blue Bottle to the 818
What: Red Window might just be the smallest (and cutest) place in the 818 (and in fact, all of Los Angeles) to order a cup of coffee, but one thing is for certain: It […]
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CategoryEat & Drink
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Written byKaren Young
What: Red Window might just be the smallest (and cutest) place in the 818 (and in fact, all of Los Angeles) to order a cup of coffee, but one thing is for certain: It also ranks as one of the best—perhaps because it’s Blue Bottle coffee they are serving. And it’s the only place around with an Australian twist. Order at the window and take a seat at one of the wooden tables made from old shipyard spools.
Who: It's owned by husband/wife Dan and Leah Pringle who are Aussie natives and award-winning musicians/producers whose stage names are Daniel James and Leah Haywood. Together they’ve written for the likes of Nicki Minaj, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato. Both love coffee, so this is their passion project: “Music and coffee are synonymous.” Having any downtime is a past time, as they are parents to an 18-month-old, plus one on the way very soon.
Where: Red Window inhabits a tiny, brick structure (think small closet) in the front of the driveway that houses Iroha Sushi in Studio City. The original structure lived as a tarot card center and an independent record store. Dan and Leah knocked it down and rebuilt it with bricks and wood.
The Coffee: Blue Bottle coffee comes from Northern California and is known as the “third wave” of coffee—meaning artisanal, single-bean and freshly roasted. It’s rich with a chicory essence without any acidic aftertaste—and the coffee is measured and timed for each individual cup. So far, the only places to get Blue Bottle are the locations in Venice and DTLA. This is a first for the 818.
What to Order: If you are a cold-brew fan, a cup of the New Orleans is a must-try. There’s a choice of half-and-half, as well as regular, soy and almond milk—or just drink it straight up. Aussie specialties all have double shots of espresso and include Aussie-style cappuccino (layered with espresso, sweet chocolate powder sprinkles, microfoam and more light sprinkles on top) and the flat white (cappuccino-sized latte with minimum foam).
Aussie-style cappuccino (sip first from the chocolate spot!)
Blue Bottle New Orleans cold brew
Aussie specialty: the"flat white" (this was just introduced at Starbucks, but believe me, it's not the same).
The Sweets: Since they only have a license for pre-made food, sweets are delivered daily from Cake Monkey. The menu will change daily, but expect baked goods such as salted caramel monkey bread, Gruyère croissants, chocolate chip cookies and an assortment of muffins. In the future they hope to incorporate more Aussie goods as well.
Salted caramel pastry
Drink up at these stool spools.
Red Window, 12953 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, 818-201-7841, Open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
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Food is pretty darn good, too.