Coffee Tasting At Philz

Fran and I walk in Encinitas most Saturday mornings.  When Philz Coffee opened, we had to try it.  It was always busy, and my son's name is Phil.  Two good reasons to try it.  We were glad we did.  There's a great vibe when you enter Philz, and the coffee is pretty darn good.  We thought it would be a great place to introduce our Newcomers to, so we arranged a coffee tasting, with Austin, one of their friendly barristas.  What fun.

18 Newcomers joined the fun for a morning of great tasting coffee, sweets snacks to accompany each coffee, and a little education on how Philz came to be.  Phil Jaber, the founder of Philz, began over 25 years ago, sampling coffee and  creating blends (he has created over 30 coffee blends), and finally opened Philz in San Francisco several years ago.  It's "the" place for coffee in San Francisco, and now Encinitas.  Every coffee is named, and every coffee is a blend of numerous beans, that only a very few know.  We tasted 6 coffees.  (decaf is also available).  My favorite blend was Jacob's Wonderbar, a darker blend, named for his son Jacob.  It has a hint of dark chocolate, smoke and nuts.  It pairs well with chocolate chip cookies.  Another interesting and unusual blend is called Philharmonic.  It has hints of cardamom, maple and earth, and each cup has a piece of fresh mint.  Unique and delicious.

Beans are all roasted at their plant in Oakland, and the blends are produced there.  This is  secretive.  Few people know the exact recipe for each blend.  The hot coffee is excellent, but Philz also makes some good cold drinks.  Want a little snack to go with your coffee?  Try one of their excellent open face sandwiches, like smashed avocado toast, or bread topped with hummus and spices.  We sampled a delicious vegan muffin, which I would highly recommend for vegans and carnivores alike.

To top it off, all drinks at Philz are pour overs.  This means they are made just for you, not brewed in  a pot that could be sitting for hours.  Your coffee will be fresh, your food will be too, and it will be served by one of their friendly barristas, like Austin, who will explain anything you want to know about your coffee, and serve it with a smile.