Coffee and Cheese at Sunset Junction

On Friday I had to drop my boyfriend's car off at a shop, but lucky for me he picked a shop that was only a 10 minute walk from Sunset Junction in Silverlake. So I walked over to Intelligenstia for some coffee and a place to do work while I waited for the car to get fixed. This was my first time at Intelligenstia, and it was pretty intimidating. The coffee and tea selection is full of exotic names and above average prices. But I sucked up my pride, admitted I was new to the scene, and asked for some advice. I loved the coffee I ended up getting (Rugerero).

The clientele is a fun mix. Yelp reviewers describe it as "hipsters," but it is really a much richer group of people. Vintage junkies, poetry reading intellectuals, gossiping girlfriends, coffee snobs, mothers who are determined to still have a life (in a good way), a woman who walked around with her cat tucked into her coat (I kid you not), and some people just looking to use the free internet to check Facebook.

Before heading back to get the car, I stopped into the cheese shop next door. The Cheese Store of Silverlake is so tucked away you would never find it if you did not get out of your car. But it is such a hidden treasure that it is really worth parking and walking around until you find it.

The woman who helped me had been working there for 3 years and was very friendly and knowledgeable. I can't wait to go back for more recommendations (and probably a bottle of wine)!