Eye Level Pasadena

Alfred Peet, the founder of Peet’s Coffee and Tea, died today.

Green peony tea

…in a glass teapot at Peet’s

Newspaper on a table outside Peet’s and Wild Oats

Peet’s pigeon

Peet’s Coffee & Tea
605 S Lake Ave
Pasadena, CA 91106
(626) 795-7413

Roses and grapes growing in front of Peet’s

Peet’s Coffee and Tea

Peet’s is one of Pasadena’s third places. All kinds of people come here to hang out: artists, writers, scientists, students, professors, police officers, house painters, real estate agents, business owners, people in between yoga classes up the street, beauticians, entertainment people, computer people, architects, psychologists, mathematicians, stay-at-home moms, teachers—it’s a mix of interesting people, mostly in the 30 to 60 age range. The outdoor courtyard area makes it little kid and dog friendly. The coffee is great, but so are the tea and pastries. This particular Peet’s has 30-something (I’m guessing from memory) loose-leaf tea varieties, and they order pastries from four different bakeries in the LA area (Europane, La Brea Bakery, Venice and La Provence, which is quite a nice little cafe in its own right, but on the other side of town). If you’re overwhelmed by the choices, I have a few suggestions: the rustic cherry tart, the bread pudding, and the sugar bun are my favorite pastries, and in the tea department I like Lapsang Souchong, Genmai Cha, and Xiao’s blend best. It’s hard to go wrong, though.

Peet’s Coffee & Tea
605 S Lake Ave
Pasadena, CA 91106
(626) 795-7413

Tea monster

a.k.a. Green Peony tea at Peet’s