Lord Windsor's Coffee Roasters, 1101 East Third Street, Long Beach, California
CoffeeBeer >> Double Shot Buzz >> Lord Windsor's
Lord Windsor's Coffee Roasters, 1101 East Third Street, Long Beach, California
Last month I made a visit to Southern California to visit my mother, and while there I saw a few old friends including my Bay Area friend Mistah Rick. Rick drove down to spend a couple of days with me exploring the breweries of Los Angeles, and the next few Pint Pleasures columns will feature some of those breweries. Naturally, before our arduous treks, we needed to start each morning off with a decent coffee. On the first morning we decided to see what Long Beach had to offer.
I found an online list of the best coffee places in Long Beach, and Lord Windsors was right up at the top. As it’s located on the same street on which I lived for most of my young adulthood, and because the street conveniently leads directly onto the 710 Freeway and up to Los Angeles, this was the obvious destination.
Opened four years ago by Wade and Lindsay Windsor, who both gave up their corporate career lifestyle in San Francisco, Lord Windsor's was voted the Best Local Roaster of 2015 in the Orange County Weekly, which seems a bit odd as Long Beach is in Los Angeles County. Oh, well. But it was also voted one of the best Cold Brew bottled coffee producers in Los Angeles in the same year by the LA Weekly.
The cafe, located on the corner of Cerritos Avenue, was fairly empty when we stopped in on Friday morning, probably because we arrived well after any early morning workers would have been congregating for their caffeine fixes. We ordered double cappuccinos which were served capped with gorgeous rosettas. The coffee, brewed from Double El Salvador beans that are roasted right there, was very smoooooooth, like a gentle caress on the tongue without causing any overexcitability. I prefer a bit more robustness in my coffee, but it was still quite enjoyable – and as fresh as you can possibly get.
We sat at a front table and looked out onto Third Street, with a group of rent-a-bikes just to the side. I reminisced about my years on Third Street, specifically down near Redondo. Lord Windsors is closer to downtown, but the entire length of Third Street has taken on the same appealing character. I love all the Spanish-style buildings and palm trees, both short and tall, and many buildings are now covered with murals. I felt so nostalgic for the old days in the eighties, but I have a feeling I wouldn’t be able to afford to live in this part of Long Beach today. Nevertheless it’s wonderful to visit my old stomping grounds and slide down my old street.
Speaking of sliding, the following is a very recent current-events-related WhatsApp conversation with my Long Beach musician friend Classicalgit:
Don’t know if you saw this on Messenger. Too funny:
I doubt it will truly resonate with the American public.
Haha! The American public is playing with broken strings.
They should get in tune with the rest of the world.
Undoubtedly…have symphony for us.
Have Trump’s advisors orchestrated all this? I’m sincerely hoping for a swan song...
We need a good nut tracker, sweet.Related Links