Life without coffee sounds incomplete. And I can only think of a handful of days since I started drinking it that didn't include it. When I am on vacation, coffee is especially important, not only to keep me going through the long days of exploring, but also because the coffee culture is so fun to explore in different cities. In New York, I find that it's a lot of the coffee to-go and the shops on every corner, whereas in San Francisco, there seems to be more of an appreciation for enjoyment, with every coffee shop offering pour-overs and coffee shops playing an essential role in their neighborhoods.
Lucky for us, San Francisco really is dripping in good coffee. And with all of the coffee, comes some top-notch roasters, Four Barrel being one of them. We visited their store (which doubles as the site where they roast) on Valencia Street in the Mission District. The space was beautiful and open and I couldn’t help but comment on much room they have – Ive gotten so used to the small and quaint coffee shops of New York that it felt almost unnatural for a coffee shop to be so big. They roast their beans in an open area in the back of the shop and have seating that overlooks the production process. Plus, they have taxidermy and beautiful photography throughout the space, so it’s just really a win-win situation for anyone looking to really appreciate and enjoy their coffee in a place that has a ton of character. Sidenote: It's easy to overlook because the coffee is so good, but their pastries are to die for.