My little seaside town is blessed with great weather and beaches, and also a few awesome coffee joints that still wave the banner of the small, independent coffee shop. Red's Coffee is my favorite by far, because it's a hold over from the days when Santa Barbara was more of a hippie destination than a resort town. It's two blocks from the beach, but early in the morning the parking lot is still foggy when you pull in which makes the romantic in me swoon. And, if it's really foggy and the fog horns are still sounding....well, all the better.
Does my double cappuccino taste better at Red's because the hippie-chick behind the counter seems to really enjoy making it? I think so.