The sun may rise at the shore but, it always sets to the West. Although there is no singular location in between to view each natural beauty, there is now a place to experience a piece of the best of both of these very different worlds.
California Cold Co., a craft coffee and acai shop, resides in the modest Home Fashion Center of Manalapan, New Jersey. Hidden behind the covered windows that, from the outside, make the shop appear to be closed, upon entering through the double doors, the customer will find that the shop is anything but.
A tropical world of palm trees, greenery, hanging lights, surfboards and a Hollywood sign lie beyond the reach of Route 9 as the mundane aesthetic of Monmouth County transforms into the streets of Venice Beach.
Don’t take my word for it, take the virtual walk-through to experience for yourself:
The Cali-themed coffee shop offers a variety of options to its brief vacationers from coffee, fancy expresso drinks, teas, lemonades, an array of baked goods and a house made acai blend.
For the coffee, two blends are available, a light roast, the Laguna, with notes of sweet apple, caramel and honey, and the dark roast, the *Dark Palms, that has notes of dark chocolate, bourbon, smokey wood and molasses.
While coffee is one of the most important things to ever exist on this planet, and, no, that is not at all exaggerated, espresso is a very high second. And Cali Cold Co. specializes in its espresso drinks. All of the signature crafts are named after places all over the state reaching the likes of what could eventually be North Cal, SoCal and just plain Cal.
Signature Crafts:
*Pebble Beach – The drink will not take as long as the 17 mile drive to finish, but the taste of Fruity Pebbles infused milk with espresso will definitely last. The pink drink reigns as the current most popular latte and the biggest crowd pleaser for the inner child in everyone.
*Monterey Bay – North of the constant buzz of Los Angeles traffic, the espresso, chocolate, coconut and sweet milk latte resembles the calming beaches of this well-known treasure.
*La Jolla – There are no words for this cinnamon toast crunch tasting drink of espresso, cinnamon, sweet milk and vanilla other than pure, liquid greatness. Named after a city filled with adorable sea lions, there truly is no better combination.
*Carmel – Not to be confused with caramel which is the base of this espresso and vanilla drink, Carmel-by-the-Sea is a small beach on the coast of Cali known for it’s unique cottages and history.
OC Dream – Home to Disneyland amongst many other tourist destinations, Orange County is represented through this orange, dark chocolate and espresso latte.
*Slo Night – Otherwise known as San Luis Obispo, this inland city brings it back to the basics with a core of espresso and vanilla.
Coronado: Nothing quite matches the grand taste of cookie butter paired with espresso much like San Diego’s resort city.
South Coast: Till the end of time there will always be the debate of the better coast, but there is no denying the better topping, Nutella. If you have the choice of what to add to your latte, always choose Nutella.
And the NEW:
*Melrose – Keep your tastebuds as trendy as shopping on Melrose Ave. with the new matcha green tea and honey latte to fill all your exquisite tasting needs.
(Drinks with an asterisk can be made iced as well as hot.)
In addition to the endless SoCal-name inspired latte options, the shop also offers customized acai bowls along with their recommended combination of the Hollywood Bowl: acai blend, granola, almond slices, bananas, strawberries, coconut and honey.
The special blend is hand-made in the shop. It consists of high-quality acai, bananas, strawberries, peanut butter (can be substituted for apple juice for all the nut-allergists) and a splash of hemp milk. Playa my friend, you definitely have some competition.
Still not seeing something you like? The shop also offers a variety of teas and organic lemonades in flavors such as Lavender, Blueberry Mint (my personal favorite) and California Palmer.
Disclaimer: Picture features half-filled drinks cause they were so damn yummy I couldn’t resist!
Although the menu is already extensive, the coffee shop still plans to extend its options in the future to fit the growing wants and needs of its customers.
For the exclusive few who have been regulars since day one, there is an extended menu of classic lattes now deemed part of a ‘secret menu’ only available upon special request. If you aren’t one of those people, you’re in luck as I am gifted with this knowledge and am prepared to share it with the espresso fanatic in your life, especially if that person is you.
The Classics:
*Newport Beach – Like many of Cali’s beaches, Newport is painted with white sand almost as magical to look at as white chocolate paired with espresso is to taste.
Napa – The famous valley is well-known for its flavorful wines of which, of course, comes from its grapes. What better to pair these grapes turned jelly with than espresso and peanut butter?
PB – To California natives, PB stands for Pacific Beach, but for us on the East Coast, PB just stands for our favorite sandwich and this espresso and peanut butter latte does not disappoint.
The 405 – Your worst traffic nightmare somehow manages to soothe away all your troubles in espresso form with the ever fabulous Nutella and cookie butter.
Frisco – The Italians may know it as Affogato, but this take brings espresso over vanilla ice cream to a whole new level.
With everything past, current and up-and-coming, you are now officially prepped with all things Cali Cold Co. to make your trip to the new hidden gem of Manalapan township.
Although Jersey has its own special perks that make it a tourist destination (Jersey Shore represent) there’s some things the East Coast will never be able to top. So, if you’re in search of some much needed Cali sunshine, an aesthetic as appealing as the Venice boardwalk or a quick taste trip up the Golden State, California Cold Co. is the place for you.
And you can always sit with us.
Current Hours: Mon-Thurs: 8am-10pm, Fri-Sat: 8am-11pm & Sun: 9am-7pm