CHROMATIC COFFEE (Santa Clara, CA) – I’ve known about Chromatic Coffee and their cafe for a few years now, but I really started following them around the time they made San Jose Sharks themed lattes when the Sharks had made it to the finals! I was sad that I missed out on that, but I finally made it out to Chromatic Cafe several months ago. I spent the day catching up with a friend, and this was our brunch stop.
Chromatic Coffee is on Stevens Creek in Santa Clara near Valley Fair. This area was sorely missing a quality coffee shop and Chromatic filled that void. I wish this was around when I needed a nice place to study! There’s a variety of tables – big and small – and counter space to sit at. I love the cozy vibe of the space with art from local artists and local goods like Content Magazine on their shelves. Lately, they’ve also been hosting trivia nights – including a Harry Potter themed one!
They sell a variety of different blends and have several coffee options on the menu. Like the coffee and food that rotates, they also serve and rotate beers for those interested. Chromatic serves Manresa Bread pastries, but I passed on that because we were here for the brunch, which is served on the weekends.
They have monthly specials and lattes , which at that time were the Pumpkin Spice Latte and the Psycho Chiller, but I decided to keep it simple. They also have different coffees on tap such as the Unicorn Pony at that time and different hand-pour options. I like that they have a variety of blends to choose from that have different flavor profiles. That day, I just opted for a regular latte, which tasted great. It was smooth and not at all acerbic. I love their mugs with the logo and the vibrant orange plates – super cute.
The brunch menu is also seasonal, and thus changes about once a month. They have mimosas in addition to coffee options too, which is perfect for those that want it with their brunch. My friend and I decided to share pancakes while getting our own toasts. It was such a nice way to spend a cloudy, cozy Sunday catching up with one of my oldest friends.
I am SO glad we got our own avocado toasts, because it was so delicious. I think this was the best avocado toast I’ve had. The seasonal menu served a Gremolata & Avo Toast, which is Butler toasted Manresa bread, avocado, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, fresh cracked pepper, and house-made gremolata (almonds, parsley, lemon zest, garlic). It was such a great mix of flavors with the lemon, the nuttiness of almonds, and the vibrant flavors of parsley and garlic all on top of that rustic bread? Ah-ma-zing. This is how I want all of my avocado toasts tbh.
I inhaled my toast so quickly, that we had a hard time finishing a Pancake Plate between the two of us. The plate consisted of two housemade pancakes, two pieces of bacon, and two eggs, with maple syrup and butter (but we just opted out of the bacon since we don’t eat it). The pancakes were nice and fluffy! I appreciated it. It was just hard to finish since we were so full from our toast and coffee. I probably would have passed on the pancakes if I knew I was going to get full by the toast first. But it’s a good option regardless!
I love the friendly atmosphere of Chromatic. It’s a great spot to get together with friends – or even make new ones at events like their trivia night! This would so become my regular spot if I lived in the area – Chromatic Coffee tastes delicious and they’re always trying new things with their blends, so you never get bored. They rep the South Bay so hard, and I love it. Both of their coffee shops (a new one just opened in Downtown San Jose) are worth checking out!
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