"Fika" at the Boy and the Bear
Third wave hits the scene again at Boy and the Bear originally located in Redondo Beach, but recently expanded to Culver City, so Angelenos enjoy the crisp, clean, and delicious experience.
We’ve heard third wave before, through the likes of Silverlake’s DayGlow, but here’s a recap:
First wave coffee came into American’s home through Folgers, second wave came through the proliferation of coffee shops like Pete’s and Starbucks, where regionally located beans and espresso drinks were introduced. Finally third wave coffee has developed, where coffee connoisseurship is born, “beans are sourced from farms instead of countries, roasting is about bringing out rather than incinerating the unique characteristics of each bean, and the flavor is clean and hard and pure” - Jonathan Gold LA Weekly 2018
An LA transplant by way of Sweden and Columbia, Andres Piñeros, originally opened The Boy and the Bear under the name, “Fika”. In Sweden, this term means to get coffee with friends, but not just a quick cup. It’s the essence of a relaxed and quality amount of time catching up with friends. After finding out there were other companies called Fika, the creative name The Boy and the Bear was created and stuck.
The idea of Fika is extremely appealing, as a person fighting for some resemblance of slow life in such a fast city like Los Angeles. As appealing as it is, however, you’ll find in the Culver City location it’s much more of a quiet study work place. It’s still a wonderful place for working, just speaking above a loud whisper is bound to disrupt the studying people surrounding you.
Parking on Washington is somewhat easy, but if you’re lucky, watch out for the two spots allotted for The Boy and The Bear to be open. The design is delightful and the coffee lives up to its reputation. Definitely worth the trip for a quiet reading day or cramming for a paper.