Lisa He proudly represented her hometown of Rancho Cordova, a Northern California city located just 15 miles east of Sacramento, when she competed on the Food Network’s Christmas Cookie Challenge last year—and she won! The baker, who also appeared on Netflix's Sugar Rush, owns Borderlands Bakery, where her impeccably decorated cookies look as good as they taste. We asked He to share her favorite places to pair treats with great coffee.
1. Station 38
This East Sacramento shop has great coffee, He says, but the specialty is the Hot Insta-graham Mocha. If that's not enough for your sweet tooth, she recommends something from the toast and waffle selection. For something refreshing, "They have amazing mango green tea!"
He says any of the specialty breakfast sandwiches on the Camellia menu will pair well with the roaster's delicious coffee. "All of them are good, but I love the one with everything in it—bacon, sausage, avocado," she says. Try the Ethereal Espresso Blend and check the calendar for latte art tournaments. Camellia is located within Sacramento's WAL Public Market, where you'll also find a men's footwear store, a vintage clothing boutique, a records and collectibles shop, and a juice bar.
Brewedmonds makes "absolutely the best cold brew!" He says. This pop-up coffee shop can often be found outside East Sacramento's Kitchen Table, a boutique with specialty cookware and other fun gifts for foodies. Check the Brewedmonds Instagram account to find out where they'll be serving their brew next.
With two locations—one in South Sacramento and one in neighboring Carmichael—He says she loves this "solid, cozy coffee shop with a good selection of sweet treats." Insight also offers regular coffee classes if you want to understand the origin of your roast or learn the best way to brew.
5. Philz
It may be a chain, but He can't stop raving about the way her local Philz makes their Mint Mojito coffee. "I feel like that says enough—you can't get it anywhere else!" Bonus: The Sacramento Philz is located in The Ice Blocks, a Midtown retail haven where you can sip while you shop.
