As the last few days of the year have been trickling by, I’ve been taking some time to scroll through a year’s worth of photos, reliving all the adventures and little moments of the past 12 months. I’m confident 2024 will bring just as impressive a slate of places to visit and local gems to experience, but for now, I want to recap some of the best of 2023, and provide some great recommendations for your own travels this next year. So without further ado, I present the inaugural “Corner of 1st & Adventure Best of” list! This post is Part 1, and has everything you need to start your day: Coffee, Brunch and Bakeries!

This list is in no way intended to be all-encompassing, but simply features the best of what we experienced during 2023 alone. Further, this list is solely my uncompensated opinion; I have received no incentive from any of the establishments listed below.

Coffee

It’s safe to say coffee is at the forefront of our travel list, as we try to visit a local coffee shop every morning while we’re out and about, whether on a local day hike or the opposite corner of the country.

🥇 The Muse Coffee & Whiskey – Everett, WA: A great new addition to a revamped waterfront, The Muse opened earlier this year in a restored 1923 Weyerhaeuser corporate building. The building features a mix of seating areas, including old office spaces available for private rental, and intimate public areas with eclectic seating, marina views and historical photographs. Morning offerings include handcrafted coffee drinks and breakfast bites including a Ham & Swiss Croissant or Southwest Veggie Burrito, as well as classic baked fare such as a Banana Ginger Muffin or Cinnamon Roll. Evening transitions to high-end cocktails such as the Decadence, featuring Scotch, 2 sherries and cardamom bitters, paired with elevated regional cuisine such as Smoked Salmon Nuggets.

🥈 Camp Coffee – Oceanside, CA: A simple, welcoming coffee shop steps from the pier where coffee and the local cafe are seen as an escape from the everyday. Led by a camping and coffee enthusiast who has made it his mission to learn every aspect of the coffee chain, Camp Coffee gets what coffee is all about…Simplicity, technique and care. Their basic coffee is anything but, with bold tastes and the perfect bitterness balance, while specialty drinks feature the individual flavors and pairings rather than the punch of sweetness so typical of American cafe drinks.

🥉 Cupla Coffee – Salt Lake City, UT: Another location that has mastered the often overlooked basics of coffee, offering rich drinks crafted with careful attention. The inside environment invites you to hang out for a while and make yourself at home, providing a respite from the bustle of city life.

🏅 Sky River Coffee – Skykomish, WA: An up-and-coming community hangout off the main highway and situated in a beautiful mountain setting. The building has been recently restored, and ownership is in the process of crafting a food menu to pair with their coffee offerings. 

Breakfast/Brunch

Don’t get me wrong, I love burgers and pizza and all the foods, but breakfast and brunch just sit on a shelf of their own in my book. 

🥇 Red Rock Cafe – Sedona, AZ: Probably tied for the top spot we’ve ever eaten breakfast nationwide (hint: the other top spot is also in Arizona, check out my Tucson article to find out more). I’ll get to the food in a minute, but the first thing to know is if you show up at exactly opening time, you will not be the first one there. That’s because the locals swing by early and know the right door to use to get their usual table; some of them show up weekly or even daily with friends and neighbors. Now, sit down for this one. The first thing to order is the cinnamon roll. It is huge. Really huge. It fills an entire plate huge. It weighs 3 pounds huge. And every bite of this monster is incredible. But bring an eating team, because you’ll want to save room for the other drool-inducing favorites such as the Blue Corn Huevos Rancheros, the Southwest Benedict or the Banana Blueberry Walnut French Toast. Oh, and don’t forget the mimosa.

🥈 Cama Beach Cafe – Camano Island, WA: Just 35 minutes from our home, this scenic island spot perched in the evergreens above the Salish Sea doesn’t require much travel for us. Located in Cama Beach State Park, one of the many outdoor recreation gems of Camano Island, Cama Beach Cafe offers brunch on a limited weekend schedule, but if you can find the time to make the drive, you can dive into the Thick-Cut Bacon Benedict, Traditional Swedish Pancakes or the Quiche of the Day. Afterward, save some time to wander the woods in the high terrain or head down the drive for a day at the beach. The state park even offers beach cabin rentals so you can make a weekend out of it.

Since this cafe is in a state park, you will either need to pay the daily Washington State Park use fee or display an annual Washington State Parks Discover Pass in the parking area.

Bakeries

Second only to coffee is our love of family-owned bakeries. Over the years, we have enjoyed some of the most exquisite baked creations, from the finest French patisserie to local cuisine.

🥇 Brown Bear Baking – Eastsound, WA: Located in the heart of a quaint, walkable seaside village on Orcas Island, Brown Bear is so popular with locals and tourists alike that you’re likely to to be waiting on the front walk even on a weekday! The Pain Aux Jambon and Kouign Amann are absolute masterpieces; try the coveted Croque Monsieur with Asparagus if you can snag one before they’re gone. Enjoy the outside communal seating if the weather is pleasant, or take your pastries to go and hit up a hike at nearby Moran State Park.

🥈 Parfait Paris – 6 CA locations: Soon to be celebrating 10 years of award-winning French savoir-faire, you can grab an exquisite bite at 6 different locations, or even have your favorite macarons shipped across the country. The Vanilla New York Roll was one of the most unique and intricate pastry experiences we’ve had, both visually and in terms of taste. This one will go on the list of food items we dream about for years to come.

🥉 Choux Choux Bakery – Everett, WA: Since 2016, the creative bakers at Choux Choux have been serving top-quality pastries and breads to the greater Snohomish County region. With a daily bread rotation, can’t-miss standards and clever and whimsical seasonal and holiday creations, even the most picky pastry eater is sure to be craving a return trip.

🏅 Pine Street Bakery – Hood River, OR: Up the hill from the touristy downtown of Hood River, Pine Street Bakery provides a sunny spot where the locals like to hang out and enjoy good food and good company. Utilizing a wide variety of fresh ingredients from a multitude of Columbia Gorge growers, bakers fill the cases with a daily variety catering to the earliest risers all the way to the afternoon crowd. Try something different like a Cardamom Knot, or show up early on Saturday for one of the coveted Orange Marmalade Rolls. Pair it with a fresh Nossa Familia Coffee and a Breakfast Sammie for the perfect morning motivation.

Go check out Part 2 featuring beer and all the yummy things that go so well with it: Pizza, Burgers and Chicken!

All content and photos © Eric S. Allan 2023