Michelle Monier | Editor-in-Chief
November 20, 2024
Southern California has long been a hub for American health and fitness culture. From avocado toast to kombucha, healthy living, and therefore healthy diets, defines our local cafes and restaurants. Recently, a popular part of this diet is matcha. Matcha, a traditional Japanese caffeinated green tea, was thrown into American health trends when in 2015, movie star Gweneth Paltrow posted a photo of her matcha latte on her Instagram. Today, there are numerous options of places to get matches throughout the US, but especially in Southern California. In San Clemente specifically, locals face a myriad of cafes offering matcha, but the staff of Triton Times has found the top shop in the SC matcha scene: Bluestone Lane.
Bluestone Lane was first opened in 2013 in NYC when owner Nick Stone wanted to bring the buzzing Melbourne coffee culture to the US. The cafe is inspired by the influential scene of Melbourne, Australia, which is known for high quality coffee, healthy food options, and lively cafe cultures. Since opening, Bluestone Lane grew exponentially in popularity and has expanded to top towns and cities throughout the US; and a Bluestone Lane was opened in San Clemente in 2023 due to our renowned surf and health culture.
Earlier this year, Bluestone started carrying so-called “matcha clouds,” which are a variety of specialty milks (strawberry, blue lavender, and chai) with a matcha cold foam. This unique and innovative take on a matcha latte, done traditionally by whisking matcha powder in hot water and then adding a milk of choice, has brought Bluestone to the forefront of the minds of local matcha consumers. The most popular of the three clouds is the Blue Lavender Cloud, with one of the workers of the San Clemente Bluestone Lane commenting, “The matcha clouds are very popular, and especially the Blue Lavender, because of their unique flavoring and color.” However, all the matcha lattes are exceptional, mostly due to the fact that Bluestone uses ceremonial grade matcha, allowing for the authentic and smooth matcha taste.
Besides the outstanding matcha, Bluestone Lane offers amazing healthy food options and a calming work environment. The cafe has become a central location for locals to do online work, study, or just meet with others for a coffee date. One of the best food items is the Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Croissant, which is served on one of their fresh croissants and is accompanied by an excellent chipotle mayo. The shop also offers a variety of toasts, salads and bowls, pastries, and to-go oatmeal and chia pots. In regard to drinks, Bluestone is also known for their Australian coffee and espresso drinks, smoothies, and “wellness lattes” (including a turmeric latte and beet powder latte). Senior Emily Ohman said that Bluestone has become one of her favorite SC cafes because “it not only has good authentic matcha, but they also provide a lot of new and creative drinks, so I consistently want to come back for more.”
So, the next time you want a matcha latte, or just enjoy an amazing cafe, go to Bluestone Lane. The shop is located on Avenida Del Mar and is open 7am-4pm. It is definitely the best place in SC to get lost in the matcha clouds.
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