ShopEatSleep

You’re probably wondering, “What? You’ve never been to LAMill before?” Well, no. I’ve blogged about its newest drink offerings before, but it’s in a part of town that I don’t go to often, and when I do, I tend to get lost (Silver Lake, how you vex me!). And while I enjoy and appreciate a good cup of coffee, I don’t necessarily seek it out.

Then I saw a tweet from fellow foodie H.C. of L.A. and O.C. Foodventures describing something called Blanco y Negro at LAMill, and I said to myself, now I have a reason to try LAMill. The mixture of coffee, coffee granita and vanilla bean ice cream was too much to resist.

So with H.C. as my guide, I went to LAMill about a week ago for the first time, and it didn’t disappoint.

Of course I ordered the Blanco y Negro ($6.50). It’s listed under Signature Drinks on the cafe’s drink menu, but it could just as easily pass for a dessert. With its layers of coffee, granita and ice cream, I started out eating it with a spoon, poking into the creaminess of the vanilla ice cream and into the iciness of the granita beneath it. Once it got to a point where I needed to drink it, the flavors of the coffee with the vanilla cream blended together smoothly. The textures and flavors of this drink are spot-on.

Blanco y Negro

In addition, I had a Valrhona chocolate Liquid Center Lollipop ($3), which is basically a chocolate sphere filled with coffee (it also comes in white chocolate). It was an interesting lollipop because you can’t lick it; you have to eat it all at once by biting it off the stick since the coffee is liquid. It’s gone much too quickly, so I don’t think I would order it again given its $3 price tag.

Liquid Center Lollipops ($3 each)

I also had a sip of a friend’s Sweet Basil “Julep” ($5), made with muddled basil and lemon, white tea and a splash of sweetener. I liked this drink because it was refreshing and not too sweet. And I had a taste of H.C.’s Passionfruit Gelee ($9), which was really outstanding. Accompanied by lychee-shiso sorbet, coconut-soy milk soup and basil seeds, the dessert was light yet intense, with the passion flavor really popping.

Passionfruit Gelee

LAMill also has a full menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner with prices ranging from $2.50 to $22. Those prices seem reasonable, so I would be willing to try it out. The Signature Drink prices ranging from $5 to $6.50 are a little steep, but you’re paying for quality ingredients and the experience of dining at the chic cafe. So for me, getting a drink here is a treat and not something I would do too often. But when I do, I’ll be smiling.