Konditorei

02/21/08

Best place to spend your afternoon

by lunaz at Citysearch

The Konditorei has been in the Ladera/Portola Valley area since around 1984. It is owned by one of the nicest woman ever, Patty Cullen. She will greet you with a smile and ask you about your day, even if your not a regular customer. Armando, the manager is also very friendly. A book called, "The Monk & The Riddle: The Education of a Silicon Valley Entrepreneur" by Randy Komisar & Kent Lineback takes place primarily in the Konditorei. Randy holds his business deals at a table while drinking a latte and asking a Patty-like character her opinion of a possible, future business partner's character. You can often see business deals and such happening in or around the store. Food and drinks are very affordable. It is a very simple menu, everything tastes fresh and the coffee is to die for. Best lattes in the Bay Area, hands down! There are lines, often out the door in the morning at around 6:30am but the crew working is very efficient at serving drinks quickly. This family business supports local artists, schools, non-profits. The art on the walls is from the area, the cards are often made by locals, local books are sold here (ie. "Wack On The Side of the Head", "The Windy Hill Photography Book", ect), sometimes they even stay late at night to hold book readings and musical concerts for the community, there is a message board with local events, rental info and ect. and this was one of the first cafes in the Bay Area to offer Free WiFi. And yes, Ladera/Portola Valley is stereotyped as an elitist community, but that is beside the point. OMG people, why can we not support our local businesses? Why can't we look beyond prices and just see community progress? I would much rather support Konditorei then let's say Starbucks and I hope you agree with me.

• Pros: Easy parking, free WiFi, great food & drinks, community oriented