Zizzo's Coffee (Capitola, CA)

the cortado is a good place to start at zizzo's, keeping things clean and proportional when you want espresso without committing to a full milk drink. zizzo's sits at 3555 clares st in capitola, a stretch that's more everyday neighborhood than tourist corridor, which means the people coming in are mostly locals who've made it a regular stop. that kind of repeat traffic tends to sharpen a place over time. you get the sense that the menu here isn't accidental, that things are on it because they work. the standing zizzo's has built among its regulars says plenty without needing translation. if you're in the area later in the day, the cortado still holds up better than most things on clares st at that hour.