Westside residents certainly know about Cora’s Coffee Shoppe. It’s been around for approximately 80 years sitting on prime beach property on Ocean Ave in Santa Monica. A number of people took notice after Chef Bruce Marder (Capo) revamped the menu.
Cora’s Coffee Shoppe patio
Their charming outdoor patio is a big reason why many people frequent Cora’s. It is lined with flowering bougainvillea and the patio is largely protected from the elements. Patio diners also benefit from the abundance of natural light. It is a great place to de-stress.
I didn’t feel like waiting for patio seating and I was happy that my wife was ok with sitting at the counter. My wife and I both enjoy watching the kitchen scene because it is often fascinating to see how the chefs work as a team and for learning new cooking tips and techniques.
The galley kitchen is extremely small and only accommodates two chefs working side by side. It was interesting to watch how they divvied up the orders. One chef was responsible for handling coffee orders, making sure the carafes were refilled, cooking pancakes, sausage and bacon. The other chef prepared everything else including mixing new batches of pancake batter.
My wife went for the healthy option and selected the vegetable frittata. It was paired with an arugula salad and toast. The frittata was fluffy and thankfully, not dry. I think my wife particularly enjoyed the walnut bread toast spread with a thick boysenberry jam.
Michel Blanchet smoked salmon plate 
Made a breakfast sandwich
Since I have never experienced Chef Michel Blanchet’s smoked salmon, I selected the Michel Blanchet smoked salmon plate. It included burrata, two slices of heirloom tomato and onions. I made this into a sandwich and found it to be quite tasty. The onion bagel nicely enhanced the experience. I was amused that the burrata kept leaking out of the sides.
Another popular dish is the huevos rancheros. Two items made this rather unique. The first was the use of the tangy jalapeño escabèche and the second was the use of the Italian white bean cannellini instead of pinto or black beans. This added a mild nutty taste to the dish.
Far and away, pancakes are the most popular item on the menu. We watched them making the orange and blueberry pancakes from beginning to end. Fresh orange juice is folded into the flour mixture and stirred thoroughly. Once it is made into pancake batter, it is poured on the griddle. Blueberries are hand placed into the batter and when ready, they are flipped.
blueberry smoothie 
strawberry smoothie
Illy premium coffee is their house coffee. While it is my favorite brand for espresso, I went for their fruit smoothies.
The display case facing us contained several fresh pastries. My wife purchased two cruffins to-go: chocolate and vanilla. Cruffin is a hybrid between a croissant and a muffin. It didn’t flake away like a croissant and it was somewhat lighter than a regular muffin. The cream insides made this pastry quite delicious.
Cora’s Coffee Shoppe is a great place to sample chef Bruce Marder’s food at a fraction of the price. If you need a chance to de-stress, make sure you dine in their peaceful patio.
Cora’s Coffee Shoppe, 1802 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90401; 310.451.9562
corascoffee.com