A Guide to the Best of Southern California : FOOD : No Ordinary Joe

PASQUINI IS NO MERE coffee-equipment warehouse, it’s a shrine. For aficionados of the heavenly brew, a visit to Pasquini is a pilgrimage. For true coffee addicts, Ambrose Pasquini is responsible for a commercial mini-model for at-home use, the Swiss-made Livietta ($1,250). “This machine is idiot-proof,” he says. “It makes perfect espresso every time.”

Pasquini sells the ambrosial house blend, to go, for $6.50 for 20 ounces, $44 for a six-pack.

Pasquini Espresso Co., 1501 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 739-8826; Caffe Pasquini, South Coast Plaza, 3333 Bristol St., Costa Mesa, (714) 957-1221.