Cafe Santo

Marlon Gonzalez arrived in Los Angeles from Oaxaca in 2010 and worked his way from dishwashing to the bar, and the menu he ended up with gives espresso and cacao the same standing. The Oaxacan mocha is where the two meet: chocolate ground with almonds and cinnamon, pulled through a double shot.

Espresso, a 12 ounce drip and a cold brew steeped 16 hours at room temperature.

The beans are bought from producers in Oaxaca, Chiapas, Guatemala and Colombia, then roasted in Downtown Los Angeles through Post Era. Two bags sit on the shelf: an 8 ounce Chiapas from El Zafiro, washed and roasted medium, reading cacao nib, spice and orange peel, and a 12 ounce Oaxaca from Finca Pozo de Los Pinos.

Arroz tatemado is the one to ask for: toasted rice, cinnamon and brown sugar under a double shot, built along the lines of a horchata. The chocolatería runs three ways, a 60 percent semiamargo, an 80 percent with pecans, and the traditional Oaxacan blend with almonds and cinnamon.

• food hall
• outdoor counter
• shipping container