Coffee & Treats in Daly City

Doc PopCorn's kernel crafters scoop up heaping bags of naturally flavored, fluffy treats in a variety of sweet and savory varieties. Husband-and-wife team Rob and Renée founded the business with the goal to fuse health and flavor into one snack item, packing each morsel into recyclable and compostable bags that agree with Mother Nature's digestive system. Traditional tastes such as classic kettle and sweet butter dust and drizzle onto each piece's nooks and crannies, and inventive flavors such as Hoppin' jalapeño, Sinfully cinnamon, and triple white cheddar satisfy cravings without the hassle of grating cheese or massaging teeth with cinnamon-flavored floss. The pop doctors offer their favorite pairings of flavors, filling gift packages and decorative tins.

An open community for creative types, Citizen Space welcomes those who are looking for a space that offers the chat-friendly vibe of a coffee shop with the productivity-focused environment of a professional workspace. Anyone may join at the membership level of their choosing to gain access to dedicated resident desks and communal tables, a completely free library, and a supportive horde of like-minded programmers, painters, writers, and other artists. While the studio's open minds are largely focused on providing a spot for individuals' dream realization, they also regularly host classes that help broaden artistic horizons and teach students how to shoot paint out of a cannon.

In 1983, Jeff and Jill Summerhays began concocting smoothies with fresh fruit and nonfat yogurt to avoid the temptations of unhealthy snacks. The couple sold their creamy, natural beverages on their travels across the US and Australia's Gold Coast, planting a taste for then-exotic flavors such as passion papaya and pina colada. Still blended to order in each of Maui Wowi's 400 locations, each smoothie brims with a whole fresh banana, live yogurt cultures, and a straw so mouths can burn calories with each slurp. On the steamy side of the menu, Kona beans pour in from Hawaiian farmers and roasters to be brewed into rich drip coffee and pressed into potent espresso shots.

Rockit Swirl’s self-serve fro-yo emporium doles out creamy yogurt in a variety of flavors, fully customized with edible embellishments from the toppings bar. The lineup of cool treats includes nonfat Oreo, mango gelato, and low-fat Ghirardelli chocolate, and the sprawling toppings bar features a medley of fresh fruit, nuts, and candies with which to decorate fro-yo cups or compose blueberry mosaics.

Since 1953, the Cinderella Bakery has crafted home-style Russian baked goods from recipes handed down through the generations. Light and dark rye breads join other bakery items such as piroshkis, pirogis, strudels, and Napoleon Cake, which stands two heads shorter than other cakes. Available for take-out or savoring at the bakery's street-side tables, café fare covers the savory side of things with specialties such as the Russian-style crepes known as blinchiki, which are stuffed with caviar, mushrooms, or sweet cheese, as well as other hearty dishes such as Siberian-style salmon pies and beef stroganoff. Cinderella Bakery caters special events, and fills stores throughout the Bay area with packages of its baked treats, each emblazoned with its signature nesting doll logo.

Featured in _San Francisco Weekly_’s food blog for their high-quality caffeinated drips, Contraband Coffee Bar owners Nathan and Josh cultivate an atmosphere of appreciation for expertly brewed beverages. Meticulous baristas combine crema-topped shots of espresso with delicately steamed milk in generously portioned mugs, swirling designs into the tops of beverages that effectively hypnotize any would-be sip stealers. Patrons may choose to perch at a few counters, tables, or a central community table crafted from pale, modern wood and adorned with minimalist floral arrangements. The shop's WiFi-rich interior invites guests to stay for a while, and its Polk Gulch locale lends itself to slow, caffeine-fueled strolls through the neighborhood.