Cora's Coffee Shop   

It's this simple: if my sentence is to own a restaurant but could own any kind of restaurant it would definitely be a coffee shop. That would be sweet. And if I could own any coffee shop the one I would own is Cora's Coffee Shop at 1802 Ocean Boulevard in Santa Monica. To me, it's perfect. Seats maybe 12 people at a small counter and a couple of tables (there's a patio, too), and serves the most sublime EVERYTHING, including Heuvos Rancheros. During a trip last year I ate at Cora's every day, and I smiled every minute I was lucky to be there. It's owned by Bruce Marder, another restaurant God. "Diary of a Mad Restaurateur" at www.nathanslunch.com