New Carmichael cafe, The Coffee Bar, has big shoes to fill, as it is opening in place of Boulevard Coffee, which was a staple in the community for years.

Boulevard Coffee was in business for more than 35 years, and closed in August because the owners were tired of running the business. Co-owner Clifford Miller hopes to continue roasting his own coffee in a warehouse just blocks from where Boulevard Coffee was, and selling it online.

Retired Bay Area restauranter, and co-owner of The Coffee Bar, Sam Nasar, hopes to attract a younger audience, so he has decided to keep it open until 9 p.m. every night.

The Coffee Bar had a soft opening on Jan. 12, giving people who came a lovely taste of what was to come at the grand opening on Jan. 16. They offered free drinks from the espresso bar, hoping to attract new customers as well as keep the old regulars from Boulevard satisfied.

There was a glass display when you first walked in showing the various pastries and light snacks that the Coffee Bar offers. They had bagels, croissants, and a variety of different flavored yogurts. Besides coffee, they offered Snapple drinks.

Bookshelves displaying local artists’ photographs and paintings of Sacramento landmarks gives the remarkable feeling of homeliness. Next to the bookshelves is a chess table with four seats, giving customers a fun activity while enjoying their drinks. The Coffee Bar also allows customers to borrow books from their library.

The Coffee Bar has lots of natural light, and plenty of seats. There were many tables for two, and a couple bigger ones. There was also a bar facing the window that would be nice for doing homework at. There was music playing, but it was quiet, making it the perfect environment for a study session.

The hot chocolate and mocha were both presented beautifully in a big mug topped with whipped cream and a dash of chocolate powder to garnish.

The mocha was perfectly sweet and rich, but the thick foam on top was my favorite part.  

The iced coffee was amazing. Usually, I need to put a lot of cream and sugar in my coffee just to enjoy it, but this coffee had sweet undertones, making sugar unnecessary. It had a lot of ice, but overall, it was worth the price.

The baked goods they serve consists of pastries imported from a bakery in San Francisco, and cakes and “cake cups” from Ettore’s bakery near our school.

The cake cups were beautifully decorated, but some were a little too sweet. We tried the chocolate, strawberry, and the raspberry cakes.

The raspberry one had a really light sponge, but it was a bit sweet, and the while frosting tasted amazing, it was very dense. The chocolate sponge was, once again, very airy and had a very sweet taste, the tartness of the frosting contradicted it, making a delicious contrast of flavors. There was also a strawberry baked into the center of the cake, creating a lovely surprise.

The prices were fairly average, with both the drinks and baked goods costing between two and five dollars. Overall, the quality and presentation were worth the price, and the bar is the perfect place to study. The staff were very friendly and patient.

When you are in The Coffee Bar, you forget it is on the busy Fair Oaks Blvd. It creates a quiet, peaceful atmosphere that allows for unhindered conversations or studying while enjoying the best of what the Coffee Bar has to offer.

It is located at 7901 Fair Oaks Blvd, Carmichael, CA 95608, about 10 minutes from here.