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Sip on Greek coffee while digging into a waffle-omelette hybrid at Penelope’s Coffee & Tea, a cafe that’s just opened its fifth Peninsula location, with a grand opening set for Tuesday.
The cafe is named after the founders’ grandmother Penelope Fanourgiakis, who would often gather neighbors, friends and family at her home in Crete, Greece, for coffee and home-cooked meals. While she passed away before getting to know her grandsons, Penelope’s co-founder George Fanourgiakis said she was warm, welcoming and had a big heart.
George Fanourgiakis and his brothers founded Penelope’s in 2012 in Foster City, expanding the business to San Francisco, Berkeley and, most recently, San Mateo. He and his brothers grew up helping the family business of running the bars and concession stands on the ferry boats in San Francisco.
“We were serving coffee since we were 10 years old on the commuter boats,” George Fanourgiakis said. “So from there, we wanted to really create a brick and mortar on our own, and we came up with the concept of Penelope’s and bringing the public house back.”
Penelope’s newest location is located in the former space of Southwest Grill and has about 30 seats inside and 15 outside. It will have the same menu as its others, but it’ll be the first to roast the beans in the store itself. Previously, the company had only been roasting its beans in Petaluma. Penelope’s offers 13 types of coffee beans, including six single-origin, five blends and two decaf options. All beans are available to drink in pour-overs ($5.95-$7.25).
George Fanourgiakis’ favorite coffee beans are the Amazing Guatemala, a single-origin medium roast with notes of smooth milk chocolate, and the V Espresso, a medium roast with caramely and nutty notes that’s used in all of Penelope’s housemade espresso beverages.
An homage to the founders’ Greek roots, Penelope’s offers iced and hot Greek coffee ($3.50-$6.75), a coffee preparation where the beans are ground super fine and boiled with water, yielding a bold, coffee-forward flavor.
Freddo cappuccino, espresso with whipped milk on top with a sprinkle of cinnamon, and freddo espresso, heavily whipped espresso with your choice of milk or sugar in it, are also classic Greek coffee drinks that are available ($4.50-$6.50).
Penelope’s offers a variety of specialty drinks ($5.95-$6.95), in flavors such as Penelope’s Samoas with caramel, chocolate and coconut or Cookie Monster with cupcake-, cookie dough- and salted caramel-flavored syrups. The Lillian Latte, flavored with lavender and French vanilla, is named after a customer, said George Fanourgiakis.
Penelope’s also offers an extensive tea menu ($4.95-$8.50), including tea lattes (think London Fog), matcha beverages (think matcha mojito with lime and coconut), and iced teas, including George Fanourgiakis’ favorite, the Gummy Bear Tea, made with green tea, mango, raspberries and gummy bears. The Georgia Peach iced tea, made with black tea, peach, coconut and honey, is also named after a customer.
Expect breakfast classics, such as avocado toast, paninis, French toast, breakfast burritos and more, as well as a Penelope’s original, the womelette, which is reminiscent of a frittata and made with potatoes, eggs, cheese and meat and topped with sour cream and green onions.
“When we first opened the store in 2014, we were looking for some more protein-based options and something healthier, and we were using waffle irons to make waffles, and I came up with the concept,” George Fanourgiakis said.
A new food item launching at Penelope’s San Mateo is the brioche breakfast sandwich with soft scrambled eggs and American cheese. Flavors include ham and chipotle mayo; sausage and housemade garlic aioli; and spinach, green onions, bell peppers and housemade spicy ranch ($7.95-$9.95).
To celebrate its grand opening, Penelope’s Coffee in San Mateo will be giving one free food item and one free drink per person Aug. 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Penelope’s Coffee & Tea, 1326 W. Hillsdale Blvd., San Mateo; Instagram: @penelopescoffeeandtea. Open Monday to Friday from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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