"Nirvana Soul is bringing a much-needed jolt of caffeine (and cake batter syrup) to SoMa. The coffee shop near Oracle Park serves creative espresso and tea drinks that are far more interesting than a cup of black coffee in a white paper cup. Go for the ube latte that expertly avoids veering into overly sweet territory, or the pink-tinted chai with rose, beets, and a zingy hit of cayenne. We like to kick back on a stool while admiring the paintings of Aaliyah, Malcolm X, and Erykah Badu on the wall, but there are also a couple of tables on the sidewalk." - julia chen 1, lani conway, ricky rodriguez, patrick wong