Tommy C.
Yelp
Mrkt Space Encinitas (C+ or 2.5 stars) : Great space to hang out, but the cappuccino and the almond croissant I had were pretty mediocre.
I've passed by this place a million times on bike rides and always wanted to try it out, but never had the chance. Today, I rode solo and the restaurant was right where I wanted to turn around for 50 miles, so I stopped for a quick refuel break.
The space is nice; clean, modern, and very comfortable. Absolutely loved the water dispenser with direct water-line hook-up. So much cleaner than the manual contraptions that many other coffee shops use. And the patio, when empty, is great for hiding a bike!
Almond croissant (C+ ) : at $7, I expected something better! It looked good, and the almond paste was decent, but the key qualities that make a good croissant - light, flaky, pungent & buttery - they were all missing. Anyway, you have been warned!
Cappuccino (C ) : at $4.50, this was reasonable and I liked the warm glass cup. But it was pretty tasteless; steamed milk with a light touch of espresso.
Somewhat disappointing, but even at 2:30pm on a Thursday, they were quite busy with people working & chatting away. I wouldn't be against going again, but definitely wouldn't order any of the baked goods, stick with a very basic drip coffee, and just hang out for a while.
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Food Grading Scale:
A+: Life changing. You remember these bites for the rest of your life. Occurs very infrequently and when it does, you'll know it. You don't even know how to further improve it with a magic wand.
A: Wow! Excellent. You felt happy biting into it. You're considering whether it's life changing, but know it misses the mark.
A-: Very very good. Whatever it is, it's one of the best, but you can think of further improvements.
B+: Very good. Very enjoyable, not to the point of "impressive," but worth revisiting.
B: Good. A solid example of whatever it is, offering enjoyment, but not enough for making an effort to get.
B-: Not bad. If in a pinch to eat something, this offers some enjoyment and is a reasonable option.
C+: Mediocre plus. Pretty average, but with one or two positive characteristics you can identify.
C: Mediocre. "Meh". Very average. Not bad enough to make you angry, but nothing good about it at all.
C-: Bad. You recognize it for what it is, but a very bad rendition. Your foodie self is a little pissed, and feeling like a dummy you ordered it.
D: Awful. Whoever cooked it should be ashamed of themself. Somehow, you still managed to swallow a bite.
F: WTF is this? Inedible. One chew, you had to spit it out. Fire the chef.