Plaza Specialty

The case at this quintessentially New Mexican chocolate shop is always full of little delights, but they really specialize in drinking chocolate—rich, creamy cups of liquid chocolate. Kakawa describes the drinks as "chocolate elixirs," and serves them in Mesoamerican, European, and contemporary styles, tracing the history of the practice from the Mayans and Aztecs who invented it, to the Europeans who co-opted it, to the present day. Needless to say, this is a must-stop for anyone traveling with kiddos.

The coffee and pastries are perfectly good at Downtown Subscription, but people really come here for the atmosphere—the place is always buzzing with locals picking up their morning coffee, reading magazines and books from the huge library on the side wall. That, and the fact that it's downtown and has its own parking lot, which is pretty clutch in this town.