Where can I find a great cup of coffee?

[supercoffee]

I want to know what a great cup of coffee tastes like. Where can i go (I live in Los Angeles, South Bay area) to find an almost perfect cup of coffee that everyone here talks about. Obviously, I can't just go to Starbucks or Coffe Bean and expect to find great coffee there.

As you can see, I'm a beginner. Thanks.

 

[KnappCap]

Here is a link that will offer you some good shops all over the U.S. including 5 in the LA area. Another shop that isn't on this map is Intelligentsia in LA. They are known to roast and serve some of the best coffee you can find in the US.

http://www.espressomap.com/