As much as they might like you to think otherwise, a certain green-and-white logo’d chain did not write the book on coffee. In fact, the historical Cradle of Joe, if you will, is often thought to be deep in the highlands of the East African nation of Eritrea. And lucky you! You can try the real thing at the newly-opened Hadnet Café on East Colfax. This cozy nook used to be Star Coffee, and from an aesthetic viewpoint not much has changed(although they did remove the large sofa that took up the space by the door). But with coffee this good, who cares how the place looks? I think I like the rich and creamy Makiato(yes, that’s how it’s spelled in the Tigrinya language) the best myself. And guess what else? They even have some delicious Eritrean edibles on offer. The cheery proprietress fries her Sambusa pastries(stuffed to near-bursting with tender green lentils) fresh every morning. The mouthwatering fava bean stew called Ful(a breakfast favorite) is another great option. And the Tibse features incredibly tender beef in a rich tomato and pepper sauce. This latter meal is of course accompanied by a perfectly-sized portion of the famed fermented bread many of you know as Injera(although some Eritreans in fact call it Taita). East Colfax just keeps getting better and better, doesn’t it? And Hadnet Café is certainly a worthy addition to the scene.
