By Neale Frothingham
RAINIER BEACH – South of Columbia City, the lack of high-density, middle-income neighborhoods to support a broad diversity of coffee shops, Internet cafes, inexpensive sit-down restaurants and other retail is an inconvenience when I need to step out of my home office to meet with a client.
So when Bellwether Housing built 71 apartments for those with moderate to low-incomes, I was happy to see a coffee shop take some of the ground-level retail space.
The Rose Café was opened by Eritrean Immigrants and the ambiance is different than what you would expect of a typical café. It has East African artwork, pottery, furnishings and multi-ethnic music that invite you to stay for a while, rather than the loud music and “hip” vibe used to encourage the rapid turning of tables, great difficulty in carrying on a conversation and high volume sales.
It even has a meeting space, with seating for six, that is separated from the rest of the space in a three-stair walk-up with a four-foot wall and is perfect for meetings with clients or quieter contemplation.
If that is not enough to get you to stay for a while, you can arrange with the Rose Café’s owners, Nikki and Michael, to be served the traditional village coffee ceremony. They roast just enough beans, at your table, to serve you and your party, and give you a short, understated, history of the birthplace of coffee, their native East Africa. They use the just-roasted beans to make the coffee, in the traditional earthen pot, and serve it in the traditional small ceramic cups, in three courses.
More importantly, they sell real food! It’s not unwrapped from plastic and microwaved. Disclaimer: I am not adventurous with my food choices and dislike things that are spicy, so microwaved “café fair” works for me.
I was even a little disappointed when the owner told me their sandwiches all had East African spicing. Reluctantly, I ordered a sandwich and salad. What I got was a Panini Sandwich on fresh Focaccaia Bread, with ground beef, bound together with a cheese pesto, and a hint of Jalapeno. In spite of the crisp bread, it melted in my mouth and the flavor lingered there, demanding I take another bite. I’m hooked!
For a meeting, quiet workspace, distinctive coffee roast and real food, Rose Café is a winner.
The Rose Café is located at 8136 Rainier Ave. S. in Rainier Beach. Park north of the building or on the street. Owners are Nikki and Michael. Hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Photo/Rainier Valley Post
Who to know, where to eat & what to do in one of America’s most diverse zip codes!
{ 6 comments }
Sounds interesting! I’ll need to make a trip down there
And great coffee too!!
We wandered in one sunday morning after a walk, and had traditional tea with milk and sugar and it was delicious. Nice clean place, friendly staff, would definitely agree with Neale that this is a keeper.
The transition from big box retail stores to local retailers will take a good long time. Most of the people living in the affordable housing above these retail spaces can’t afford to spend at the retailers below them. The sustainable development efforts geared toward building future soviet-style communities were a little too gung-ho and built these apartment blocks way too early, IMO.
As the economy slips deeper into recession/depression, I suspect this will only become a bigger issue. Regardless of what the paid-for media propaganda suggests, it’s an election year and the economy will be made to look good no matter what the underlying fundamentals are, all in an effort to help Obama get re-elected. The economy is NOT rebounding… though it can be temporarily made to look as if it is rebounding.
My family has stopped in, and found the barista very friendly, and the hot cocoa EXTREMELY chocolatey. Yummy croissants, too. We’ll definitely go back. Across the street is an Ethiopian restaurant, Altaye. Also really good.
Element said: “The sustainable development efforts geared toward building future soviet-style communities were a little too gung-ho and built these apartment blocks way too early, IMO.”
I think you nailed it. Americans do like freedom.
Comments on this entry are closed.