Crema

Tasty lattes, lovely people.

There are few places downtown that induce composure in 2020. Crema Cafe is one of them: a no-frills luncheonette hidden in plain sight amid the shuttered storefronts of City Plaza.

I order the cold cut special on a toasted baguette, eat it with both hands on a nearby bench in front of the plaza fountains that no longer work.

The name is probably the fanciest thing about the place. The menu is a modest collection of blue collar lunch fare, from roast beef to reubens. Self-serve coffee in Dixie cups. Homemade chilli. And that’s what I loved most: they had all the essentials, as unassuming as a grade school canteen or warship galley in cosmopolitan surrounds.

The simplicity of my brown bag feast helped tune out the droning of power drills that told me more plywood is going up. A storm is coming.

Before duels, the legendary swordsman Musashi wrote poems to settle his spirit in preparation for battle.

I sat for a while longer with my late-afternoon coffee, poised to welcome the change of pace on a day when everything else felt up in the air.

-Art the Ronin

Raleigh is for Ronin:
A blog of everyday adventures downtown
IG: @raleighisforronin
Web: RaleighisforRonin.com

Crema is doing take out food and coffees right now. So good.

Today was my first experience with Crema and I will DEFINITELY be back. Delicious and fresh, fast and incredible friendly service. What a gem! Perfect for a quick but satisfying lunch.