Cafe Lenza

Come here for a friendly smile with your lunch, cup of joe or bag of chips!

i first walked into café lenza 15 minutes before a job interview nearby. i was tired (it was the 9^th hour of a 14 hour law school day) and a bit nervous and thought that a shot of espresso would help things. after the kind and lovely woman behind the counter (adiam, the owner) handed me a small cup of delicious espresso, i sat down to drink it and was slowly filled with the uncanny sense that the universe had, at that moment, been set back in order.
that’s sort of how i feel every time i come away from café lenza with my breakfast or lunch. i got that job that summer and the café became a part of my almost-​daily routine. adiam makes my favorite tuna sandwich — i think part of what makes it so good is that she opens the can right then and makes the simple tuna salad fresh for each sandwich. the salads are also fresh, simple and delicious. add the friendly demeanor of the people who work there and how could you not feel like all in the universe is well?

Yummy sandwiches, made with care – especially if you get the owner to make yours for you. She’s very friendly and sincerely cares about her customers. I went there once after not being there for more than a month and she was like, ‘Where have you been?’ and I proceeded to tell her about my European vacation. The espresso’s also quite good. Best for to-​go lunch since the place is so tiny, but the streetlife on that stretch of Telegraph provides enough entertainment to keep things interesting. My favorite sandwich it their roast beef.

Adiam, the sweet owner of the coffee shop, is my neighbor and thanks to her delicious coffee, sandwiches, salads, I am still alive! I have had lunch and snacks at her place almost everyday for a year, and I love it! Of course, we are sharing a lot, both new in the neighborhood, new business owners, etc… and we are trying to animate the neighborhood with whatever we can think of.
Stop by and order a capuccino (the best in town I heard from my own customers), her homemade apple rolls (YUMMI) and leave the place humming an ethiopian song, you are ready for a good day!

Definitely a hole in the wall, but delightful nonetheless, Lenza is neighbors with Van Kleef and Entrez! At Home, so it keeps good company.
I mostly stop here to pick up beverages, but there are always people chatting away at one of the small tables, looking very happy.
What I like best about this place is that the woman behind the counter is the proprietess, and she’s wonderful to chat with.