Place #1: Barranquero Café

 

 

 

 

Hola, for my first passion blog post I’m going to talk about one of my favorite places in State College, Barranquero Café! This Columbian coffee shop serves coffee, teas, juices, and finger foods, but I like it most for its cozy atmosphere.

Barranquero’s coffee beans come from a café in Columbia called Café Jesús Martín, and the Jesús family grows coffee trees right on their farm. That’s about as authentic as you can get.

For those of you who haven’t had a chance to go to Barranquero Café yet, it’s located in downtown State College on 324 E Calder Way. There’s a large overhanging sign above the door, so it’s hard to miss. I really encourage all of you to try Barranquero out this weekend, because it really is one of the coolest places in Central Pennsylvania.

 

 

 

 

 

As its name suggests, Barranquero Café is most known for its coffee, although that is certainly not all it serves. Take a look at its menu. When I’m in the mood for some caffeine, I usually get either a cappuccino or a latte. If you want to try something more adventurous, go for Angela’s Vietnamese, which is a layered specialty beverage with condensed milk and a single shot of espresso. Personally, I am not a huge caffeine drinker, so I usually get one of their teas/aromáticas. An aromática is a brew of finely chopped fruits, which are steeped near boiling water until the ingredients’ tastes are infused into the water.

In Columbia, aromáticas are served after the meal in many restaurants, although they are also sold on the streets. My favorite aromática from Barranquero is the Red Fruit Infusion, which is a blend of agua de panela (an infusion made from hardened sugar cane juice, essential for aromáticas), strawberries, raspberries, red grapes, peaches, and mint. They also serve Coffee Shell Tea, which is a tea made from dried coffee fruit. Whether you’re a caffeine addict or an adventurous tea enthusiast (like me), Barranquero certainly serves something you’ll enjoy.

When I’m a little hungry, I usually get the arepas. Arepas are white cornmeal pancakes with a filling in between. Barranquero has several options for the filling, but I prefer the arepa con queso (with cheese). Sounds boring, but the taste is very flavorful and unique. Barranquero also serves pasteles (stuffed puff pastries), muffins, ice cream, empanadas, and brownies.

Although Barranquero serves Columbian drinks and food that are unique for a place like Central Pennsylvania, I love going there because of its atmosphere. The interior reminds me of a typical small coffee shop in NYC, with its colorful and comfortable Victorian chairs, wooden floor, and upstairs seating. You can always find college students doing work upstairs, as the café never really gets too loud.  I go to Barranquero at least once a week to study, do some work, or just for a Sunday morning brunch. Next time you’re downtown, need a place to study, or just want to hang out with friends, give Barranquero a try, because it’s something different that your daily Starbucks run.

Hasta la próxima!