European culture was foundational in the development of Milwaukee and the surrounding area. While remnants remain of the Polish, German, Italian and Croatian neighborhoods, the area continues to change and develop as many more cultures make their mark and bring diversity to the landscape. This is not only true of the city but also the surrounding suburbs. If you look closely, you’ll find more than just endless strip malls filled with popular coffee chains in the burbs.
Turkey straddles Eastern Europe and Western Asia and you’ll find its influence in a local shop in downtown Waukesha. Owned and operated by a husband-wife duo Gulten and Ayhan Munzur from Turkey, Cafe De Arts aims to bring you an authentic Turkish dining experience. With distinctive twists on fresh-baked pastries, paninis and sandwiches, it’s easy to feel like you’re tasting something unique.
The art of roasting coffee started for these two before they reached the United States 15 years ago. Now, they roast their own coffee in-house with beans sourced from New York. You won’t get bored if you’re one who enjoys having plenty of coffee options!
Mint Green Tea – Rishi’s mint green tea was flavorful and bright. Although very thoughtful to serve this with a side of honey, we didn’t use it this time.
Regular Latte – This unflavored latte was simple yet strong, and paired well with our breakfast this morning.
Caramel Latte – Our first impression of this latte wasn’t love at first sight, but we found that the espresso, milk and caramel were very well-balanced and authentic tasting.
Cappuccino – This unflavored cappuccino was quite strong with an unmistakable European flavor. While specific tasting notes were not detectable, this had a dark, bold kick to it!
Mediteranean Breakfast Sandwich – Made with herbed egg, creamy alio feta, provolone cheese and cured ham, this toasted ciabatta sandwich wasn’t bland or too bready. We liked the added touch of side greens with vinaigrette. We paired this with a latte.
Café De Arts Breakfast Pie – This breakfast pie consisted of egg, cream, feta cheese, spinach and bread, While we were expecting something similar to an egg-bake, the top and bottom layers surprised us by being quite bland, while the middle layer was the source of detectable flavor. The mixed greens with vinaigrette was a great side!
Yogurt and Granola – Vanilla yogurt and granola with pepper-rubbed apples, oranges and berries. Served with a side of honey toast.
Baklava – This came highly recommended by our blog readers, and it did not disappoint! This flaky, sweet treat had a delicious layer of honeyed pecans and was baked to perfection. Thanks for the suggestions, ya’ll!
Cafe De Arts
Monday-Friday – 6am-2:30pm
Sunday – 7:30am-2pm
CoffeeBloggerMKE 