Cozy up with coffee in new café

Ordering a basic drink at UH’s new coffeehouse may bring surprises to the first-time visitor’s taste buds.

Located on Calhoun Road, The Nook Café opened on Nov. 29 and is filled with art created by students. The architecture was designed by Infill Design’s Ian Rosenberg, and the establishment is owned by alumnus Derek Shaw and Sam Wijnberg. The baristas brew Cougar Blend and other coffees roasted by Katz Coffee, founded and owned by alumnus Avi Katz.

“This whole place was built by UH alumni,” Shaw said. “It’s for Coogs, by Coogs.”

The café will also feature local artists, and Shaw plans to have open-mic nights, poetry slams and more. The laid-back environment welcomes studious customers with couches and desks. Chalkboard walls are available for customers to write on, whether it be drawings of expression or math formulas for a test review.

Shaw has been trying to give back to the University ever since he graduated, and ten percent of sales of Cougar Blend and any blend of drip coffee will go to UH.

“We were hammered with customers during finals week, which was tricky for my staff because they were still trying to get their feet wet,” Shaw said. “It was particularly heavy at night. Crowds celebrated the last final by getting drinks and having cake; it was great.”

Barista and public relations senior Deondria Taylor said the most popular drinks are the lattes. Shaw added that the eggnog latte was a common order because it was seasonal.

The Nook Café has its own way of brewing coffee with its steampunk, and it’s what keeps bringing students back.

The steampunk machine not only brews the coffee, but also cleanses the grounds, which removes acidity and other elements found in drip coffee. Using this method, cream and sugar are not needed.

“If someone were to come into the café and ask for recommendations, it would be the steampunked Guatemala or Kenyan,” Shaw said. “It is clean, and it’s the only time I drink it black.”

Texas Pecan and Cougar Blend are some of the coffees always in stock. Other blends will be on rotation.

The French Riviera Bakery provides croissants, and other breakfast pastries are made by Anabel Trudeau of Take the Cake.  She created a specialty cake for UH called “Shasta’s Pride,” a three-layer cake covered in cheesecake icing.

The Nook Café also has options for vegetarians and vegans. Sinfull Bakery’s “Everything Granola Bar” is brownie-sized, and it’s a great snack filled with an assortment of organic berries and nuts.

Students can look forward to the café’s app, which is still in development. Shaw said it will help the morning crowd.

“With the app, you can order before you actually drive in on campus, and you can just grab it,” Shaw said. “You put in your order and the time you’ll be picking it up. You need that quick grab-and-go, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

Working at the coffeehouse has turned Taylor and Martinez into coffee lovers.

“It’s just not the same,” Taylor said. “I know a little bit more about … what comes in a drink and what it’s supposed to taste like versus what’s bad.”

Martinez said her palate has become more refined.

The owners received an allotment for their patio, which they plan to improve, but it will not be completed until the summer.

For more information, visit The Nook Café’s Facebook page.

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