Hi times

I’m not exactly a coffee house kind of person. In fact, I make fun of people who hang out in their local coffee houses for hours on end. I find endless time loitering in an establishment with a $3 cup of coffee to be just rude. I mean, order a muffin or something already! Knowing this about me, my friend Tim was surprised when I invited him to breakfast on a Sunday morning to Hi Point Coffee and Café.

However, walking in to Hi Point, I suddenly saw the allure. This place is so dang adorable and cozy, I never wanted to leave. Mismatched furniture, wood floors, paper lanterns and book shelves filled with paperbacks make the space welcoming and quaint.

We started by ordering some coffee at the counter. I chose a latte with an extra shot ($2.90 for the small) and Tim ordered a mocha ($4 for the medium). The coffees arrived fairly quickly, and two of the friendly staff members encouraged us to have a seat and take our time with the menu. I really liked my latte—it had just the right amount of foam but Tim felt his mocha was a little sweet. I think mochas, in general, are too sweet, so I had little sympathy.

We sat at a table against the wall. All the tables had a chalkboard-like tablecloth and chalk so we wrote all over them. Adorable! I was enjoying drawing so much, Tim finally had to yell at me to look at the menu and stop drawing pictures. What a fun-killer.

The menu has breakfast and lunch items, including blackberry crepes and baked macaroni and cheese. I was having a tough time deciding, but eventually Tim and I both chose to order specials of the day.

I ordered the pumpkin pancakes ($10), which came with goat cheese maple drizzle, a side of bacon and a cup of fruit salad. My pancakes arrived a little cold, but were thin, numerous and flavored with pumpkin, without being too sweet. The maple and goat cheese topping was interesting, but there was something off-putting about the combination. It almost tasted “powdery.” I think this would have been better with maple and crème fraîche. The fruit salad had kiwis, grapes and melon with chopped up mint, and was really good.

The crowning glory of this breakfast was the bacon. It was cooked perfectly with a nice crisp and was not overly fatty. I’m seriously considering just ordering a big plate of bacon to go with my latte the next time I come here.

Tim ordered the Eggs on En Cocette ($11), which are eggs baked in a zucchini and ragout sauce with mozzarella. The dish came with a side of bacon, focaccia toast and a cup of fruit salad. Tim hates eating with me because I always like his meal more than mine and thus end up slowly eating his entire plate. This visit was no exception. The dish reminded me of zucchini lasagna with eggs instead of noodles. The dish was steaming hot, and the sauce was excellent. The focaccia toast had a nice crunch and a light layer of butter. I definitely preferred his dish over mine, but both were good. Overall, I found Hi Point Coffee and Café to be delightful. I love the space, the staff was friendly, and the food and coffee were solid.