I don’t really drink coffee, but when I get less than four hours of sleep, I tend to make an exception. Today was one of those days.

Since I was early for a meeting at the NJIT campus and I didn’t want to fall asleep mid-meeting, I decided to get some coffee at the highly recommended Art Kitchen cafe, which was within walking distance.

This was going to be my first time visiting the cafe located at 61 Halsey Street in downtown Newark, and I had always heard that it was a popular breakfast and lunch destination. As I approached the cafe, I noticed it was almost directly across the street from the construction site of the new Prudential tower, which explained why there were so many construction workers both outside the establishment and seated inside.

As I entered the cafe, the first thing that grabbed my attention was the chalk-written menu that covered the black wall behind the counter. As I stood and admired the unique menu, my gaze was politely interrupted by a Clean Ambassador of the Newark Downtown District who wanted to get in line to make her order. I let her pass as I looked at the vast menu and tried to make a decision. I realized I was staring like a wide-eyed college freshman and also blocking the entrance, so I made my way towards the counter in the front.

I was still a bit overwhelmed by the menu when it was my turn to make an order, so I decided to just ask for a medium iced coffee. As my very personable barista, Justyna, prepared my order, my eyes kept finding their way to the delicious looking brownies atop the counter. Once my iced coffee was ready, I gave into temptation and added the brownie to my order. As Justyna was sorting out my total, I estimated a total in my head:

“Medium iced coffee, that has to be around $4 or $5. And that nice sized brownie would almost surely cost me $3 or $4.

So I was looking at a price of around $10, I thought. But to my surprise, the total turned out to be around half of my presumed figure. Of course, being the nice guy that I am, I asked Justyna, “Are you sure?” which elicited a giggle. I was slightly embarrassed when she politely pointed out the prices on the menu.

Trying to make up for my slight display of naiveté, I regrouped at a nearby table. It was then that I observed the decor of the cafe. Right off the bat, I could see why it’s called Art Kitchen. A black and white flower design covered the walls, pottery, mugs, vases, and paintings that were displayed on the walls and shelves. Wooden floors, sofas that would be at home in a cozy living room, wooden chairs, and vintage-looking tables populated the seating and dining area for customers. (In its previous iteration, it doubled as an art supply, and Art Kitchen still sells work by local artists.)

The place itself is basically split into two sections. In the front was the general seating area and the counter, while in the back there were longer tables and counter seating across the juice bar and food preparation area. The lights were low hanging and dim, and light music gave the place some energy.

The free-wifi beckoned patrons to come in, have a seat, and work. As I started to enjoy my brownie, I noticed that there was already a diverse set of customers setting up shop at Art Kitchen. One man appeared to be handling business calls at his table while he drank his coffee and enjoyed a sandwich. Another women dressed in business attire appeared to be working on some Excel spreadsheets. At yet another table, there were some college students enjoying a late breakfast before they headed to class.

As it started to get closer to 11 AM, the number of customers increased. There were professionals, construction workers, policemen, college students – Art Kitchen seemed to be a place for everybody. At the end of the hour I had to head back to NJIT, but not before grabbing myself another iced coffee.