Cafe' Nova

Cafe Nova
210 Court Street (corner of Warren and Court)
Brooklyn, NY

Every time I go into this place the garbage can is in a new spot, and the coffee condiment station has been moved.

Theresa, Helen, Adrian, and that other cute guy that's enthusiastic about ceramics are what makes this place different from the million other pastry/coffee joints on Court Street in Cobble Hill. Even when the heat isn't working, or the A/C has blown out....they'll be standing behind the counter smiling, drawing you into the daily dramas of making panini sandwiches for $8/hour plus tips.

In a cafe that offers way too many food options that the space and time of the place can actually handle (salad bar, panini grill, gourmet pizzas) the employees make being understaffed a joy to watch. If you let them know you're a normal human and not some demanding cobble hill mom, they'll start talking to you while making your food, telling you how they like to go on fruit fasts, how they love their new Nintendo system, how they're still trying to figure out which Master's degree to get etc.

Cafe' Nova does have the best coffee on Court Street, and the homemade chocolate croissants are worth the extra dent in your butt, but, everything else is as good as any other, and without the employees serving it with a wink, I'm not sure how loyal I would remain to this place. I hope Cafe Nova's boss knows it's not necessarily the curried chicken under the heat lamp that's keeping customers coming back. Sometimes, it's friendly folk that keep doors open.

If you want to witness the charm of Cafe' Nova's staff go sooner than later, because the longevity of a career as a coffee shop barista is like my favorite beauty shop name: "Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow".