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Dolce Aroma - Greensboro, NC
Have you ever wanted to travel to Europe but just didn’t have the time or money? Uhhm... hello? Hi, I’m a #broke college student who is addicted to exploration. Luckily, my local love for tasting the city I live in helps me out. This past week I ventured over to Dolce Aroma in Greensboro, North Carolina. Owned by a sweet woman named Liljana (Lily) Kajana, the cafe is her personal display of life. Jay Pierce, a writer for News & Record, a local online newspaper describes "the interior of the shop is personal and comforting. The walls are decorated with an eclectic array of paintings. The story of each painting connects to a time and place in Liljana’s life, and she positively beams when recounting those tales." This cafe is a whole new discovery for the average Joe, but for Lily, this is her home.
My experience began on a sunny April day before any of my classes started. My mom was in town, and we were driving around checking out the area. She is so supportive of my blog and actually Yelped local coffee shops the night before so that I could expand my connoisseurship. Dolce Aroma was one of the most raved and at hung at the top of the list. One out-of-towner even said that she “makes sure to go at least once a year”. For someone to drive so far out of their way sounded impressive and reminded me of myself.
Getting the city vibe out of the way, I practiced some parallel parking. The great thing about Greensboro is the eccentricity feel and people without the dirty trash and suffocating populations. Believe it or not, I barely had any pressure on me as I pulled into my spot on the side of the road. Seeing grass in the park across the street and being able to walk side by side on the sidewalk is also a huge commodity. Upon crossing the street and finding the hidden gem next to a parking garage, Dolce Aroma tucked itself away humbly.
The coffee, paired with fresh and homemade Baklava, took your tastebuds to another world. I bought the Wild berry Latte overflowing with espresso and subtle hints of blueberry, raspberry and lavender. It's smooth and milky texture was easy to swallow, and the aftertaste remained sweet and refreshing. It was as if flowers and berries were blooming in my mouth. To me, the salty-sweet Baklava was perfectly paired so well with the almost bitter-sweet coffee. The flavors of espresso brought out the flavors of the syrup in the baklava, and the sweet wild berry paired well with the salt atop the baklava. Here, I would feel naked if I had one without the other. Pierce educates locals by stating that Dolce Aroma utilizes "coffee [that] is deftly roasted by Fortuna Enterprises". He further explains that Lily decides to roast her beans in order to extract a nuttier flavor with a lower acidity than competition (Pierce, Greensboro.com). As Lily crafts each recipe herself, she is one of the greatest connoisseurs behind the coffee bar. And, with spring right around the corner, this drink was the perfect beginning to my day. Kudos to you, Dolce Aroma!
Sources:
- Greensboro.com - https://www.greensboro.com/entertainment/dining/piedmont-foodways-dolce-aroma-offers-more-that-just-coffee/article_dc89686b-c213-5cfe-933d-028a6d61bfad.html
- YELP
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