Crema's vegan-friendly coffee and vegetarian-friendly breakfasts are cream of the crop

The coffee alone makes Crema worth a stop -- which is both good and bad news for this city's vegans, because if you stop for the coffee, you won't be able to get any Beet Box vegan baked goods. The coffeeshop recently stopped carrying Beet Box products and instead is...

By Amber Taufen

November 27, 2012

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The coffee alone makes Crema worth a stop -- which is both good and bad news for this city's vegans, because if you stop for the coffee, you won't be able to get any Beet Box vegan baked goods. The coffeeshop recently stopped carrying Beet Box products and instead is making everything in-house -- and while the goods look delicious, vegan and gluten-free options are still on the horizon.

If you don't mind a little egg and dairy in your breakfast, though, you'll be well-satisfied with everything Crema has to offer.

Crema gets busy on weekends, but when we stopped by around 9:30 a.m. on a recent Sunday, we were still ahead of the rush and managed to nab a table by a window. Oldies were playing on the radio while hipsters and young families stopped in for their caffeine and sugar fixes.

The veggie quiche of the day, pictured above, contained Muenster, scallions and roasted tomatoes. The eggs were light and fluffy, and the Muenster, scallions and roasted tomatoes beautifully interspersed through this delicious breakfast, made only slightly less decadent by the light, crisp side of baby arugula tossed in a subtle, oil-based dressing.

The burrito -- made with eggs, black bean hominy hash, green chiles, Muenster and roasted tomato salsa -- can be ordered with carnitas. Without the meat, it ranks among the best veggie breakfast burritos in the city, especially with that that smoky salsa. The lattes with almond milk are so beautifully crafted and delicious, you're almost willing to forgive the current lack of vegan baked goods. And there's a bruleed grapefruit dish that looks like it could be quite a consolation prize...

Crema is located at 2862 Larimer Street; call 720-235-2995 or visit http://cremacoffeehouse.net for more information.

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Amber Taufen has been writing about people, places and things in Denver since 2005. She works as an editor, writer, and production and process guru out of her home office in the foothills.

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