A taste of Albania at Angela’s Cafe

With all the places you can eat at in East Lansing, it would be easy to overlook Angela’s Café. The restaurant opened in March, hidden behind the bustling Grand River Avenue traffic on Albert Street. But, thanks to word of mouth from Lansing Foodies, it caught my attention.

When I first walked in, the small and cozy interior led me to think that it was a coffee shop that only served breakfast. However, even though the menu includes breakfast sandwiches, coffee and a variety of scrambles, it’s not limited to one meal of the day. It also offers soups, salads, sandwiches, burgers and even a selection of baked goods.

Being a family-owned business, the atmosphere is very intimate. While the staff was rather small that day, they were all warm and welcoming, eager to share their dishes with a fresh face. The specialty item they plugged the most was the byrek, a Mediterranean pastry filled with spinach, beef, potatoes or cheese. There are many versions of byrek among different countries, but the Albanian recipe that Angela’s relies on has been in the  family for generations. Since I’d never had Albanian food before, the description intrigued me enough to order the potato byrek and a cup of the chicken-lemon-rice soup.

The byrek was fresh and flaky, the baked dough rolled around in knots like a cinnamon roll. The side of yogurt helped temper the dry spice blended in with the potatoes. I didn’t have to cut it with a fork and knife; it was soft enough that I could just pick it up and eat it. The soup, which came with two slices of toasted, homemade bread, was hot and zesty, the extra bit of lemon livening up a classic flavor.

The byrek was brought out by one of the cooks. Before you ask, her name is Eva, not Angela. It turns out that Angela’s Café is named after her teenage daughter, who also came out to greet us at the end of the meal. The family is clearly proud of what it’s accomplished in East Lansing so far and is ready to welcome more customers in the months to come. So, anyone looking for something new in East Lansing should definitely give Angela’s a try. The Albanian byrek is a nice, homestyle dish that pairs perfectly with the staff’s warm family welcome.