Dispatches from Colombia: Keeping It (Life and Tasty Treats) Simple

The hard-working folks at the International Aphorism Factory came up with a handy dandy expression: “Keep it simple, stupid.” That works, mostly. In my experience, folks who depend on extravagance and spectacle have an addiction with no upper limit. One pleasure must top another, or even pleasures get booooring.
We keep it simple here in Colombia. A peaceful walk with my lovely fiancé through our Santa Barbara neighborhood satisfies the soul far more than any mission to the mall or a nerve-wracking escapade in that malevolent amoeba called Bogotá traffic. When the stroll leads to something tasty … why, simple pleasures really do seem best.
I offer here seven heavens—a week of delicious food and drink rewards we share at the end of short walks through our own little ‘hood here in this big, big city. Do you also have simple pleasures just a walk away? Why not share those with Paste readers?
Monday
For a fine and satisfying breakfast, five blocks north we visit a bakery, Romannoti. (Calle 125, Carrera 23) We usually order c_aldo de costilla_, beef-rib soup. Soup for breakfast? It sounds strange in El Norte, but this aromatic bowl with a whole local potato, a filling portion of tender beef, and a broth seasoned with green onion bits hits just about every spot on chilly mornings in the high Andes. Freshly baked pan frances (French bread) to dip, a hot café con leche (always served here with a portion of farm cheese), and a bowl of ripe mango puts us on top of the morning.
Tuesday
A good cup of coffee awaits on many corners in this land where mountain farmers grow the best beans in the world. I’ve had a bad cup or two of Colombian Joe (or is it Jose?), but bad coffee is memorable here and can be a topic of solemn discussion for days, usually in tones of voice reserved for a sick relative. The brand Juan Valdez is the Starbucks of Colombia, reliable, always (here’s that word again) a pleasure. Juan Valdez hot-watering holes sprinkle Bogotá, and many others in Colombia. We frequent the Calle 125 branch, near Romannoti. A few blocks east, Café Quindio also brews up a nice cup, with beans from Eje Cafetero, the steep coffee country around Armenia and Manizales. It’s an easy stroll to the best caffeination in a caffeine nation.
Wednesday
How about a really good cookie? Four blocks east, on Carrera 19, a wildly popular Asian-fusion restaurant called Wok packs ‘em in. The wait for a table can be long, but we bypass it via a little first-floor grab-and-go for take-out. A remarkable cookie waits there. Most Colombian cookies are white flour, processed, industrial, standard. The Wok oatmeal cookie is hand-made of honey, oats, sunflower seeds, chopped fruits, and spices. Soft and chewy, it invites nibbles, not bites. The flavors in every tiny taste rise differently, and so pleasantly.