Proyecto Diaz Coffee

Proyecto Diaz is an Oaxaca-linked, Oakland-based roaster pulling beans from the family farm in Mexico. The Uptown cafe at 2201 Broadway runs pendant lighting and rope-suspended terracotta planters, the kind of room that tells you where the coffee is from before you read the menu. Cafe de olla holds the cinnamon and piloncillo profile its name promises. Mazapan and horchata lattes anchor the signature menu, and tamales sit ready in the case for the morning rush. Espresso is dialed to carry the Mexican palate, not flatten it. Order the cafe de olla if you want the drink the family farm was built around. Order the mazapan latte if you want the version of Oakland coffee that refuses to taste like anywhere else.