Cafe Sienna IN.....Starbucks IF Need Be

I was out running some errands yesterday. I saw a "now open" sign for a little cafe in Roseville. I popped my head inside.....and allowed it to continue. I shortly realized that I had better allow my entire body to follow it in or I was going to do a face plant.

I was lured in by the bakery case. "What a delectible looking display," I exclaimed to myself (yes, I do exclaim to myself). Tierra Masu, Champagne Cake, Deep Dish Apple Pie (that actually looked like a dish), etc....all awaiting to appease my tenacious sweet tooth.

"Nope, not today," I told my sugar incensed incisors. "I have a dinner to go to shortly and I am not going to spoil it."

NOTE: this is not to say that I have any problem whatsoever with eating dessert first...because I don't. To the contrary, I think a good dose of "being backward" is a good prescription. I just knew that the dinner I was going to was already going to involve dessert.

.....BUT I HAD NO SUCH DINNER PLANS FOR TODAY!!!

....so off I went this afternoon for my early Sunday pre-dinner.

It turns out that this little cafe makes all kinds of sandwiches and scones and muffins in addition to doing the coffee thing. They IMPORT the pies and cakes from the Freeport Bakery down in Sacramento. While I have never been to that bakery, I had heard of it which means it has to be good. The people at Cafe Sienna will even pick up a special order for you.....hey, the gas and time savings alone means that I am making money to have them pick up my next Coconut Cream Pie!!! It's almost as if I don't get a C.C. Pie, I might go broke......it's wonderful to be able to justify an indulgence!!!

Anyway, the piece of Terra Masu (I only know how to eat it...not spell it so don't shoot me if I got that last part wrong. It wasn't in my dictionary...at least the way that I tried to spell it. It sounds like TareUHmuhSoo). This slice of heaven had to be 4 inches thick....6 layers...little chocolate rollup stuck in the top....nice! If you ever have this delicacy, you are always at risk of it being a little dry. I thought this one was going to fall into that category with the first bite. I then added a little of the bottom layer which was beyond moist....how can you have a wet pastry without it falling apart? This is part of the allure of the dish. It reminded me of the good terra masus that I have had in the past....it's a unique combination of a little dry and a little wet.

As I was enjoying my cup of coffee, surroundings, and my cake, it hit me. I really don't like following the crowd. I'll go out of my way, as a matter of fact, not to do something JUST because the crowd is doing it. Why on earth would I ever go to Starbucks if there is a place anywhere nearby like Cafe Sienna? There's no reason other than safety. Yes, you'll always get the same boring cup of joe at one Starbuck's that you get at another. You'll even have bought in to the marketing scheme that you go because Starbucks has the best coffee in the world. Hey, coffee is acid...there are just different degrees. I would love it if, for one day, someone snuck some Folgers into all of their bins at Starbucks....heeheeheehee.

Starbucks doesn't have "employees", of course. They have "baristas." Oh my goodness.....the fact that we all know what a barista is shows the genius of Starbucks and the sheep that we all are in following the herd to dutifully pay our $4.

NEWSFLASH JUST IN - when you go to the office, if you put the coffee in the pot and then take a cup to someone....you have earned the right to call yourself a barista too. At least, that's what my good friend Webster's says.

Hey, I'm not bagging on the Starbucks. The company does some wonderful things, I am sure, which go beyond fooling the general public that you have to give them $4 for a cup of coffee or you aren't human. If I am on the run and no place else is around, you know you'll see me paying homage (and 4 bucks) to Green & White coffee sign in the sky. When given a choice, however, I always try to go support the little guy. If they are near a Starbucks, you can bet they are going to be friendlier. The people at Cafe Sienna were both days. If they aren't friendlier, they won't be there next week!

Hmmmmm......the way to out-Starbuck Starbucks is to be friendlier. What can we learn from that as we sojourn forward on this giant orb?