Fresh Baked

I live near a bakery now, which sounds great because it is. But the line is always long. The service is slow. The prices are high. Their punch card only offers a “Free Treat” after twelve purchases, a limp promise by any measure. Their famous specialty is frequently sold out while less popular offerings (often of the almond/pistachio variety) seem to be sourced from an endless wellspring. There is no place to sit and few places to stand. The bags of coffee they sell are whole bean, and branded stickers are available for $2. People often ask questions at the register, which are answered at length. Once you reach the register, four employees may be milling about as you stand and wonder what you’re really doing here again. They don’t apologize. They don’t change.

But their baked goods are to die for, and die on that hill I will.