Met a friend for coffee at Annie’s this morning just before the annual Veteran’s Day Parade. This cheerful French-bistro-inspired café was crisp and quite this morning with a few business-types huddled over coffee and executive-style conversation.
I ordered a latte at the register, paid for it, and sort of waited near the counter, unsure if I should wait to receive the coffee or just go sit down and wait for them to bring it to me. The person at the register moved on to the next customer without so much as scooping up some beans to grind. I decided to grab a bistro table near the opened French doors and wait while enjoying the cool morning air.
Only a few minutes went by before the restaurant manager warmly stopped by to make sure I’d been helped. I told him I was just waiting for a latte and a friend. The darkened look that came over his face concerned me.
“I’m so sorry, but we’re out of espresso,” He said.
Out of espresso? What breakfast spot runs out of espresso? That’s almost like saying, “We have no eggs!”
I looked at him inquisitively before responding, “Hmmm, well what do you suggest? I just paid for a latte.”
Without skipping a beat, he offered up a cup of their freshly brewed Toscana coffee and a warm raspberry scone. The coffee was so-so, but take that with a grain of salt as I’m not really a drip coffee fan to begin with. The scone, however, made everything just right. Warm, creamy, and balanced with that sweet-tart taste you’d expect from a garden fresh raspberry.
A tip of the hat to the manager for swooping in to save the day. Here’s to hoping they’ve got espresso beans the next time I stop by for a raspberry scone…
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