There are not many things I like more than finding the perfect cafe/bakery in an unknown town. I flatter myself that I have a sense for finding exactly the right place, that I have some kind of carbohydrate and caffeine homing beacon that will direct me, without fail, to the right cup of coffee and the perfect treat to go with it.
So when, at the counter in Brassica, a darned cute cafe and restaurant in Port Townsend’s uptown district, the woman in front of us turned around to reveal a giant cafe au lait served in a bowl, I felt rightfully smug. Plus, there was the “Oh my god, they have rum-kugeln!” discussion at the pastry case.
We earned our treats by walking to the water in Old Fort Townsend State Park and then by exercising our eyes while watching a submarine arrive from the lighthouse point at Fort Worden. We wandered in and out of the antique and “gift” shops, watched the birds watch the ferry, and generally squandered the day doing nothing of consequence.
It snowed last night, the parking lot was covered with what looked like tiny styrofoam balls released from the inside of a bean bag chair in the sky. They were dry like dust, we blew them off the windsheild wipers and they flew away. The roads were icy and it was very cold, but the sky was bright blue. Every now and then we could see the Olympics, sharp against the sky and covered in new snow.
Our first taste of snow in Seattle a few years ago surprised us with this species of snow, one we were entirely unfamiliar with. We quickly named it Dippin’ Dots snow, but I love the image of a big bean bag being emptied from the sky.
Am almost exactly the same. Few things are better than coming across the ideal cafe in a new town. I’m more for the treats than the coffee though. 🙂
Does Port Townsend still teem with lesbians?
I love it! Now if you could turn that carbohydrate and caffeine homing beacon into a product. I can picture people wandering through foreign cities… “I’ve got my wi-fi finder, and the c&c homing beacon”. (-:
It would make an awesome iPhone app,no? 🙂
Just to clarify on the restaurant part of this article, it’s a little confusing because 2 restaurants operate in the same space. By day (breakfast, lunch, espresso drinks, and, pastry), it is called Sweet Laurette Patisserie & Cafe. Locals just call it Sweet Laurette’s, or, sometimes, Slow Laurette’s. It’s a charming place, with great food, but, I don’t go when in a hurry. On Friday and Saturday nights, Brassica has an amazing 3 course prix fixe dinner with main course choices changing weekly (always one vegetarian). A bit fancier ambiance with table cloths and candles, and, very good service, though I still wouldn’t go when in hurry–it’s so fabulous it must be savored. In fact, my husband and I will be savoring the salmon entree at Brassica later tonight. I can’t wait.
Regarding Mindy’s inquiry about Lesbians, I know some, but, I don’t think I’d characterize it as “teeming.”
thanks for your delight in our cafe au lait!
loved all the comments, esp., Christina. sometimes even the locals forget why we all moved away from the big city… to slow down, and that means taking our time to enjoy our food!