Saturday 9/12/26 10:30AM Pacific Standard.
Quite busy on…read moreour arrival, so I let the Duchess wait in line while I fetched a table for us. Yeah, chivalry is pretty much dead.
Parking: Underground garage, stairs or lift (elevator) up one floor to the Cafe Barrone and Keplers Book Store.
We were lucky as I was able to find a table outside. Indoor seating is available and that is also where you place your order. When you pay, you are given a number to place on your table. Order regular coffee here and hot chocolate, or special coffees at another counter. They forgot to give the Duchess the regular coffee, but noticed the mistake at the special counter and brought the coffee to the Duchess while she was picking up her hot chocolate.
Smoked Salmon Bagel Platter $22.00: Smoked Salmon, Tomatoes, Cucumber, Capers, Red Onion, & Whipped Cream Cheese with your choice of toasted bagel. My choice: Forever bagel. The dish was was plentiful, smelling and tasting deliciously fresh. Large dollop of cream cheese was much appreciated. Bagel was nicely toasted and there was no hole for ingredients to fall through. Loved that!
ORGANIC BEET SALAD $15.00 Roasted organic beets, grapefruit, pickled fennel, avocado, goat cheese, & house balsamic vinaigrette. Title should have said ORGASMIC, because the Duchess proclaimed it to be the very best salad she has ever been served in her realm (wink!)
CUSTARD sorry no price, my bad. Duchess says she could eat a 55 gallon drum of this creamy rich dessert. Covered with a dusting of fresh nutmeg making it downright addictive.
Drinks: Regular Coffee Taylor Maid Farms Drip $4.75 was nothing to write home about. Would not order it again. It looked like coffee, but no taste on the tongue
Hot Chocolate $5.00 Duchess made a rookie mistake and tried to sip it before sucking off some of the whip cream, the chocolate milk flowing lovingly down her white flowery dress. Being the "quite proper" Brit, there was no audible curse. Still, she found it very tasty, with a strong chocolate flavor, which left her wishing she had ordered the large cup.
Trendy, bustling, loud crowd. Casual dress is the order. Noise level is not so much as to be painful. If your wearing hearing aids, you may enjoy removing one.
Sadly, all the staff were walking around with seriously sullen faces. Our server delivered our order with word unspoken, expressionless. So we were pleasantly surprised with Miguel, who while bussing our table was smiling and downright charming. 5 stars to this young man. Yes, we were here to eat, but it is nice to not feel your attending a funeral, when your spending dollars. Tips start at 18% and up. For what? You basically wait on yourself. Will return, as there are many dishes and drinks to relish. Yeah . . . we did leave a tip. Oh!! And the Duchess paid the tab. Drinks all around.