Located on the corner of a street facing the metro behind Heineken and meters from Bakers&Roasters, a colorful place welcomes you for breakfast. I passed by and asked myself why it is empty, not a single table... Empty, no Music and poorly lit, I decided to go in only because the other place I was going to was full; I understood why it was empty. Dull and unwelcoming, we were not even greeted in. After waiting for several minutes, I called the waitress.
The place is nice, feels like an old house in the village. A wooden floor, an old carpet and several sets of tables each decorated differently. Colorful table covers usually used in kitchens, books, colored walls and colored lights; this place should feel vibrant when it’s not.
On the menu, a handful of cakes, each with its picture and description. So I ordered five, the guy approached and left them on the table...
they smell like heaven! One fork for five cakes... let’s eat.
Tarts are good, in fact very good for a homey tart. The sweetness is balanced, the aromas are rich and pronounced, the size and look are appealing yet, and because of the bad service and attention, you don’t feel like enjoying them.
Trying not to be biased, I started appreciating every cake by itself.
- Monkey business: banana cake with raisins and chopped pecans, sprinkled with rum syrup, and a filling of sweetened mascarpone finished off with fresh banana. I liked the aromas of rum, the end-kick, the light sweetness and creaminess of the mix.
- Cheesecake: on a butter cake bottom, a special mix of two young baked kinds of cheese and crème fraîche. As good as it should be, a Cheesecake with European Influences very different from the heavy American ones.
- Carrot cake: moist and spicy carrot cake sweetened with honey, mascarpone filling covered with marzipan and pecans. Moist, soft, aromatic and flavorful. It’s a good carrot cake but not an exceptional one.
- Pecan pie: originally from the first French colonists in America. A baked crust filled with caramel and covered with pecans. That’s a good one, a crunchy crust, crunchy pecans and the needed sweetness to make this tart addictive.
- Crostata di nocciole: a crisply baked cake with amaretto and chopped chocolate and hazelnuts. A great balance between the alcohol, the crust, the chocolate, and nuts: a cake served warm is interesting on the palate.
No internet, no music, a cold coffee, only one fork and no cutlery, waiters without uniforms, a lady talking on the phone in the kitchen... is the owner aware?
It’s unfortunate to see a neighbor pushing people away and giving them appointments in 45 minutes when a vast space doesn’t have a single customer. Please review your service and turn this place into an experience to bring people in because once they do, they’ll come back for the cakes and pies.
