Cakes Bakery and Buying a House

Yesterday, Z and I made an offer on a house. It was exciting, nerve-wracking and almost unbelievable...but we did it. We should find out today what the next steps are!

In addition to house hunting, we had a very low key weekend filled with friends, food and relaxation. My parents and little sister also paid me a visit early Saturday morning, which was complete with a trip to Cakes in Arlington for a light breakfast and some much-needed iced coffee.

Cakes (with other locations in Milton and Watertown) recently opened on Mass Ave. in Arlington, but I only went there for the first time a few weeks ago. I only got an iced coffee on my first visit, but was intrigued by the cafe's freshly baked pastries, locally-made breads, and sandwich options listed on their chalkboard menus. So, when I took my family there for breakfast on Saturday, I was eager to try the food.

After much consideration, I opted for an egg and cheese sandwich on Harvest bread (Cakes had four options of bread for me to choose from). 

I was a little nervous that without some sort of vegetable and/or loads of black pepper (which is how I like my eggs) this sandwich would be pretty bland, but I was surprised at how flavorful it was despite its simplicity. The eggs were perfectly cooked, and the Harvest bread was out-of-this-world tasty, and obviously homemade. 

The only downside: I found a fairly large egg shell in my sandwich, and am pretty sure I ate a few more before I spotted this one. After a Google search, I found that egg shells are actually good for you (who knew?) but they're still not very pleasant to eat, at least unexpectedly. 

When it comes to prices, Cakes is very reasonably priced, especially for the homemade, quality food you're getting. The coffee alone is outstanding - just don't expect to pay Dunkin' Donuts' prices here. But, you're definitely paying for what you're getting (in both cases).

What are some highlights from your weekend?

Everybody Has Their Bad Days

Sometimes, you can have a bad experience at a good eatery.

A few weeks ago, I stopped in at The Gingerbread Construction Co. in Winchester on my way to work. I was really eager to see what all the hype was about, as numerous people had told me I had to try Gingerbread Construction's muffins, coffee and - well, everything. However, upon immediately walking into the bakery I was greeted with a glare from the young girl behind the counter and nothing else. As I perused the bakery case, filled with glorious-looking, cream-filled muffins, thick gingerbread cookies, and intricately decorated gingerbread houses, another employee asked me what I wanted to order, in a tone that was basically asking me to hurry up. Displeased with the customer service, I only ordered an iced coffee and left sorely disappointed.

I was so disappointed, that I sent an email to The Gingerbread Construction Co., letting them know about the experience I had that morning. Part of me knew this place had to have great food (the coffee was good, too), and I also knew deep down that poor customer service wasn't something their management endorsed. Sure enough, within 24 hours, the General Manager wrote me back, apologized immensely for my bad first experience, and sent me a $10 gift card to give them another chance. 

For me, having a bad experience at a restaurant, bakery, store, etc. can happen to anyone - and not all employees are a reflection of that business. It's really all about how the management handles customer service issues, and The Gingerbread Construction Co. proved they care about their customers.

I went back to the Winchester location this past Saturday morning, and ordered a blueberry muffin and another iced coffee. Despite all the cream-filled muffin options, I'm not big on sweet breakfasts, and the blueberry muffin looked really tempting. I was thankful I did order it, as it was chocked full of fresh, Maine blueberries, and it wasn't overly sweet like some fruit-filled muffins can be.

I also loved how the top of the muffin was slightly crispy from being a little over-baked, in a good way.

In the end, I now see why the excitement exists around The Gingerbread Construction Co. Despite a bad first impression, the company showed me what they truly value: their customers.

Have you ever complained to a business about a bad experience you had? How was it resolved?