That's reefer as in "refrigerated", and the two items are the
Tiramisu (pictured left) and yours truly! In a previous life, I was an international freight forwarder, hence the knowledge of shipping
industry lingo. Also in a previous life, I was fat, and had the
aversion to heat typical of the overweight. However, I notice that
this aversion did not leave me along with the pounds. That brings me here to chill in the A/C.
Speaking of pounds, I'm at Stone Creek in Glendale regaining one or two. In a rare display of good timing, I made it here just as the barista was posting the "Half Price Pastry" signs. Also in a display of good timing, this cafe is not busy. You don't wanna be at a busy cafe in summer. Two words: blended beverages. Yesterday at Alterra Bayshore, a 45-minute or so stay gave me a headache that was rapidly heading in the direction of nausea. The grinding blender noise is simply ear-splitting.
This brings me to my next point: those who read this blog regularly may come away with the impression that Alterra can do no wrong in my eyes. This is not the case. My main criticism is that they have always seemed to be caught off guard by their success. The locations and personnel always seem overstretched and overtaxed. Believe it or not, many coffeehouse customers want a cafe that isn't busy, especially in certain situations. As Starbucks has so amply proven, the most critical test is managing success while it still is sucess.
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