If there is one type of restaurant certain to make a list of things I adore, it’s a cozy bakery and café. There is a peaceful and neighborly feel about such a place. Yes, Tiffany’s is to Holly Golightly as cafés are to me – especially those with excellent coffee. Recently, on a long weekend trip to Aspen, I was ushered towards the Main Street Bakery and Café. In a town with quite a reputation for glitz and glamour, it was both interesting and refreshing to enjoy my very first Aspen breakfast in a very small house.
My friend and I had just walked inside, noticing all of the tables were full, when a waitress stepped up and took our coats, hanging them behind the door. We waited a few minutes and took the chance to admire the contents of the glass case, the shelves of which were filled with mounds of sinful pastries touting a just-baked appeal. The icing was still dewy on the Cheese Danish and the croissants were so fluffy they looked as if they were going to float right off the shelves. Then, at what seemed to be a few moments too soon, we were ushered to an open community table and seated with a local family of three. The family was incredibly friendly and on top of offering their own suggestions on how to spend our time in Aspen, they shared some of their favorite items from the menu as well. I began my breakfast with a tall iced coffee and a fresh squeezed orange juice – both were delicious.