Smitten...

While I was driving out in east jebus this afternoon picking up supplies for a work event, I suddenly was overcome with… yes! hunger! (ooh hunger!)

But all I saw was Hardees, McDonalds, Wraps, Pockets, Frieds, Mexicans, Drive Thrus, Meat Patties, etc. Nothing appealed.

But then I passed a place that intrigued so I popped in. Great Harvest was the name, and it’s clearly a bakery that offers a few lunch items (mainly sandwiches). I was thinking to myself, “I don’t really want a sandwich and I don’t want to eat a muffin or a cookie. Hm. You know what would be good? Just a slice of whole grain bread or somethin’.”

Then this character says, “hey there! want a free slice of bread?”

Amazing!

So I go to the counter and he shows me 6 (SIX!) loaves of bread—9 grain, honey whole wheat, challah, raisin cinnamon, delicious, and fantastic. I chose the 9 grain and he slices me a big thick piece. Then he points towards this pound of butter and a honey bear. I don’t usually partake of real butter, but this was melty and looked perfect, plus it was housed in a mosquito net (how quaint!) so I slathered. I did! And I added some honey, too, just for good measure (sorry, vegan friends).

OH boy. This was fresh baked and soft yet whole grainy, too. The butter and the honey made it really special. I’m not converting, but when in east jebus, you know….

So as I have my mouth full and I’m sticky with honey, the owner, Lou, is chatting away. He asks me my name (“methah” is what I get out) and then he takes me on the full tour. Everything is natural, everything you can pronounce and spell, and every day, every day, they grind their own whole wheat flour. In the back of the store! He and his wife Jean!

So he shows me the lunch menu and then he shows me the big loaves then he shows me the small loaves (for the singles and the elderly) and then he shows me the rotating bread menu for the month of May. Armed with papers, I end up buying a small loaf of high fiber bread, (it will really clean me out) which is a good source of omega threes from the flax seeds. I can pronounce that!
So I ask him if other Great Harvests exist in STL and he says only in St. Charles. I say, “hm. I live in the city,” meaning, neither one is close to me. But as Lou astutely points out, east jebus is closer to me than the other. True, indeed.

As I leave Lou tells everyone that “Meghan’s leaving” and they all shout goodbye and wave. Then I almost get run over by one of his elderly’s in the parking lot, but that’s OK. I mean, we all need our good carbs. What are you gonna do?