Couple of Coffees

Coffee and a wedding

Saturday morning, before heading to my friend Alice's for breakfast, Jonathan and I found ourselves in Mayville, New York, at the Bonjour Cafe and Patisserie. It opened last summer and already business is booming. The shop serves espresso, regular coffee and cases of French pastries, not to mention the pies and cheesecake. The locals know to come before 10 a.m., or the baked goods will have disappeared.

We had regular coffee and brought home a pain au chocolat for the afternoon. It tasted so great, and not too sweet, that it almost made up for not being able to get Sadie J's muffins ever again. Almost. Perhaps we'll pull over there again on our way out of town this morning. Apparently the cafe is owned by a successful businessman who has some other restaurants in town and believes in serving quality food. We'll have to check out some more of his holdings next year when we come back.

The wedding festivities for Gary and Marisa stretched for three days, and everything was perfect. The ceremony was held in the scenic outdoor Hall of Philosophy, on the Chautauqua grounds, amid white etched columns and a mosaic tiled floor. The bride and groom were radiant, and they left the ceremony in a cascade of rose petals thrown skyward by well-wishers. A horse and carriage delivered the bride and her family to the ceremony, and she and Gary were whisked off in it afterwards.

The reception at the Athenaeum Hotel was followed by an after-party in the Sun Room upstairs, which kept going until 3 a.m., or so I heard. Johnny's Lunch was brought in. It's a Jamestown business specializing in Texas hots. If you don't know what Texas hots are, try them sometime on the East Coast. They do a body good.

The next morning, brunch was served at the Season Ticket in the St. Elmo Hotel, and we gorged on quiche, French toast, fruit, assorted muffins and, of course, coffee.

Life is good here in Chautauqua, even before the season starts, with its throngs of pedestrians, regular lectures and concerts and general hubub. It's been great to see old friends and catch up with them while staying at the Maple Inn, my family's favorite place to stay on the grounds. I grew up coming to this inn for two weeks every summer. Things have changed, they always do, but being in this room is like being home.

posted by Laura the Writer @ 8:19 AM