At the Franklin Street Bakery

The Franklin Street Bakery in Minneapolis - 11th and Franklin - is a wonderful place. Award winning, in fact. I got introduced to it by my daughter who lives a block away. Lucky her.

I used to go pick up their 12-grain sourdough bread, which I swear comes in 4 pound loaves. Heavy and delicious. A couple years ago their quality control slipped a bit and I quit going. It's likely fine now, but my budget took a plunge at the same time, and I hadn't been back since, making do with grocery store offerings.

I could stay awake drooling about their specialty chocolate cake, called something like Oncho Diablo. It's two layers of very dark chocolate with a little bite of heat, separated by gnosh in a light chocolate, and covered with a smooth chocolate frosting. We tend to get it for special occasions since it cost $30 last time I priced one. But so-o-o-o-o worth it! Order in advance.

Today I noticed I was going to end my workday in that neighborhood in a timely manner and decided to venture over and see what was on their 5:00-6:00 PM half-price before closing special. Arriving a few minutes before five, I parked and waited... until 5:03 for good measure. I had a good book along for company.

Third in line as I arrived, I looked over the goodies and made about seven choices, and with some time remaining, whittled that down to two: almond croissants and cranberry-orange scones. I took 4 of the former, half of what they had, and six of the latter, that being what they had left. We'd have some treats this weekend!

While the fellow behind the counter started bagging my order, a woman about three behind me in a line that had been steadily growing started to complain. "Is she going to take all the scones? I had my mind set on scones tonight. That's so selfish! Couldn't she leave some for me?"

I didn't bother turning around. I was sure I'd say something equally rude to her if I did. I just smiled at the counter guy as he completed my order, paid for it and left. Let her notice that I'd not touched the raspberry and white chocolate scones, if she would. I let the counter guy remind all in line that it was, after all, first come, first served. I almost hope the next in line finished the rest of the scones ahead of her.

Selfish? How about her expressed wish to take away from me what she wanted for herself? I was there first, but had it been the other way around, I would have just acknowledged my own bad luck with my first choice and my timing, and made a different choice without a fuss. It's happened before, and I've never suggested that the one ahead in line give up their choice because I wanted it too. That's life.