When I arrived in Riga, Latvia on April 14th, I decided to go find a cafe where I could get coffee and a little something to eat. I ended up at Bonera, which also was a vintage shop. I went in and ordered an Americano and what I was told was their most famous pastry. The girl at the counter told me that I could pay when I was done and she would bring me my order when it was ready. She was very friendly and had great English. She told me what everything in the pastry case was in great detail, without seeming pissed off that another clueless tourist had come in.
I went and found a seat in a back corner by bikes, purses and blouses, all which were for sale. I only had to wait a little bit for my coffee and pastry to be delivered. The coffee was good, but came without milk, so it wasn’t 100% the way I like it. Then again the way I would really like it is from Starbucks or 158 Pickett Street Cafe. The pasty on the other hand was a fantastic change from the cake like things I normally eat. The base was a meringue with whipped cream in the middle, no sugar added to the cream, topped with sliced almonds, dried cranberries and chocolate shavings. The meringue was crispy on the outside and slightly chewy on the inside, but not overly so. The whipped cream picked up the bits of the meringue that tried to escape my mouth, but I won. It also helped pull the toppings into the mix.
The cafe had a good vibe going playing songs from the 50s and 60s, like My Girl by The Temptations and Somebody to Love by Jefferson Airplane. (Yes, to the older people who read my blog, I do know these songs.) I found myself singing along a few times, but no one seemed to notice or mind. When I finished my coffee and meringue, there was no one rushing to give me my bill or asking me to leave, so someone else could have my seat. I sat there looking around and taking a few photos. I remember wishing that I had brought my notebook so I could write letters, to loved ones, which I would have been able to do in peace for hours. I sat there until I thought it was time to leave and explore Riga a bit more, and by explore I mean find another place to eat.
