Take the coffee, leave the sweet

I have always been adamant about not buying coffee in Starbucks.  Years ago when SB locations started to spread like urban viruses across the US, I was among the few that resisted the homogenized appeal of this coffee chain.  But since moving to DC a few years ago, I found myself, unwillingly at first, buying and enjoying coffee products from SB.  It started as a convenience when my husband and I took monthly trips to NYC to visit my newly uprooted brother.  We would start off at SB early in the morning and stock up on coffee and enjoy the 4-hour drive with our engines filled with the caffeinated goodie.  However, the downside of SB has always been their sweets. They have never been able to pull it off.   No matter which way the trend in sweets may sway, be it cupcakes, sweet pops or french pastry darlings, they will never achieve the right combination of taste and pop that sets shops unique.  It's a case of the look-pretty but taste-awful symptom that has always been the norm.  Their beautifully arranged front store fridges assorted with eye-catching sweets are nothing but, well, pretty.

But I caved in and yesterday afternoon, Emilu and I took a stroll with Piki to the SB near our house.  I bought an espresso, my usual drink and couldn't resist the beautiful cake pops displayed in the fridge.  So I bought one.  Huge mistake.  It was uneatable.  Next time I know better.  Take the coffee, leave the sweet. Much like leave the gun take the cannoli.

The offending sweet