Cinnamon Roll

Right place. Right time. Serendipitous it was.

It's been a while since I've written about a cinnamon roll. Actually I gave up the search after far too many disappointments. A post dated September 11, 2008 was giving up the search and only returning to those bakeries remaining which had good cinnamon rolls.

It was a fortuitous time when I met Flora and Phil at A Great Location in Tucson for lunch. The small cafe with about ten tables is open 6:00 to 2:00 serving breakfast and lunch. Looking over the menu, under the breakfast sides was "cinnamon roll".

Not wanting disappointment, I asked the waitress about the source of the cinnamon roll. They are baked at the cafe. Wow. Wonderful. It was a relief to find that it wasn't a frozen Sara Lee cinnamon roll***. A cinnamon roll and a Greek omelet were my choices for lunch.

Omelet was delicious. The cinnamon roll was excellent with that balance of flavor and texture ranking near the top of favorite cinnamon rolls. However, since it had been so long since the last good cinnamon roll, perhaps it may have been unfair rating. Looks like I will have to make a return visit -- next year.

Exiting the cafe and paying for our lunches at the cash register, I noted the pan of cinnamon rolls. It was tempting to take one to go, but I declined.

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***Years ago in the early 1990s, I was returning to Denver from a road trip along the North American Rockies. Driving the back roads of Idaho mid morning, I was ready for tea and a snack. I came upon a small town with the only business being a grocery store/gas station/restaurant combination.

I entered the restaurant and sat at the counter. Checked the menu and found "cinnamon roll". Great. The waitress came by and I ordered hot tea and a cinnamon roll. As she turned to walk away, I said that she shouldn't heat the cinnamon roll. She turned to me and asked, "Do you want it thawed?"