the end of the main st cafe

Today was the last day that the Main St Cafe will be open (there's no point linking to the site, now, is there?); it will be made into another PJ's Pancakes (there's frequently a line out the door for the one in Princeton, which tells me that Princetonians don't know a damn thing about food... and before you get all uppity, yes, we've eaten at PJ's twice; it's better than Waffle House and about equivalent to an upscale diner).

The Main St Cafe was the favorite coffee stop of The Excellent Wife (TEW); Snakehead had a birthday party there; we used to get cakes there (when TEW didn't make them herself), and I used to stop there for empty calories regularly. The local Major Taylors started many of their rides from there, and it was rare, when I would stop in or pass, that I DIDN'T see bikes out front.

I decided to do a ride to stop by there, and put it up on a couple of bike-y Facebook pages. Five came out: Laura OLPH, Snakehead, one of his professor friends John, newly-regular-Hill-Slug Ricky. and Michael, who leads rides into the Sourlands.

I promised a high-14-to-low-15mph pace, and brought it in, despite the strong legs on some of these guys. The route page includes my rides to and from home; the route was a not-too-hilly route I do on Sundays. I offered stops in Hopewell and Princeton, but we decided to hold out until we got to the Cafe.

That, above, is a much better picture of Rick than the one at top, isn't it?

The joint was jumpin'; all kinds of people were there, mostly all saying goodbyes (and, apparently, mostly all known to the staff). It was gratifying.

Laura bought something yummy and peeled off to go home; the rest of us headed into a headwind back to the start. When we got onto Canal Road, I told the guys they could go ahead... and go they did; within a sort time they'd left me behind. I came on another rider as he emerged from Canal Road; we chatted a bit about saddles and bearings, and took turns pulling one another until he turned off at Jacques. I got back to the parking lot in time to say goodbyes, and rode the last five miles home.

The way I see it, there are a few possible outcomes for the Main St Cafe location. If I might be allowed metaphors from my days as a theologian (modified by too much fantasy and sci-fi):

• It might be a resurrection. That is, the new place might be an excellent completion of the possibilities of the old.
• It might be a resuscitation. That is, the new place might be more or less the same as the old.
• It might be a zombie. The new place bears some resemblance to the old, but is sadly weaker.
• It might be a body-snatcher. The new place has some resemblance, but is completely worse and toxic.

As my family members point out, I'm never hopeful. Whatever will replace the Cafe is to open in the spring. We will see.