University Coffee Cafe

I suppose this has now become the West Coast Scone Review, hasn't it?

After a hike at the lovely Arastradero Preserve with the dog, I drove into downtown Palo Alto looking for much needed coffee and sustenance. I remember University Coffee Cafe from years ago as being acceptable, nothing to get crazy about.  It has a distinctive smell, which I suppose it would, since they roast in-house.  It all seems much the same.  The coffee is still cheap. Double espresso for under $2, it really can't be beat.  Nice that it still caters to the student budget, despite the obvious wealth everywhere around.  The interior could be classic coffee house, with a gorgeous gleaming copper roasting machine.  However all the tables are arranged in uniform rows, clearly to fit the most possible people.  I've always found that most unwelcoming.  It's like a NYC restaurant.  Sitting at a table you're practically in the lap of the person beside you.  Hey Coffee Cafe, if you want to cram people in, put in some nice long tables and benches and make it cosy.  49th Parallel did this to good effect.

I was debating what to get when I saw their pastry case. Blueberry scone, had to be.  It's been a bit of a drought lately.  The ones I've been getting at Starbucks in San Bruno are so disgusting I almost quit the scone game.  But I keep chasing perfection- I know it's out there somewhere.

This one was a huge surprise.  It didn't do anything perfectly but it was so delicious I knew I had something special.  Kind of a crunchy, toasty outside and soft and wonderful inside.  Overly crumbly, I had a mess on my hands towards the ends.  It had that sort of doughiness, just on the correct side of being underdone, and happily I could glue the crumbs back together to make a piece big enough to shove back into my mouth.  Unrefined I know, but we scone enthusiasts can't be delicate.  I'll lick the plate if need be.
The real kicker though was this one had a delightful vanilla flavour to it.  Pure brilliance and made every bite interesting.  Would it be sweet (more aromatic than cloying) or tart or a little of both?  So far the cafe bakeries in the Bay Area have been disappointing, bland and uninventive, and this gives me a little bit of hope.

4/5