C’EST SI BON, C’EST SI GONE — by Steve Nadis
You might expect the usual sob story about another historic Harvard Square establishment biting the dust, but I can’t claim this place was “historic” in any grand sense. Nor can I protest its closing too forcefully, as it’s making way for a bagel place that, in turn, is making way for a restaurant that a friend is opening. So I’m not lamenting the demise of my scone hut but am, instead, using its passing as a chance to reflect on all the scones I’ve consumed from this place in the past five years. Somewhere between 300 to 400, I’d estimate. That’s a lot of fat, a lot of calories, and probably at least $500 spent on scones–$500 I could have just as easily given to panhandlers, to folks selling “Spare Change” (the homeless newspaper), or to the guy collecting for “Wheelchair Basketball.” Instead, I elected to gorge myself on (conservatively estimated) 150 pounds of raisin or blueberry scones.
The question now is will I use this momentous occasion as an opportunity to break my scone addiction or will I simply find another means of fueling the habit? It’s too early to say. For now I’ll guess we’ll just have to take it one scone at a time.
I have a weakness for Baby Earth Teething Biscuits. (It is an adult woman writing here. I don’t know why; maybe like Proust’s scone the biscuits harken back to happy memories of childhood…) Anyway, on average, I consume 2.33 boxes of Baby Earth Teething Biscuits every week. At $2.39 a box, I decided to do the math. And of course it led me to pondering: what would I rather have: the Baby Earth Biscuit, or a rountrip plane ticket to Florida? Of course the rountrip plane ticket would appear after a year of Baby Earth abstemption while the Baby Earth biscuit sat there on the table in front of me waiting to be eaten. Need I say more. I’m taking it one Baby Earth biscuit at a time.
Thanks Molly, I see your dilemma.
Is the convenience store closed too, or just the bakery? Please tell us more about the bagel place and the restaurant, too.
Hi Ron — thanks for the note. The convenience store is still there. Finagle a Bagel is taking over C’est Bon’s space. And the restaurant I mentioned [I don't know the name] is moving into the Finagle space; it should be an excellent addition to the Square. This chef knows his stuff.
Farewell, slightly-suspect “Jamaican” beef patties. But damn, were they good.
What sort of restaurant is your friend opening?
(Here via Universal Hub. Hi!)
That’s quite a reduction in space for Finagle. (Then again, I never understood why they needed two floors.)
Hi Lynne — thanks for the note. I never tried those patties & it appears I’ll never have the chance. I don’t know much about the restaurant but I’m pretty sure it’s going to be good quality food at a pretty reasonable price, which should make it a good place to have in the square if they pull it off.
Perhaps you can explain the popularity of the American scone to me. Dry and tasteless, yet loaded with calories. What is the point? The English version isn’t much better, but has the advantage of being smaller, so at least you get fewer calories. And, of course, you schmear (that’s a British term) it with jam and clotted cream, and one of my sneakers would taste good with that stuff on it.
she is right. that money could have bought that panhandler a few rocks of crack or nips of blue label shmirnoffs. very insensitive
Well put, asdf. I was insensitive, putting my gluttony first like that. And hello, TB. I’ve never really had the English version of a scone so I guess I don’t know what I’m missing. As for the appeal of the American version, I think that, given the tenor of your note, that’s gonna’ be a tough sell.
WHATS
A
SCONE ? ?
=Z=
Hi Z — It’s kind of like a muffin only slightly bigger (usually) and drier (a little more “bread-like” rather than “cake-like”). I used to eat a lot of them but I’m now trying to rein it in, scale it back…
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I have enjoyed C’est Bon since the winter of 89,90 when my daughter began at the great university. I suggest you learn to make a mean scone and invite someone to break one with you over a cup of home perked java. This can add to soul, mind and body. You deserve it. We all deserve a spring like this!
Thanks for the note, Sutu. I’ll give it a try. But first I’d better buy a fire extinguisher.
You are very very professional.I dream i could do such a great job as you do.