Steamers prove highlight of the HUB Bakery, oatmeal flops
After biking to campus in the pouring rain, I stopped by the the HUB Bakery. Partly because it was 10 a.m. and I hadn’t had breakfast, but mostly because I had been looking forward to trying some new menu items.
I pestered the woman at the counter with a few questions about options and pricing.
“What’s the steamer?” I asked.
She explained that a steamer is similar to hot chocolate – steamed milk, without the chocolate. There are 34 flavors to choose from, including Irish cream, maple spice, strawberry and white chocolate.
“I wouldn’t recommend the fruit flavors,” she said, and I was grateful for the tip.
I decided on amaretto – flavoring from a sweet, almond-y liquor. I paired it with a bagel and a cup of maple and brown sugar oatmeal, oatmeal being a relatively new addition to the HUB’s menu. They also offered apple cinnamon and original oatmeal.
I have to mention that while I am a big fan of oatmeal, I’m also one of its harshest critics. This particular batch of oatmeal came out of a machine, so it’s not the HUB workers’ fault that it was exceptionally gunky. It stuck to itself like gum sticks to your shoe – an unappetizing image, but I tried to be hopeful.
The texture was similar to that of instant oatmeal. (For those of you that aren’t oatmeal connoisseurs, the graininess of instant oatmeal is never preferred to that of real oats).
I was not displeased with the flavor, at first. Maple and brown sugar are the Ben and Jerry of the oatmeal world. But after six or seven bites, the overbearing sweetness of the brown sugar dominated the subtly of the maple, resulting in a sugar headache.
After I finished, I waited for the steamer to cool down. After all, the worst way to compliment a sugar headache is with a burnt tongue. I didn’t know what to expect with the steamer. From the woman’s description, I feared the flavor wouldn’t be strong enough — but I was pleasantly surprised.
The amaretto flavored the milk as thoroughly as cocoa flavors hot chocolate, but the steamer didn’t have the weightiness of hot chocolate. You could take it to class and not feel groggy. It’s not the pick-me-up you’d get from coffee, but it’s equally revitalizing and comforting.
If you have back-to-back classes, I recommend asking for a little less flavoring to avoid a sugar collapse. But a light amaretto or invigorating Irish cream could motivate you to go to that early morning class.
Overall I give the Hub’s steamer a B and the oatmeal a D.
—brennakelly818@gmail.com
twitter: @bkelly8