Whenever we drive to or from Mom and Dad’s, we pass the sign on I-71 for 8 Sisters Bakery and Cafe. You know how much I like bakeries, but we were always in a hurry to get wherever we were going and never stopped. After reading a little more about 8 Sisters Bakery and Cafe – they have sandwiches and homemade soups! – we decided to take Mom and Dad there for lunch.
We like to get Mom and Dad out of their condo. They don’t drive much beyond church, doctors, and stores these days, so it is fun to take them on some of the county roads they used to drive. As we go along, they will tell stories about people who lived in houses that we pass. For instance, we drove through Chesterville, and my dad used to have patients in the Chesterville nursing home. We passed several Amish homes where Dad used to make house calls. We love it when they share memories like this.
8 Sisters Bakery and Cafe is located on the east side of I-71, closer to Chesterville than Mt. Gilead. 8 Sisters is less than a mile from the exit so it was easy to find and access. As soon as we walked in the door, we could smell dough and sugar and other delicious smells. But, as we stood looking at the menu, I noticed that there wasn’t any place to sit. We had definitely seen places to sit when we looked at pictures online. Turns out that 8 Sisters Bakery and Cafe took out all their tables because it made it too crowded inside. Darn. It was too cold to eat outside, so we decided we would go someplace else for lunch.
As soon as we told Dad, he headed back to the car. Tom went out also to keep him company. Mom and I stayed inside for a few minutes to look at all the delicious baked goodies. We didn’t take very long (Dad was hungry!) but we did pick out some chocolate chip pecan bars, two cookies, and a pan of cinnamon rolls. They had lots of other yummy looking things and I wanted to try everything.
After driving to Mt. Gilead and finding the diner that Mom remembered turned into a Mexican restaurant, we returned to the interstate exit to eat at Wendy’s. Not very exciting, but Dad really likes Frostys.
After lunch we returned to the condo and tried a few nibbles of the goodies that we picked up at 8 Sisters Bakery and Cafe. I had part of an M&M cookie, Dad had part of a chocolate chip cookie, and Mom and Tom each had a bite of a cinnamon roll. Mom put two of the cinnamon rolls in a container and then Tom and I brought the other two cinnamon rolls home, along with a pecan bar and the rest of my M&M cookie.
The cookie was very good. Soft and packed with M&Ms and chocolate chips. Tom liked the pecan bar. It had a shortbread base that was different but good. But the cinnamon rolls! They were just the right amount of gooey and chewy with a perfect amount of sugar, cinnamon, and frosting. I don’t know if these were a little underdone or if they are always baked this way, but they were the best cinnamon rolls ever! And I have tried cinnamon rolls all over. They even supplanted the Walnut Creek cinnamon rolls that have been my favorites for years. I will definitely have to buy some more to see if they are always that good or if it was a fluke.
Everything we got at 8 Sisters Bakery and Cafe was excellent. I am disappointed that they don’t have seating, so we could enjoy lunch. The paninis looked really good. Maybe we can return for lunch when the weather is warmer and find a park where we can enjoy the food. I know I will be going back for more cinnamon rolls and to try some of the other items on display.