Quite possibly one of the greatest foods ever invented is cheesecake. I've lost at least 25% of you with just that opening sentence. This isn't about cheesecake... much... I promise.
On with the cheesecake.
Possibly one of my top 5 favourite foods is a thing called "Cherry Cheesecake" where the cheesecake is bathed in a thick preserve complete with deliciously plump cherries. This isn't about cherry cheesecake either... I promise.
Back to the cheesecake.
Earlier today, I just happened to land here @Hunter's Public House.
Some plans had changed and I figured I wouldn't have anything other than perhaps a quick coffee but the place was cozy, very inviting and exuded just enough of that quirky touch to make it "not a chain" pub. For example their chairs... yes, their chairs (told you this wasn't about cheesecake) their chairs (yes I just said that three times) that either weigh a thousand pounds or are magnetized to massive metal plates below the distressed hardwood floor.
"Who wants chairs that heavy?" you ask. Well, consider this. Have you got any practical jokers in your circle of friends? Oh come on, everyone does (if you don't, it's you!). Anyway, imagine you're about to sit down for cheesecake at Hunter's Public House and your practical joker friend sneaks up behind you to pull the chair out from under you just as you sit down.
Joke's on him (or her)! They'll likely pull their back out before they're able to land you on the aforementioned distressed hardwood! And instead of your butt hitting the floor, the answer will hit you "Ah! That's who wants chairs that heavy!" See? Now you can enjoy your cheesecake fearlessly.
Back to the cheesecake.
The menu said it came with a choice of 3 toppings but didn't specify which. So I asked the server (a friendly early 30's young man, very well spoken and attentive) what the toppings were (and waited with baited breath for the word "cherry" to hit my ears).
"We have raspberry, butterscotch and chocolate. Or," he added quickly "...you can have any combination of the three."
I'm a "make do" kinda guy but I have my standards. In stark contrast to where I hold cheesecake, butterscotch has to fall completely at the other end of the yum spectrum... or the "spectryum" as I like to refer to it (actually, I just made that up, ...but I now like to refer to it that way).
Back to the cheesecake.
Chocolate is a wonderful thing, am I right sisters? Oh yeah, but, as good as chocolate is, it does not belong in cheesecake. There's only one worst thing to do to cheesecake than make it a chocolate cheesecake and that is to drizzle butterscotch on it. However, there is something to be said about the blissful combination of raspberries and chocolate... very high on the spectryum with that one.
So I turned to my patiently waiting server and asked for a combination of raspberry and chocolate with a side of coffee.
Now, I braced myself because afternoon coffee at non-coffee venues has a tendency to be boiled down so severely as to almost taste like burnt butterscotch. Blech! My server came back within a minute with my coffee. I quickly surveyed the dozen or so patrons and only saw standard pub refreshments being consumed.
Ya, I know what you're thinking. "Only you, Luc, would order a coffee in a pub at 3:30pm!" Well, it's not 11 o'clock somewhere in the world.
Anyway, it seemed obvious the coffee would likely not be fresh brewed. I said "seemed". Wait for it...
Back to the cheesecake.
My server placed the plate in front of me displaying a respectably sized portion of what looked to be a perfectly chosen pre-made cheesecake artfully drizzled with my raspberry/chocolate combo.
I dug in. 
The first thing to hit my mouth was the raspberry/chocolate taste. True to form, did not disappoint, but then... the firm yet fluffy texture of the cheese supported by the soft buttery graham cracker crust was exquisite.
The suspense is killing you. I can tell. Fine...
By then, the aroma of my coffee had joined in and taunted a sip to wash down the dreamy first bite.
I should frame this quickly by declaring that I am neither a flavoured coffee fan, nor a starbux type. I am exclusively a Columbian coffee lover.
Not only was the coffee excellent, it complimented my dessert perfectly.
Ya, I know what you're thinking. "Only you, Luc, would write about pairing coffee and desserts like pairing a well aged Sangiovese with a medium-rare Filet Mignon."
Well... uhm... I have no retort. You're right.
Back to the cheesecake.
As I slowly enjoyed a few more bites, my server came back offering to generously refill my coffee. I kindly turned him down (otherwise I'd be up to all hours and this post would require chapters).
Chapter 4: "Are you enjoying the Cheesecake?"
My server then asked "Are you enjoying the cheesecake?" and I was unable to hold back a positive reflex grunt before exclaiming "It's so good!" with my eyes half closed (half open to the optimists among you). He then smiled and said "My sister makes it for us."
Jaw. Drop.
I nearly fell off my thousand pound chair but thanks to its stability was able to avoid what would likely have been an embarrassing, if not awkward moment (chalk up another reason to have thousand pound chairs... whoever the owner is is sooo forward thinking!).
I said "You're kidding! No way!" and he didn't bat an eye, smiled knowingly (he's tasted it for sure) and said "Yes, she makes all our bla bla bla..." and his voice drifted off as I came to grips with the fact that the maker of perhaps the most exquisite cheesecake I've ever tasted (and that's without the cherry on top... can you imagine?) lived here.
In. This. Town.
Ya, I know what you're thinking. "Luc! I gotta go there right now! Do I need a reservation?" To which I'll say "Get a reservation anyway cause they have this thing that they do while you're on the phone with them making your reservation you get this 'ping!' text confirming your reservation before you've even hung up with the person you're speaking with and then it'll 'ping!' you to remind you of your reservation as the date approaches with one-word text responses you can use to make changes if necessary.
Ya, I know what you're thinking. "Luc! Top of the spectryum cheesecake, forward-thinking furniture selection AND tech-savvy too?"
Ya. Ya. And... Ya.
That's also when I realised I wasn't talking to a server. All this time, I'd been talking to the owner. We chatted a bit longer and he told me how they opened last year. Great guy. Never got his name.
When you go, tell him the bald guy with the goatie sent ya.