I'm going to deviate from my normal blog format for a moment and use this space to give a huge thumbs-up to Saratoga Coffee Traders.

This afternoon, in my continuing hunt for a quick, somewhat healthy sandwich within a few minutes walking distance from the office, I nearly made it all the way into Bruegger's Bagels, basically because I know they have things I like and their sandwiches are fairly inexpensive. But I stopped in my tracks and turned back to Saratoga Coffee Traders because of a couple aggravating experiences I've had recently at Bruegger's, dealing with untrained sandwich makers, long, slow lines and receiving food that was carelessly tossed together.

So I stepped into Saratoga Coffee Traders knowing their food would likely be more skillfully prepared, more delicious and more expensive.

And I was right. The chicken salad wrap was about two bucks more than I wanted to pay, but it was delicious.

Kudos to the guy in the cowboy hat who greeted me with a smile, gave me his full attention while taking my order, asked if I wanted any special additions, like cucumbers, and carefully prepared my wrap. It came in a sturdy box complete with popcorn (Smartfood, not fresh, but I'll let it slide) and a piece of candy as a garnish. How adorable.

While I was waiting, I browsed the business cards and picked up the latest copy of Metroland. I was happy to see Spirit of Saratoga among the other free magazines and newspapers available. Another employee advised me on loose teas, which I plan to go back and buy.

All of this I would have never experienced going to Bruegger's, I thought, as I stepped out of the store. Which made the extra two bucks well worth it. And I'm now recommitting myself to supporting local businesses whenever possible. Never again Bruegger's, never again.