****The Drowsy Parrot closed May 1, 2014 (
visit link) ***
A local blogger (
visit link) provided this review and history of the Drowsy Parrot.
"There has been a lot of public fretting about whether the proposed Wal-Mart in Pittsfield Township will draw the focus of commerce away from Saline. Wondering what was at stake, I set off on a road trip to a locally owned landmark, the Drowsy Parrot, in the heart of Saline's classic old downtown. Housed in a handsome brick building that from 1917 to 1967 was Saline's library, it's a cafe that feels like a general store—the windows are tall, and the shelves are lined with oddball ephemera and utilitarian objects, old and new books, and coffees and teas in tins and bins. This is the kind of genuine and quirky place where farmers sit around on a mid-winter day telling apparently hilarious produce jokes, high school students as well as people of their parents' generation (if not, God forbid, their actual parents) sip and chat, and, on weekends, families bring their little ones. The Drowsy Parrot can take all comers.
It's hard to say whether they are attracted more by the undeniable charm or by the wondrous baked goods. In a pinch. I'd say the sweets, which come from the neighboring Queen of Hearts Pastries & Bakery. In 1999 Terry and Tim Morrow bought the Drowsy Parrot from Al Kaiser, who'd named the cafe after his parrot, Baby. (Al and Baby then retired to the British Virgin Islands).
Terry Morrow is a classically trained pastry chef who is masterful with baked goods, particularly anything involving chocolate. Her selection is imaginative and ever changing. I lucked out one day with a triple-mousse cake: a dark chocolate souffle cake, covered by layers of milk chocolate
mousse and then white-chocolate-and-raspberry mousse, and finished with a glaze of semisweet chocolate. After another trip, I earned points at home for the take-out German chocolate cake of rich devil's food with gooey coconut-pecan frosting. But even that paled in comparison to the next big score, a raspberry creme brulee tart—creamy custard studded with fresh raspberries and topped with a layer of caramelized sugar.
The brewed teas, espresso, and cappuccino are first rate (except for the soy versions—Drowsy Parrot, please switch to another brand of soy milk!). The caffeinated brews are a classic accompaniment for the smaller pastries like the house-made "kit kat" bars. lemon squares, or the single-bite strudel—a little popper of pastry filled with plump cherries. The bakery's homemade granola is a symphony of dried fruits and toasted nuts and grains.
Sandwiches, wraps, and panini are always on the chalkboard menu, accompanied by two or three soups of the day and several varieties of quiche (sandwiches aren't available after 6 p.m.). In the ten-bean soup, thick pieces of ham imparted a rich smoky flavor to the vegetable-legume broth. The very homemade tomato, an herb-rich and chunky puree with a dash of cream, made a satisfying lunch with half of a toasted everything bagel. A broccoli-cheese quiche was richly flavorful, and its impeccable crust had barely a hint of post-nuking sogginess.
For sandwiches, customers may choose from a long list of breads; my husband wisely selected the fresh croissant for his ham and Swiss cheese. Even the standards are given their own little twist here. My triple-decker Baja club sandwich had thick-cut bacon, sliced chicken, and lettuce, plus the added kick of spicy chipotle-pepper mayonnaise.
Cities do ebb and flow, but it's unimaginable that any out-of-town megastore could shake this place. After our few visits, this family has decided to make the Drowsy Parrot a regular stopover on the way to the nearby farmers' market when it kicks into high gear."