By Carl Anderson
The Scene staff
Early birds get their morning Joe and jumpstart their weekdays at Comet Coffee, a coffee house down the street from St. Louis Community College at Forest Park.
Some people continue the ritual on weekends, when an unusual muffin called “The Rebel Within” appears on the menu. Slice it open to find the golden, runny yolk of a soft-boiled egg in the middle.
“This is a good place to try something new,” said Washington University medical student Kaela Fahrinthold, 23, a Rebel fan. “The egg matches the crunchy, crispy outside of the muffin.”
Comet Coffee is owned by Stephanie Fischer and Mark Atwood, both graduates of Forest Park’s culinary arts program.
The staff makes up to three-dozen Rebels each Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning. They’re often sold out by 11 a.m. on Fridays and noon on Saturdays and Sundays, despite the $6.50 price tag.
“I think people are fascinated by the Rebel because it’s something they never had before,” said Fischer, 24, who also is Comet’s baker. “And they can get a whole meal in a muffin.”
Fischer would like to offer the Rebel every day, but the process is time-consuming. It involves soft-boiling an egg and preserving it so it doesn’t spoil, then baking it in muffin batter with asiago cheese, chorizo sausage and spices.
Fischer and Atwood tasted their first Rebel at a café called Craftsman and Wolves, while visiting pastry shops in San Francisco.
“(It was) the most inspirational pastry I’ve had,” Fischer said.
Comet Coffee also serves a variety of other pastries that Fischer makes from scratch. Atwood and other employees brew coffees and teas from all over the world.
Abigail Svoboda, 23, a barista and former Forest Park student, stops by regularly to relax, taste the latest brews and sometimes get a Rebel.
“They bring in the best (coffee) from all over,” she said. “There is no big ego here.”
Fischer and Atwood opened Comet Coffee in 2012. They were co-workers at another coffee house before becoming business partners. They wanted to provide a comfortable, stress-free atmosphere for both coffee connoisseurs and beginners.
Today, Comet attracts college students, executives, professors and everything in between.
“I want people to feel like they can relax and enjoy what they eat and drink here,” said Fischer, who doesn’t like coffee houses that are pretentious and unwelcoming.
Frank Ladsh is a former customer who became infatuated with the ins and outs of brewing coffees and teas. Now he’s employed as a barista.
Ladsh, 24, takes his job very seriously.
“Every action is very important or else your cappuccinos don’t taste good,” he said.
Comet Coffee is in The Highlands Plaza. Hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays. For more information, call 314-932-7770.