Eartha the giant spinning globe in the Garmin building, home to Magno Terra Cafe in Yarmouth. Photo by Aimsel Ponti
I had to laugh that it took food as a motivator for me to finally see the Eartha globe in Yarmouth up close and personal. The world’s largest spinning globe has been there for 25 years, and I’ve driven by it hundreds of times. I love it, especially at night, yet I’d never been inside the Garmin (formerly DeLorme) building until the other day when I had lunch at Magno Terra Cafe, housed on the same level as the base of Eartha.
My joyful experience was two-fold. First of all, the ham/cheddar/apple panini ($12) was melt-in-my-mouth delicious and made me wonder why I’ve wasted so much time eating sandwiches that aren’t grilled. Grilled is the way to go; it unlocks so much more flavor, and the warmth of the melted cheese is a sensory explosion my taste buds adored. With the added touch of a fig spread, caramelized onions and some Dijon mustard, I savored every morsel.
Other paninis on the menu are the roast beef melt, Italian meat, smoked turkey, veggie, and herb grilled chicken. Yes, please, times six. You can also build your own panini.
The ham, cheddar and apple panini from Magno Terra Cafe in Yarmouth. Photo by Aimsel Ponti
Did I also spring for a small bag of Cape Cod potato chips? You bet I did. One of my late mother’s famous one-liners is “I never met a potato chip I didn’t love,” and I absolutely agree, despite the extra calories and little nutritional value. As I washed my lunch down with a Diet Coke, I was sitting pretty inside the modern, comfortable cafe noshing and sipping away, knowing that my visit was only half over.
Magno Terra Cafe also serves breakfast, and I imagine does a brisk business, with Union Co. bagels, breakfast sandwiches, muffins, quiche and assorted daily specials.
After finishing every last atomic particle of my panini, it was time to have a proper visit with Eartha, which I gazed at in awe while eating.
Never one to miss an opportunity for silliness, I put in my ear buds and promptly started listening to Eartha Kitt as I climbed the stairs to the third-floor viewing area. As Kitt sang “Let’s Do It,” I indeed fell in love with the gigantic, slowly spinning globe, which made me want to somehow quit life and become a world traveler. Each rotation took several minutes, and I was mesmerized as continents and oceans inched by.
Magno Terra Cafe has been open for a couple of months, and I imagine will be staying put because the Garmin employees alone surely frequent it. If I worked there, I’d be greeted with “Having the usual, Aimsel?” just about every day.
During my visit, I saw a few tourists breeze in and some Garmin folks grab lunch.
The baked goods game is also strong at Magno Terra, and I spied an impressive plate of double chocolate brownies and lemon loaf among other treats behind the glass.
Here’s my proposed slogan for Magno Terra Cafe: Go for the food, stay for the globe!
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