One of my favorite things is taking a road trip to a rural small town cafe. I love the mom-and-pop joints and the good food and socialization. It seems even if you know no one when you enter, you won't leave without having a fun conversation with strangers. My friend, now staying with me, so we can have someone there at night for each other for various medical reasons, took me and her nephew who dropped by, for a road trip over to a small rural town cafe. He spotted this sign and told the owner/waitress that the bottom sign described his fake auntie Faye and pointed to me. After I commented how much the bosomy babe looked like me, I thanked him for the compliment, which made everyone laugh. Then our food came and the waitress asked if ketchup on biscuits and gravy with a runny egg was good. I said yes because it gave it some spice. They were the best homemade biscuits and gravy I have had in a long time. I would have preferred one of their burgers, but being unable to wear dentures and not having $70k for the titanium implant permanent dentures, I have learned to appreciate soft easy-to-eat foods. The fake nephew said it was the best burger he had ever eaten and at 6' 8" and 330 lbs, one can imagine he has downed a burger or two. Photo of lunch posted in memory of Alonzo Tanner
Local places are the best, for all the reasons you mentioned. When I first moved here I ate at this Italian mom & pop pretty often. I still eat there, but less frequently. It used to be a Golden Skillet, which I guess was a chain of places like Denney's. He just repurposed the skillet sign: There is cramped seating for maybe 20 people (5 tables), but the bulk of their business is carry out. They don't open for breakfast. I've gotten to know a few folks there that I see around the county. It's one of those places if I'm eating alone and the place is crowded, I share my table with whoever happens to amble in. And the food is good...and cheap.
There are several little diners around here; one has the best hamburgers ever. Two of them are only open for lunch and dinner hours and one is a little mexican joint. I prefer any of them to the chains. @Faye Fox , I have to say that ketchup doesn't look that good on sausage gravy.
Hey FayeBabe: I hear ya. Us guys have a fixed rotation 6 days a week of different small town privately owned diners we go to. We go to our fav place twice a week. It is two towns over, in Livonia NY. which is a quaint, typical small town. No traffic lights. It literally is like Mayberry there. The diner is “Wanda’s”, who is a super-nice woman. Great townfolk, no crazies. The sheriff doesn’t come in, but his brother does. No Barney Fife though. It’s small but usually quite busy. Foods good and very reasonable. I usually get two eggs, sausage patties, home fries, English muffin, and endless coffee, it’s about $11. The waitresses are, well, never mind. But we take good care of them. Stop in some Wednesday or Saturday.
This thread is fun talk. Our little, small-town restaurant closed down about 10 years ago and right after new owners opened one in its place, pandemic hit. I miss the great fresh fish plus entertainment they had.
Hey, Bruce, While I appreciate the babe salutation, it appears some consider it flirting so best to discontinue such sweet talk on the forum. Some may also consider your invitation for me to stop in some Wednesday or Saturday a date solicitation. Notice I am addressing you as Bruce, because Brucie may be considered flirting.
Yes, this isn't a dating forum! LOL Although, I remember Chrissy telling someone off for saying something to her.
My wife has ketchup on her mac & cheese, but I sure don't. I remember a small cafe that's in Strasburg, Colorado, right off of I-70. Back in 2004, we stopped there to take a look at a house we thought about buying. It was on horse property. However, due to a formal inspection we had done to it, decided against buying it. Back then, this cafe was pretty full for breakfast/lunch. As we were returning to live in Colorado again, we stopped at this cafe for some lunch. Apparently, due to the Pandemic, the owner had cut the hours of business drastically and, when we stopped by, we were the only customers in the cafe. On our way to live in Colorado the first time, we stopped at a cafe in New Mexico. Had a nice lunch and I just happened to notice a PRCA NFR contestant (Tie-Down) eating. His name is Blair Burk. His dad, Barry Burk, was a World Champion.
My grandpa, who was 80 when I was born, put my mom's homemade applesauce on his potatoes. He was from Sweden, so don't know if that was a thing there or not. I tried it and liked it, did it for years when I was still home. I used to put ketchup on scrambled eggs, got it from my cousin I think. Kinda forgot about it, maybe I'll try it again. But on sausage gravy??? Wanda's has great sausage gravy, something I get occasionally over homefries with eggs on top. I would never defile that with ketchup, and would not sit next to anyone who did.
Are we getting like Twitter, FB, or YT with the censorship? I know how to get around those platform's censorship Al Gore rhythms. Ok, I'll start talking "in code" here, FB.
From what I understand, a Chef would complain like heck, if he or she, would see a customer put steak sauce on a good Porterhouse, T-Bone, Fillet Mignon the Chef had cooked.