The Very Best In Small Town Diners (2)

Previously..

The SconeLady's husband walked from the truck to where I stood at the corner. He had come in answer to my enthusiastic call about a cafe I had never seen before. And they were open for breakfast! 'Open for breakfast' has such a nice ring to it, don't you think? One can always smell the pancakes and sausage sizzling away in there even before walking through the door. I had, and longed to go in.

So in we walked. Kevin's Cafe looked good at first glance. And was that french toast that we smelled? We grabbed a booth, keeping an eye out for a waitress in hopes of some coffee. We finally saw her, but realized she was the only one. Hmm. It could be a while. To bide our time, we sat watching the cook pouring out and flipping the pancakes, sifting through the orders as they piled up. We knew that our three would just love sitting on those cafe stools, watching that guy cooking (they would probably want to 'help').

I hoped the place would have a kindly and meddlesome proprietor, quick and witty, with bits of wisdom flying in all directions as she worked. But you know, it didn't really turn out to be anything like The D and F Cafe. I shouldn't have expected it, but ever since Fairie closed its doors all those decades ago, nothing else has quite lived up to that one-of-a-kind spot. It will just have to live on in our memories.

Later, while flipping through an old H.S. yearbook I came across a treasure - a photo of Dale and Fairie in the D and F!

Don't they look terrific? They had sponsored our yearbook, therefore getting their picture in the back section of it. I checked all my yearbooks and, sure enough, there they were in all of them. It was an Institution, one that we all just took for granted would always be there. I believe several cafes have tried moving in and making a go of it, but nothing ever 'took'. They always closed not long after opening. So the place stands empty. 

Whenever we visit, one of our first stops is to Main Street, where the Delph's Meat Market had been, where the town Library still was, and where Dale and Fairie used to hold forth day after day. Knowing everyone who walked through their door, and welcoming them all like Family.

I still haven't figured out one thing, though - do any of you know what those two bottles are that Dale is resting his beefy arm on? I'd like to know.

See you along the way!

the SconeLady