Text 2674, 73 rader
Skriven 2013-07-21 09:34:00 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
Ärende: Williamsport 897
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I'd made a date for lunch with Dan, where we could sit
around and solve the problems of the world, or at least
of Williamsport, which has its share these days.

Annie had suggested the Crippled Bear, which as it's
dim and beery-smelling and full of bikers fulfills all
the requirements of being a masculine hangout, but I
told Dan we should go someplace that Ann wouldn't take
me, so presently we found ourselves at the Main Street
Grill in Muncy, a few towns over on the Interstate.

This is a really retro luncheonette - from the shake
machine behind the counter to the '50s-ish decor you
really felt yourself having taken a trip in the wayback
machine. The major differences were a digital cash
register and the prices.

I believe it's Greek-run but serves a wide assortment
of American favorites, sandwiches, Italianate pasta
things, Greek baked goods, and feta cheese pizzas.

I got a fried chicken dinner ($14 but charged at the
lunch price of $12, perhaps because I asked for all dark),
which was decent but nothing to write home about. Somewhat
aged chicken dredged in salty flour, otherwise unseasoned.
Gooey yellow rice "pilaf" and unbelievably salty boiled
broccoli. For starters, salad or chili, and of course I
got the latter, which was bizarrely overseasoned with
vinegar, so it tasted like regular (beany) chili with
many squirts of Tabasco, only it wasn't spicy. Texas
toast, which I didn't eat. As the place doesn't serve
alcohol, and as it was 94 (34) out, I had a pint of root
beer, which was refilled twice for free.

Dan's reuben ($10) was abundant and looked good - he
polished it off rapidly.

As we were leaving, the conductor of the local band,
which Dan plays clarinet in, came in with some buddies,
so there were chats.

Home for a couple of the beers we had missed at the diner
and then a dose of Bourdain and a nap.

Dorothy of Steve and Dorothy fame had gone off and broken
her leg at her daughter's husband's sister's wedding, so
Annie and I brought dinner in that time-honored way.

She had in my absence picked up some spiced shrimp from
Wegmans, complaining about the cost but saying that that
would save us (me) lots of time and trouble. These are
yesterday's excess unsold 21-25s tossed in vinaigrette
made with lots and lots of dried oregano. I could have
done the same with shrimp thawed fresh today, in a better
dressing, for 1/3 less, time expended maybe 5 minutes, but
who's counting. Other than tasting sour and yesterday,
these were okay for an appie, and I had three.

I made satays: beef (coriander, cumin, soy, garlic), dark
chicken (soy, garlic, ginger), and white chicken (turmeric,
curry spices, ginger) with your standard peanut sauce and
a sweet soy sauce with garlic. Rice from a cooker, perfect,
and my famous marinated cucumbers, almost perfect.

For afters, strawberries and whipped cream over that same
ever-giving pound cake. Steve professed that there was no
difference between Reddi-Wip and the Wegmans extra creamy
whipped heavy cream. I tasted them side by side - Wegmans
wins by a racetrack or two of lengths.

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