Friday, March 21, 2008

Pardon me while I unbutton my pants



Halfway between Madison and Milwaukee is a truck stop called "The Pine Cone". Since I was passing that way near dinner time I pulled in. It's one of my favorite places. I ordered the turkey special. Actual, not processed, turkey with my choice of three sides. I chose soup (chicken dumpling), salad, and mashed potatos (from potatos that still had their skins on them yesterday morning). On the side is served a dinner roll. At the Pine Cone "dinner roll" is a euphemism for small loaf of bread. It's dimensions are four inches wide by six inches tall.

The tab?

$5.75 for dinner. $1.65 for diet pepsi. $2.50 tip. (Can you tell I used to waitress?)

I could make dinner for my family of four with the turkey and potatos I brought home. If it didn't cost me $15 in gas to get there, the Pine Cone would be my recession plan for feeding my family.

I love truck stops.

9 comments:

Claire said...

I LOVE places like that. I'm fortunate that there are none nearby, as I'd weigh 200 pounds. There's a place in Delaware called the Smyrna Diner that used to have the best turkey and mashed potatoes and gravy, and the dinner rolls were just as you describe, too. Or you could get CORNBREAD, which served as bread and dessert. Awesome.

Dr. Zaius said...

Save some leftovers for me! Mmm... I love turkey.

Sorghum Crow said...

"Pardon me while I unbutton my pants?"
I thought you were going to reveal some new political sex scandal!

dguzman said...

When I was a little kid and we'd go someplace on vacation, my dad would always stop for dinner at a truckstop (he had several favorites all over Texas). Now I know why!

Dean Wormer said...

Ha! It truck stops weren't frequented by serial killers (I know that from movies of the week) I'd got there more often.

But those places do have good food.

Suzy said...

I've never stopped there. Now I'll have to check it out; probably beats the Perkins at the Hartland-Wales exit (although I always had a soft spot in my heart for The Family Chef that was in that location before Perkins.) What about The Gobbler? Ever go there in its heyday?

Distributorcap said...

truckers always know the best places to stop.

i think it cost at least $10 to breath in NY (you spent $9.90)..... and you would be lucky if you got the pupic of the turkey (that is what my grandmother called it)

Dale said...

I think you should move.

Unknown said...

Sounds like a diamond in the rough.