In Retrospect

The restaurant where I ate at most

Has long since closed its door.

The owner's long retired --

She, the cooking, does no more.

'Twas a little family business

With exclusive clientele.

I can't think of many patrons

That I didn't know all that well!

You know those fancy restaurants

With no menus? You don't choose.

You always take the special --

And you never, ever loose!

Those places where they make the food --

You watch and smell it cook.

They serve it up from pot to plate

Five stars! Best in the book!

I ate there twice a day for years.

On weekends, make that three!

Sometimes we're four -- (the most was five)

Real exclusivity!

The fare was often simple,

Healthy, pleasant to the eye --

The portions? More than generous.

To that, I won't deny!

On weekends it was special --

Fancy drinks, and sweet desert --

Sometimes it'd be a single course,

Inspired, creative spurt …

Fresh-baked, plate-size biscuits

Sliced in half, then overflowed

With fresh sugar-coated strawberries,

Whipped cream (by hand!) -- it showed :D)

A culinary expertise

Not seen before or since!

Though that was it -- 'twas quite enough!

Our stomachs? -- Fat and dense!

Or cantaloupe -- too, sliced in half,

Seeds scooped to make some room

For several scoops of ice cream …

Just one course, but absent gloom!

Then there's the meal at Higgins Lake --

We patrons, put to work

Collecting wild blueberries

Off the vine -- we didn't shirk!

We watched them placed in bub'ling goo --

Fat pancakes, open flame --

Thick but'ry syrup with ice-cold milk.

For seconds, back we came!

Quite often on the weekend

With anticipation high,

We watched the taller owner

Take a spoon and calmly ply

Several scoops of high-grade ice cream

Into tumblers -- Supersized!

Fill them up to overflowing,

Pre-black cows then realized!

A black cow, (for uninitiates)

Starts out a creamy white --

When root beer hits the ice cream

Bub'ly foam floats into sight --

Which one just has to inhale

Or it makes a sticky mess!

Keep inhaling as he pours it on --

A taste-inspiring stress!

Did I mention that this restaurant

Was inside a small motel

That I stayed in quite exclusively?

It was more like a hotel --

In that laundry was provided for,

A concierge there, too --

Who provided transportation

Curbside service, like they do.

Both the restaurant and the motel,

With its perks, just ran a tab.

It was weird -- they called it "Pass it on" --

We patrons called it "Fab!"

The idea was that we didn't need

To pay a living cent --

Not then to them, the owners,

What, instead, it really meant

Was that we, when we got older,

Open up, each one, his joint --

Should provide these same provisions to --

You know, you get the point :D)

So I write this to the owner

Of that fabulous motel

Who, at 96 -- still kicking --

I can say, "You did quite well!"