CANDY KITCHENS ARE SPECIAL

My parents met at a candy kitchen in MTV.  Acme, like the Roadrunner cartoons, I think.  It stood on the square, south side, where the Register-News building in all its ugliness now stands.

But this entry is about another candy kitchen, Crown Candy Kitchen on St. Louis Street in, well, St. Louis.  My wife, son and three of our grandchildren ate there September 16, 2012.  It was an excellent experience

The line to get into the restaurant at just after 11 AM stretched (you know that's about the only thing lines do--stretch or snake) outside the door.  Unless the customer just wanted candy, ice cream, or a shake.  Then they could squeeze by, make their purchase and squeeze back by the people waiting to be seated.

Old, real old, narrow booths 14 at the most, made up the interior.  They reminded me of the church booths in The Old North Church in Boston that we had visited last Summer.  Even though they weren't, these booths looked older or at least more used.

1913 is the year it opened and for three generations it was operated by the same family.  A few fourth gens worked there, too, but I got the idea that they didn't really have their hearts into the kitchen.

A little old guy who looked as if he had worked there for half the century was cleaning tables and collecting money.  Two waitresses patiently took orders and delivered huge deli sandwiches and shakes.

Lots of sharing for the Quinns who split shakes, roast beef sammys and BLTs.  An obscene amount of bacon which suited the boys and delicious beef.  A big order of fries and two iced teas for the grandparents.  When the little guy totalled our bill he said, "one roast beef--$6.99, we'll round that to $6, and you're going to the Rams' game today, we'll take off some more.  Total for all 6 meals and drinks $33." 

Not bad, not bad at all.

Hopefully, we'll be back on game day and maybe be a little hungrier where no splitting is necessary.