THE DOUBLE O CAFE

Old Trunks is remembering lunch hours in grades 7-12 being an hour long. The 'mavericks' preferred not to eat hot lunch in the cafeteria of school rather to browse the town for a 20 cent lunch somewhere.

Today I had a BBQ (made from ground hamburger and tomato + other), and some stale potato chips. On the first bite, I burned my tongue. It reminded me of the Double O Cafe on Main Street near Bredeson Cleaners but closer to Montgomery Wards.

It was a counter only kind of cafe what seemed no wider that a dozen feet. It was dark and as I remember, it probably had not been painted for decades. It was run by a Mister and Missus team who may have had the last name starting with an "O". They were both gray haired. He had something wrong with his voice and talked in a high pitch. Anyone recalling this?

Most likely, the buns were bought at Jungs Bakery, also on the same side of the street. They were uncut. When ordering a BBQ, the Mister would put the bun on a spigot like object which was attached to a plug in like crock pot. He would plunge the handle which fed the meat into the bun. And the first bite would burn your tongue.

Another place to eat for 20 cents was the counter cafe at the Red Owl Store. There one could get a hot dog and chips. Egg salad sandwiches were the same price at Parkins Corner Drug. Johnnie's hamburgers, a treat at any time of the day sold burgers for two dimes. If all else failed, try Carlson's Bakery and have two enormous cinnamon rolls!

As for the food at school, well, what can one say. It was government subsidized and if memory serves me right, all white. On of the saddest things I ever saw was when Chenney looked at the food, and the only thing worth eating was canned peaches. He turned and those slimy suckers slide off the plate and on to the floor. And the cooks would NOT restock his plate. Was the count really that close? That was the last day I ate there.

(Giggling) Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Will there be white food? Yes, at least turkey and mashed potatoes but no peaches on the slide.

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