A picky eater with lots of allergies and her friend give a Shady Glen review

Stephanie’s Dish

Shake Shivers

The milkshakes arrived first in large stainless steel malt cups, frosty from the chill of the smooth creamy drink inside. The waitress put two glasses on the table with straws. Stephanie was the first to pour her pink drink into the glass, feverishly unwrap her straw, close her eyes, and down half her glass with one slurp on her straw. I’m pretty sure I saw her shiver, but she obviously didn’t care as she quickly went back for more.

Cheeseburger Royalty

Shady Glen is famous for its cheeseburgers. Four slices of cheese are placed on the burger, but in a way that only a corner of each slice is actually on the burger. The rest of the cheese lies directly on the griddle. This method melts the cheese in such a way that the burger seems to have wings. When the platter arrived, Stephanie busied herself folding the overhanging cheese wings onto the burger, adding diced onion and pickles, along with ketchup and mustard. She placed the bun back on top, took the burger in her hands, and smiled. Then she chomped. Now, as an author, Stephanie is a wizard of words, so I’d like to say her descriptions of her meal were embellished, but the look on her face as she devoured her lunch was completely sincere. As her eyes gleamed with childish excitement, she declared the meal “Burger Royalty”, describing the crispy cheese as crunchy and gooey, not soggy or brittle. Her thin juicy burger was simple, but the cheese made it unique and exceptional. She noted the whole meal had an air of nostalgia. Almost as if this diner made time stand still and allowed its patrons to enjoy simple food from a simpler time. I have never, in my entire life, seen someone enjoy a hamburger the way Stephanie enjoyed her hamburger.

Wizard Magic

Stephanie’s platter came with fries and coleslaw. I don’t remember anything about her coleslaw, but that’s because she enchanted me with her ketchup concoction. I double checked and triple checked and this writing wizard who also possesses magical powers gave me permission to share her trick. At some point she put her burger down long enough to squeeze a dollop of ketchup on her plate. First, I was shocked she let go of that burger, but then I was equally shocked when she sprinkled salt and pepper into the splatter of ketchup. She then stirred this potion with a french fry and took a large bite smiling at me while I stared at her in wonder. I’m not sure how I asked, or if I even asked, but she offered this bit of alchemist knowledge, “Instead of adding salt to the fries then dipping in ketchup, add salt to the ketchup. That way the salt won’t fall off the fry. Perfection every time.”

This is why I’m a fangirl. This woman is beautiful, talented, and extremely intelligent. A true queen. I definitely need to spend more time in her presence.

 

And be sure to check out Stephanie Stephan at www.stephanie-stephan.com (@stephanie.stephan.writes)

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