A picky eater with lots of allergies and her friend visit Shady Glen
Not a Retirement Home
I’m not a well known writer and I have published nothing other than this blog, so imagine my surprise when I was approached by Stephanie Stephan, author of the weird and fantastical. You can read all about her and check out her latest zine at www.stephanie-stephan.com. The day we chatted she fangirled over me the way I fangirl over her, so of course I said yes. I gave her the job of selecting the place and she chose Shady Glen. Don’t let this name fool you. While it may sound like a pleasant retirement home nestled in a grassy New England hamlet, it is actually a 50’s style diner famous for their ice cream and cheese.
Wait To Be Nested
When you walk into Shady Glen, there is an unspoken rule about seating. It’s called Standing On The Wall. I don’t really know if this is the official name, but I have frequented this restaurant many times with many different people and we all use this phrase. What this means is you stand silently in line, back against the wall, and watch people eat. You are literally standing inches from diners’ tables and you glare at them like vultures waiting to attack. The minute a group vacates their booth, whoever thinks they are first in line races to sit because often no one is really quite sure who is or was first in line on their side of the dining room. Sometimes someone from the line on the other side of the room will fly over and snag the booth before anyone can blink an eye. It sounds dreadful, but it actually enhances your dining experience. However, the day Stephanie and I arrived for lunch there was no line so we didn’t get to linger and lurch.
Time Stands Still
Shady Glen first opened its doors in 1948 and not much has changed. Girls in green dresses with white aprons wrapped around the waist float around taking orders and handing out Dixie cups of water while boys in white button-down shirts with black bow ties and paper soda jerk hats manage the kitchen. The yellow wallpapered walls give way to a huge mural of fairies picnicking on cheeseburgers, milkshakes, and ice cream cones. Behind the counter in the open kitchen, a waiter uses an old fashioned soda pump to mix carbonated refreshments.
Back to the Wall
There are no menus at Shady Glen. All the meal options are hanging from boards mounted on the walls. A variety of platters and sandwiches along with ice cream flavors are listed on each board which you can read while pivoting your body around the booth searching for the sign that lists the meal you’re looking for. I let Stephanie order first since she was my guest. When she requested a milkshake, I quickly interrupted and asked if she was planning on getting dessert. I didn’t care if she was planning to or not, but I realized that I too would love a milkshake, but if there was to be dessert I would need to make a choice. Ugh. Milkshake or ice cream. My tastebuds want it all, but my body cannot handle both. Luckily for me, Stephanie declined dessert, so we both got frothy milkshakes.
Check back soon for our food reviews of
And be sure to check out Stephanie Stephan at www.stephanie-stephan.com (@stephanie.stephan.writes)
