Sunday Brunch

Sunday service on zoom: followed by Brunch.

Before CoVID-19, it was a tradition that at least once a month, more frequently if we had guests, after church on a Sunday, we would go to Vernon’s Diner on Hammonds Plains Road.

And gorge ourselves. You know, be a greedy gourmand.

But, since CoVID-19, we have not been allowed, nor allowed ourselves, to indulge in such unseemly dining.

Until yesterday.

On Saturday, as we were having our dinner, I said to My Beloved, that I had been thinking about going to the Diner tomorrow. I did not know what sort of reaction this would bring, as I know she has been very careful about going out other than to shop for supplies.

However, she tilted her head towards me with that little tiny bit of a smile and said, “You mean actually going to the Diner tomorrow for brunch?” Well, the tilt of the head and the little smile told me without answering her, that she was all in on this idea.

So, yesterday, after the service, and after a customary Duo with the two of our daughters, Jenny and Tanis, who also attend the zoom service from Atlanta and Salt Lake City, I did a very Un-Christian-like thing, and teased the heck out of them by telling them our plan was to go to the Diner, so we would be cutting this Duo short. Oh, I knew I had hit the spot with each of them: I could see it in their faces. Fury? Desperation? Envy?

So, I terminated the Duo face-to-face and My Beloved and I got in the car and drove to the Diner.

There were many cars parked already, so I went in and spoke to a server, telling her that my wife was out in the car, as we didn’t know if they could take us. (I should add that many restrictions have been removed, as the Nova Scotia population has been very diligent in masks, distancing, testing and getting vaccines, so our case count is virtually zero nowadays.) Certainly, go and get your wife, she said, we have lots of room and I will seat you both.

On bringing My Beloved into the restaurant, we were immediately seated at a booth.

We looked at each other. Oh, this was freedom.

Our server, who was still masked, as we still were, asked us if we would like a tea or coffee. My Beloved responded with, “I would love a white wine, please.” To which the server said she wished she could join us, and then turned to hear my request. “A spicy Bloody Caesar, please.” As she departed, I called out after her, “VERY spicy!”. to which she raised her thumb.

Very shortly later as we were regarding the menu, she returned with My Beloved’s white and my Bloody Caesar, but also with an unopened bottle of Lee and Perrin’s Worcestershire sauce. As she put it down, she said, “I wasn’t sure when you came in masked, but the spicy Caesar confirmed that you were the couple who used to come in often.” And I said, “And you are Kelly!” She said, “I don’t have my name tag on, but, yes, you’re right.”

I had to admit to her that I had cheated about knowing her name: I had texted Jenny in Atlanta and asked her if she could remember our preferred server’s name and she came up with ‘Kelly’. What a memory! Kelly remembered well the blonde with the tall son who loved very spicy virgin Caesars. And she remembered the redheaded daughter as well. We have all said many times in the past that Kelly has a most remarkable memory concerning people and our favourite choices from the menu.

How nice it is to be remembered. She got an extra special tip later.

En passant, many years ago, we were moving from Winnipeg to Montreal and I was lodged (at my employer’s expense, I quickly add) in the grand luxury Ritz-Carlton hotel for several months. Every evening after work, I would go to the bar and order a very spicy Bloody Caesar. A couple of years later, when a friend from Winnipeg was visiting us during the Montreal Olympics, I took My Beloved and our friend to the bar in the Ritz. The bartender remembered me and how I liked my Bloody Caesars very spicy. He delivered.

Back at the Diner, we both ordered the
VERNON’S BREAKFAST SKILLET
Two eggs (any style) with your choice
of ham, bacon or sausage, served over
breakfast potatoes and topped with a
Cheddar and Mozzarella cheese blend
with two slices of 22 Carrot Bakery
bread. 13.99

Eggs over easy, bacon and whole wheat toast were our choices. And was the end result from the kitchen as good as expected? The esurient duo thought so.

Kelly, as manager of the day, was extremely busy and was as professional in helping our her staff as she had always been in our experience, but still found time to come and have a couple of little chats with us.

We decided there was enough room left in our stomachs to split a Chocolate Torte. A chocolate cake with masses of chocolate frosting all over it and a tablespoon of whipped cream with chocolate to add to the torte and another whipped cream with caramel.

Kelly will not be disappointed in that we will certainly be back to our tradition again.