Carryout Food Memories

What did people (by people I mean wives) do before carryout/delivery was an option for families? I thank my lucky stars that I wasn't born until the idea of restaurant "takeaway" meals were invented. Sure, people probably did it long before it became a real thing with special (wasteful) containers. Today carryout and delivery are what we are counting on to help restaurants survive during this pandemic.

I am THRILLED to be in a dress. One that matches my sisters...NOT

Love my socks in this one! My mom's parents' 50th anniversary in Cedar Rapids 

I grew up in a smallish Iowa town during the 1960s and '70s. Some of you might say a community of 7,000 people is tiny, but in Iowa, Atlantic (now population 6,921) is one of the larger communities. Most Iowa towns are under 2,500 people.

When I was a child, my town was just the right size to grow up in. It seemed to have everything I could possibly want! Back then, the town was filled with lots of big middle-class families. They didn't go out to eat a lot, but when they did, there were several options, all local - until I was a bit older.

I've told my readers before that my dad was a "pantie man" - a clothing representative, selling lingerie for a company that manufactured Lorraine Lingerie. He visited nearly every town in Iowa, traveling Monday through Friday. Back then all towns had stores that sold ladies underthings and nighties. He also worked with larger accounts like Younkers. So Mom held down the fort all week - in charge of four daughters. By Friday, she was usually ready for a break after being in charge of 3 meals a day (no hot lunch at school back then) for five days. Friday night was often his night to be in charge of supper.

Dad was a grillmaster! Fabulous steak, burgers and rotisserie chicken. He was such a kidder too. We laugh about some of the things he came up with when we sisters get together. He'd call steak "snake" to freak us out. One time Betsy asked what we were having for supper and he told her "dead chicken". What? Of course then Mom had to yell, "Dave!" drawing his name out into two syllables.

If you look past the wonderful wedding gifts you'll see the brick fireplace Dad used for grilling - kids in the pic are now all growed up! 

Our house had a downstairs brick fireplace with a grate for grilling. I remember sitting down there like a picnic. We had a little seat with a tray for Baby Betsy who still had a bottle - so it's one of my earlier memories. I would have been five. We also had an outdoor grill.

Sometimes everyone was tired though - and they decided to order out. When I was very young I remember riding with Dad to a place just off the City Park square called The Spot. It was a hamburger joint that served fabulous greasy burgers and fries. The kind where the sack was practically dripping by the time you got home. I don't know why it closed - maybe because they didn't have a good location for a drive-through compared to other places like Dairy Queen and A&W.

Our family's favorite place to order supper from was The Pines, right on Highway 6. They had the best broasted chicken ever! Spell-check doesn't like the work broast. Yes, it's a thing! It's like a combo of roasted and fried. We each got to order our fave parts, so I'd get the 2-piece dark meat - a leg/thigh, probably with fries when I was young - baked potato later. A salad with their fabulous Pines dressing. They would send an assortment relish tray that included cheese cubes and braunschweiger - that meat that was never my fave, but others love it.

I loved riding with Dad to pick up our order. We would go a little early and sit at the bar just inside the door at the restaurant. Dad would order a drink and I'd get a Shirley Temple (Seven Up with cherry juice) The bartender would put a cherry in it using one of those little plastic cocktail animals for drinks. The restaurant's kitchen was in the basement and the food came up in a dumbwaiter - a little elevator box. When our food came up the server would yell "the Bowlocks food is up", saying our name like that. Each person's meal would come in a little pressed board box. I wish I could order one now.  

The Pines is still listed as a business in Atlantic, but the restaurant that we have been to most recently at that location is called Oinkers, It operates on the lower level, below where the Pines is, with a more casual atmosphere. They sell Pines barbecue sauce. I often take a bottle of the sauce to Atlantic pals as a gift when we travel. My Aunt Jean buys it by the case - so it didn't make too good of a gift to her and Bruce when we stayed at their house. Oops!

The good news? The Tavern restaurant, in Valley Junction in West Des Moines, sells broasted chicken! We'll order some of that one of these nights. I'll miss sitting by my dad at the bar though...