The nights get cool. Talk of warm cider, cinnamon and spice on cool evenings. The first apples grow fat on the trees. October is here. The World Series comes to a close. The days stay warm, and as the sun sets, I pick a bucketful to make a pie for the weekend. Fall is here.
Apple photo by Paolo Neo
My brother and I drive about twenty-five miles out of our way to get to the closest Straw Hat. Our hometown Straw Hat closed during the Pizza Hut buyout during the late 1980’s. My brother and I open yellow pages up and down the California Coast for our beloved pizza chain, stopping every chance we get.
My long time favorite is the combination “works” pizza on original crust. I’d better get a medium tonight; I have brought my Straw Hat hunger. How about a one-trip salad?
Fans of Straw Hat from its heyday can spot an original pizza place by the grass-cloth wallpaper and macramé hangings. The polished wood counter where one orders is set in with antiquated brick. How about a free ride on Charlie Horse? That is a Straw Hat for sure.
Straw Hat has gone through a bit of a renaissance over the last decade or so, entering private ownership, and making itself more accessible to franchisees. Happily for my brother and myself, Straw Hats seem to be popping up versus closing down now-a-days. Both the brand and the pizza are doing well out west.
My most recent encounter with Straw Hat’s growth was on a trip to Barstow. Straw Hat has ventured into the “restaurant” arena with a new venture, “The Straw Hat Grille.” This venue not only serves Straw Hat’s great pizza and pasta, it also serves burgers and an extended menu as well. It is great to see our beloved “Left Coast-Right Pizza” doing well.
Pizza photo by Jon Sullivan
Whoops, I thought it was one month ’til Easter. I bought two dozen eggs last night. I guess I’ll be eating omelettes for a week or two.
Egg photo by Paolo Neo
At two cups of Coffee per day, that should last me 125 days. Sorry, I am just doing my quarterly coffee accounting.
Coffee photo by Jon Sullivan
I am a bit of a penny-pincher, and I love my ham and eggs. Crush those last sleepers out of the eyes at 10am, order up a cup of joe. I’ll take some blackberry jam, and hold the newspaper-it’s a little early.
Listen to the locals. “It sure would be good if the power plant would go back on line and bring some jobs back to the county.
“Back when I was young, this place had eggs for 50c. Darlin, can you warm up my coffee? One more cup and I’ll be good to go all day.”
$2.99 Ham and Eggs. America wakes up to Breakfast.
Diner photo by Jon Sullivan
The Dow would be doing fine, and I would eat my way into retirement.
Chocolate Cookies picture by Paolo Neo
I sit down and enjoy about ten Nilla Wafers and a glass of milk. My tongue wiggles a few bits and crumbles out of my molars. A gulp of milk and my palate is ready for another cookie. All is fine with a handful of cookies. Try not to be glum these days.
Cookie photo by Paolo Neo
