Food resources are not lacking out here. The Amish know how to eat (if I had access to this much comfort food, I’d give up electricity too). Which food to eat - that was the question. We pulled off the scenic highway into the village of Bird in Hand, just west of Intercourse (Yes - even the Amish take advantage of the play on words – at the general store they offered t-shirts boasting such antics as Philadelphia has Cheese Steak, but we have Intercourse). At the general store, nice people offered samples of shoo-fly pie, cupcakes, and fresh baked sugar cookies. Chris bought a gallon jug of home-made root beer that came with a warning to properly cool the bottle lest it explode when opened. Back outside we watched people pouring into a restaurant across the parking lot. We followed them inside – Diener’s Family Cupboard. The serene yet bustling place smelled of roast chicken and baked bread, reminding me of someplace my grandparents would’ve taken us on Sundays. Waitresses wore long dresses and bonnets. Sitting near our table, two ladies with highly satisfied looks on their faces suggested we chose the buffet. One raised a heaping fork from her plate and rolled her eyes upward, assuring me: “It’s the best.” She was right. Never before have I enjoyed such flavor from lima beans or stewed tomatoes. The candy-red beets were out of this world as were the soft rolls with chicken gravy. The buttered noodles made me look around for a stool (why go back to the table every time?) It was all outstanding, triggering memories of church basement potlucks and holiday feasts. Parents: those foods you can’t get your kids to eat? Easy solution – fly them out to the Amish country.
