Sometimes you just have to look in your own back yard.

I recently moved to a downtown apartment that is on the backside of a business building. There is a place called Sandy's on the Circle and it is a morning and lunch diner. Closed for dinner. They had a small space in the back that they rented and put in a small 6 seat bar and put in dinner seating for about 30 people. The windows are heavily tinted and there isnt a fancy sign and they are only open till 9pm so they are a little hard to notice. They only opened 7 weeks ago and in a small town like ours they are still making a name for themselves. Anyway to get to the point I had a bad day at work and went and had a decompression analysis beer with the supervisor that works for me. We went to the other new restaraunt in town (Roadhouse Grille), that has a good staff and good prices and it has been pretty busy. Our regular bartender served up drinks, but they never really push the food a lot. So after decompressing, I left without getting anything to eat. As I turned the corner to my apartment, I had a sudden flash to all the afternoons and evenings lately where I can smell these great smells coming from this little restaraunt next door. So I parked and went inside and there were 5 customers in there at 8:58 pm. I asked what time they closed and the bartender said 9pm. I was about to leave and she asked what I wanted. I told her just a steak to go for dinner. She said to grab a seat and give her 10 minutes and she would round something up. I was about to refuse, because one rule I live by is never go in to a restaraunt at closing time and make the cook mad by making him stay late. It is a good rule to live by. But the bartender was cheerful and she put the order in and when the cook stuck his head out and asked what sides I wanted I told him whatever he had readily available. So I 15 minutes and one beer later I took home (around the corner and up the flight of stairs) a flat iron steak, baked potato, and green peas in a cream sauce with little tiny bits of ham in them. The steak was a perfect medium, the potato had some really good seasoning on the outside, and the peas were fresh and excellent. I was really amazed at the quality of the food from this little whole in the wall place behind the cafe. Especially since the same people own the cafe and the restaraunt in back. I have been in the cafe for breakfast and the pancakes were made from batter that was overmixed and they came out tough, the sausage was OK, and the home fry potatoes were not seasoned at all and they were really dry. So it is a real treat to have this little haven of goodness right out my front door. I can actually go out to the railing and call and order down to the waitress when they take a break outside, but then I couldnt sit at the bar and enjoy a beer or some wine.