Happy New Year to all of you Meat and
Three fans! It is hard to believe another one has come and gone.
And, this new one has had some surprises already, especially if you
are a football fan (we won't mention any college football school
names, though). Just goes to show that you can't always believe all
the hype that we are bombarded with every day.
It's no surprise, however (at least to
me), that Meat and Three diners, cafes, and restaurants are going
strong. New Meat and Three dining establishments are popping up while
existing ones seem to be doing a great deal of business. The food is
just simply good, and people appreciate food that stimulates their
palette and fills their stomach at a fair price. When you travel
past a diner multiple times and the parking lot is mostly or
completely full, you kind of get the idea that they are doing
something right and meeting some needs (wants/desires).
Sure, some of the food is probably not
the most healthy food on the planet, and the buildings and locations
of some Meat and Threes may not be the most desirable by all groups
of people. I would really jump out on a limb and admit that some of
them won't necessarily have the highest inspection ratings, either.
But, the interest in Meat and Threes appears to be high nonetheless
with both long-term operations as well as the stream of new ones that
are appearing on the scene.
There are tons of options these days,
from fast food to casual dining chains; bars and pubs as well as the
take-home-and-cook concepts; coupons, certificates and diner cards;
and a huge host of other local options. Among those many choices sits
the down-home plate lunches and the blue-plate specials; the steam tables and cafeteria-style lines; and the tantalizing array of meats and vegetables offered multiple ways by sincere cooks and chefs whose main desire is to please their patrons.
The often-used term, Southern Comfort
Food (or just Comfort Food), really seems to apply to this type of
food, for it is meant to soothe the senses, to satisfy the palette,
and to make the diner physically comfortable. It provides the comfort
desired for those moments of time. And, it so often pleases the
person(s) who prepared it - for that is what comforts them. That is
what helps them sleep so well at night and arise so early in the
morning, to do it all again each and every day.
Just like most things in life, there
are always varying opinions about everything and every issue. The
bottom line is that we all make many decisions every day. I
encourage you to make many choices this year to spend time at a local
Meat and Three, to seek out new ones in your area, and to also
experience new ones in your travels.
I would also greatly appreciate your
feedback along the way about the Meat and Three restaurants that you
visit (both stories and history), about this blog, and about the
MEATandTHREE.com [http://www.meatandthree.com]
web site. You can email me at phil@meatandthree.com.
Thanks. Have a great 2007!
Phil Roberson
